HN377 Unit 1 DBP

TABLE 2

-

3

Major Perspectives on Child Development

Perspective

Key Ideas about

Human Behavior and

Development

Major

Proponents

Example

Psychodynamic

Behavior throughout life is

motivated by inner,

unconscious forces,

stemming from childhood,

over which we have little

control.

Sigmund Freud,

Erik Erikson

This view might suggest

that an adolescent who

is overweight has a

fixation in the oral stage

of dev

elopment.

Behavioral

Development can be

understood through

studying observable

behavior and

environmental stimuli.

John B. Watson,

B. F. Skinner,

Albert Bandura

In this perspective, an

adolescent who is

overweight might be

seen as not being

rewarded for good

nutritional and exercise

habits.

Cognitive

Emphasis is on how

changes or growth in the

ways people know,

understand, and think

about the world affect

behavio

r.

Jean Piaget

This view might suggest

that an adolescent who

is overweight hasn’t

learned effective ways to

stay at a healthy weight

and doesn’t value good

nutrition.

Contextual

Behavior is determined by

the relationship between

individuals and their

phy

sical, cognitive,

personality, and social

worlds.

Lev Vygotsky, Uric

Bronfenbrenner

In this perspective an

adolescent may become

overweight because of a

family environment in

which food and meals

are unusually important

and intertwined with

family rituals.

Evolutionary

Behavior is the result of

genetic inheritance from

our ancestors; traits and

behavior that are adaptive

for promoting the survival

of our species have been

inherited through natural

selection.

Konrad Lorenz;

influenced by early

work of Charl

es

Darwin

This view might suggest

that an adolescent

might have a genetic

tendency toward obesity

because extra fat helped

his or her ancestors to

survive in times of

famine.

TABLE 2-3 Major Perspectives on Child Development

Perspective

Key Ideas about

Human Behavior and

Development

Major

Proponents Example

Psychodynamic Behavior throughout life is

motivated by inner,

unconscious forces,

stemming from childhood,

over which we have little

control.

Sigmund Freud,

Erik Erikson

This view might suggest

that an adolescent who

is overweight has a

fixation in the oral stage

of development.

Behavioral Development can be

understood through

studying observable

behavior and

environmental stimuli.

John B. Watson,

B. F. Skinner,

Albert Bandura

In this perspective, an

adolescent who is

overweight might be

seen as not being

rewarded for good

nutritional and exercise

habits.

Cognitive Emphasis is on how

changes or growth in the

ways people know,

understand, and think

about the world affect

behavior.

Jean Piaget This view might suggest

that an adolescent who

is overweight hasn’t

learned effective ways to

stay at a healthy weight

and doesn’t value good

nutrition.

Contextual Behavior is determined by

the relationship between

individuals and their

physical, cognitive,

personality, and social

worlds.

Lev Vygotsky, Uric

Bronfenbrenner

In this perspective an

adolescent may become

overweight because of a

family environment in

which food and meals

are unusually important

and intertwined with

family rituals.

Evolutionary Behavior is the result of

genetic inheritance from

our ancestors; traits and

behavior that are adaptive

for promoting the survival

of our species have been

inherited through natural

selection.

Konrad Lorenz;

influenced by early

work of Charles

Darwin

This view might suggest

that an adolescent

might have a genetic

tendency toward obesity

because extra fat helped

his or her ancestors to

survive in times of

famine.