Theories of development Child development is part of a relatively new area of scientific study called psychology. Psychology only had its beginnings during the late part of the nineteenth century and is now a respected area of research and study in universities. In particular, there has been great interest in research and study in the branch of psychology called child development. Consequently, a great many theories have been put forward to explain why and how children develop. You may think that what happens in research in universities does not really concern us in our everyday life. It is surprising how much of our thinking and ideas about children’s behaviour is influenced by the research that has been done and the theories that have been developed. What is a theory? The Macquarie Dictionary (3rd edition, 1997) defines theory as proposed ‘…a explanation whose status is still conjectural, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact’. A good theory suggests ideas that need to be researched and a theory will be modified as new information is gathered from the research. development theories Many theories have been suggested to explain children’s behaviour and development. Different theories focus on different aspects of development and behaviour. Some theories emphasise the importance of the environment and some theories emphasise the importance of heredity. Some theories focus on a particular area of development (eg cognitive or personality development) and other theories focus on processes in development and are relevant to all areas of development. Theories are also influenced by the life experiences of the theorists. For example, the psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1935) grew up in the communist Soviet Union. Communism is based on the principle of an equal share for all. Vygotsky also came from a large family and his interest in child development came from his efforts to help children with disabilities fulfil their potential. His theory about cognitive development emphasises social relationships
Theories of development Child development is part of a relatively new area of scientific study called psychology. Psychology only had its beginnings during the late part of the nineteenth century and is now a respected area of research and study in universities. In particular, there has been great interest in research and study in the branch of psychology called child development. Consequently, a great many theories have been put forward to explain why and how children develop. You may think that what happens in research in universities does not really concern us in our everyday life. It is surprising how much of our thinking and ideas about children’s behaviour is influenced by the research that has been done and the theories that have been developed. What is a theory? The Macquarie Dictionary (3rd edition, 1997) defines theory as ‘…a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact’. A good theory suggests ideas that need to be researched and a theory will be modified as new information is gathered from the research. development theories Many theories have been suggested to explain children’s behaviour and development. Different theories focus on different aspects of development and behaviour. Some theories emphasise the importance of the environment and some theories emphasise the importance of heredity. Some theories focus on a particular area of development (eg cognitive or personality development) and other theories focus on processes in development and are relevant to all areas of development. Theories are also influenced by the life experiences of the theorists. For example, the psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896–1935) grew up in the communist Soviet Union. Communism is based on the principle of an equal share for all. Vygotsky also came from a large family and his interest in child development came from his efforts to help children with disabilities fulfil their potential. His theory about cognitive development emphasises social relationships
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