Changes in Study on Child and Adolescent Development
In the last two decades, research in the field of study focusing on child and adolescent developed has undergone what can be described as a growth spurt, which has played a critical role towards expanding knowledge in this area of study. Bhutta et al. (2019) take note of the fact that new studies conducted on child and adolescent development have allowed for a much more complex of development focusing on multiple dimensions. An example can be seen from the fact that new studies have helped in providing fresh insight into the processes and timing of puberty while seeking to highlight behavioural changes during this period. It is from this perspective that one can take note of the fact that indeed, this field of study has changed and matured effectively.
On the other hand, the change in the study on child and adolescent development has also concentrated on defining the dramatic changes occurring in these two critical stages of an individual's life to serve as a vital determinant of the path to adulthood. Previously, a majority of the researchers involved in the study of child and adolescent development believed in the fact that changes in these two stages were dictated solely by biological influences. However, this has changed significantly, especially in the introduction of the nature vs. nurture debate that reflects on different aspects of humanistic development at various stages of life. The changes have helped in highlighting the psychological and emotional turmoil that both children and adolescents experience as part of the growth and development process. This has been of great value towards establishing a front through which to explain how these changes affect one’s sexual activities among other critical aspects of consideration.
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Theoretical Perspectives
Psychoanalytic Theory
Psychoanalytic theory was developed in the late 19 th century by Sigmund Freud. The approach seeks to focus on the unconscious emotions and drives that play a critical role in ensuring that one can develop a specific personality (Lisdahl et al., 2018). The theory is based on a notion suggesting that individuals are motivated towards a particular personality based on unseen forces that control one's rational thoughts.
Social Learning Theory
The social learning theory is essential, as it helps in determining why a child or adolescent behaves in a specific manner. According to Albert Bandura, who was the theorist involved in the development of the theory, the social learning theory reflects on the fact that an individual's behaviours during event come as a form of direct experience (Compton, Dowling, & Garavan, 2019).
Social Cognitive Theory
The social cognitive theory, which was also developed by Albert Bandura, reflects on the same approach as the social learning theory, as it builds on a close connection between an individual's behaviours to his/her cognitive environment. That means that the cognitive climate is likely to determine whether an action can be considered as being positive or negative depending on their outcomes.
Contextual Theory
In this contextual theory, the expectation is that individuals are impacted by the context in which they define their action or set of steps. In the study on child and adolescent development, it is essential to consider this theoretical perspective, as it allows for having to connect specific behaviours to their underlying contexts. The outcome that this is likely to have is that it seeks to create a strategic approach through which to push for a more contextualized information-processing approach.
Evolutionary/Sociobiological Theory
The main expectation when focusing on the evolutionary/sociobiological theoretical perspective is that it seeks to suggest that an individual's behaviour is solely defined by his/her genes. In other words, persons are expected to behave in a specified manner, depending on the genes they inherit from their parents.
References
Bhutta, Z. A., Victora, C., Boerma, T., Kruk, M. E., Patton, G., Black, M. M., ... & Horton, R. (2019). Optimizing the continuum of child and adolescent health and development. The Lancet , 393 (10176), 1080-1082.
Compton, W. M., Dowling, G. J., & Garavan, H. (2019). Ensuring the best use of data: The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. JAMA pediatrics , 173 (9), 809-810.
Lisdahl, K. M., Sher, K. J., Conway, K. P., Gonzalez, R., Ewing, S. W. F., Nixon, S. J., ... & Heitzeg, M. (2018). Adolescent brain cognitive development (ABCD) study: an overview of substance use assessment methods. Developmental cognitive neuroscience , 32 , 80-96.
