Theories of Human Development: Behavior, Learning, Sociocultural

FC6: Session Madhura Nagchoudhuri & Naina Athale

Behavior & Learning Theories

y Behaviorism looks at relationships between experience and y y y y y y

behavior. Concerned with behavior and rules that govern relationships between stimuli and responses. Not concerned with biological or inherited aspects of behavior and personality Do not describe behavior in terms of sequential stages of mounting capabilities or competencies. Sees human development as a gradual, cumulative and continuous process of change. Emphasis on importance of environmental influences. Experiences propel individuals on their developmental journey

Some Fundamental Assumptions

y Behavior can and should be studied objectively y Behavior can be reduced to responses or behaviors that y y y y y

can be observed, measured and analyzed Responses are a function of reinforcement and punishment People learn through modeling and observing Learning determines what humans will turn out to be In all theories, some emphasis on the biological and psychological, but major focus on social In all theories, the position is strongly on nurture, continuity and universal principles of learning

3 versions of Behavior & Learning Theories: 1. Pavlov, Watson

y Classical conditioning: Pavlovs experiment with dog,

Watsons application to humans through experiment with Baby Albert associations between stimuli built through repetition. y Watson- children have no inborn tendencies. Childs learning depends on how parents/teachers treat them. y Fears learned through classical conditioning- eg. Fear of dentists due to repeated painful tooth extractions; fear of dogs due to being bitten by a dog at a young age. y Classical conditioning explains how involuntary responses develop due to associations between stimuli such as fears and phobias.

Behavior & Learning Theories:2. Skinner

y Operant conditioning- consequences of a behavior determine y

y y

whether it is repeated in the future Rewards(Reinforcement)- refers to a consequence that increases the future likelihood of the behavior. A) Positive reinforcement- rewards like chocolate, stars, increase in pay etc. B) Negative reinforcement- relief from something unpleasant Punishment- consequence that decreases the future likelihood of the behavior that it follows. It suppresses the behavior by either adding something averse or withholding a pleasant event (Kail & Cavanaugh) Rewards and punishment shape individual development Acquisition of new habits and behavior which are learned and controlled by external stimuli (punishment, reinforcement) are the essence of human development

Behavior & Learning Theories:3. Banduras Social Cognitive Learning Theory

y Based his theory on the concepts of reward, punishment and y y

y y

imitation Believed that people learn by observing those around them and by imitating others Individuals are selective about who they imitate-they are likely to imitate models i.e. those who they perceive as talented, smart or popular Individuals imitate behaviors they see as being rewarded rather than those that are punished Person/Cognition refers to characteristics of the person and cognition (thinking and planning).This person/cognition, mediates between environment and behavior.

Behavior & Learning Theories: Banduras Social Learning Theory

y Agreed with Skinner about operant conditioning being

an important source of human learning y Humans think about the connections between their behavior and its consequences and anticipate consequences will follow future behavior. Often humans are more affected by what they believe will happen rather than the actual consequences they face y Experiences give individuals a sense of self-efficacy which refers to a persons belief about his/her own abilities and talents. Beliefs about self efficacy also determine when people will imitate others

Banduras Social Cognitive Model

Behavior

Person/cogni tion

Environment

Contributions of Behavior & Learning Theories

y These theories are very precise and testable

emphasize importance of scientific research y Focus on environmental determinants of behavior y Underscores the importance of observational learning y Many practical applications that have been the basis for highly effective techniques for optimizing development and treating developmental difficulties.

Criticisms/Limitations of Behavior & Learning Theories

y Learning theories rarely demonstrate that learning is

responsible for commonly observed developmental changes- only indicate that learning may have resulted in developmental changes y Oversimplified their understanding of development by downplaying biological influences y Too much emphasis on environmental factors y Under emphasize or do not take into consideration human spontaneity and creativity.

Vygotsky: Sociocultural Theory

y Cognitive growth occurs and evolves in socio cultural

context, that is, depends on the tools provided by society y Development of memory, attention & reasoning involved learning to use the inventions of society e.g. language, mathematical systems & memory strategies y Language shapes thought. Source for transmission of culture y Cultural influences e.g. values, beliefs, skills of a social group transmitted to next generations impacting individual thought & behavior

Vygotsky: Socio cultural Theory

y Childhood cognitive development emphasized- initial y y y

stages- maximum inputs & most dependent on environment. Knowledge a collaborative effort, constructed through interaction with society & culture. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)- tasks too difficult to master alone, therefore guided by more skilled adults Scaffolding- changing levels of support to fit performance by skilled partner. That is, as the students competence increases, less guidance is given Language useful for communication & problem solving , it is the major tool for scaffolding

Vygotsky: Sociocultural Theory

Movement from external to internal speech:y Social speech- dialogue, interaction- communication of knowledge y Non social/Private speech- thinking aloud- guides thought & behavior y Internal/Inner speech develops during preschool years- replaces private speech y Highly developed private speech-higher social competence.

Contributions & Critiques:Vygotskys Theory

y Emphasized contribution of culture & social experience

neglected by previous theorists e.g. Piaget y Established contribution of language to cognitive development- initially independent development of language & cognition- later merge Critiques y Neglected the biological aspects of development. y Sees transmission of knowledge as a passive process rather than an active and evocative one.