To what extent do different theories of development take account of the role of social experiences in child development?
In child development psychology four “grand theories” behaviourism, social learning theory, constructivism and social constructivism offer explanations of child development on a whole ( Oates, Sheehy and Wood, psychological development and early childhood pg 49) . These theories have been foundations to stimulate other research and more specific theories in child development. Each of these theories place different emphasis on the role of social experience in child development.
In behaviourism two forms of conditioning, classical conditioning and operant conditioning are identified as the process of learning. In this theory learning is a permanent change in behaviour were all behaviour is produced by consequences. Watson's 1924 research experiment “little Albert” (Oates, Sheehy and Wood, psychological development and early childhood pg 52) on Classical conditioning provided a basis to show how a child’s “reflex behavouires can become associated with neutral stimuli in the environment” (Oates, Sheehy and Wood, psychological development and early childhood pg 59) Classical conditioning was found to have no use in producing responses that are not reflex behaviours, to produce other none reflective behaviours operant conditioning would be applied. In operant conditioning consequences are the basis of learning. Reinforcement is an environmental stimulus that is seen by behaviourist to result positively in increasing a given behaviour and punishment a environmental stimulus that results in the decrease of a given behaviour, reinforcement/punishment are the consequences used to shape behaviour . This theory focuses on the value of teaching and how a child learns and maintains behaviours with the constant appropriate application of consequences. This theory has no consideration for and places no importance to a child’s internal...