1. Briefly describe each theory
The theories are divided into grand theories and newer theories. The most popular theory of development is the psychoanalysis theory (Berger, 2014). The theory was advanced by Freud and it discusses the impact of psychosexual stages on later lives. He notes that the stages if not well accomplished during childhood, will recur and hence a basis of future behavior. In his theory through his eight successive stages of development, Erickson expands on Freud thinking and focuses on resolving several stages before advancing to the next. This theory is more biological. Behaviorism is a theory by JB Watson. It focuses on conditioning through a stimulus and response. Unlike the psychoanalytic approach, behaviorists believe that behavior is learned. The direct interaction with the environment results in certain behaviors. Piaget's cognitive theory is about thinking and emphasizes how thoughts and beliefs affect people's perception of reality. The social learning theory proposes that people learn through the observation of models. Developing children will likely copy the behaviors of older peers. Universal theories imply that humans share interests, patterns, and interests as species (Crain, 2015). It is through these interests that humans learn how to reproduce and survive. The emphasis on shared characteristics is fundamental to developmental behavior.
2.How do these five theories complement each other?
The theories focus on learning. The psychoanalytic theories explain the early stages of development and the legacy in childhood. It is complemented by the psychosocial stages that emphasize on stage development. Behaviorist theories focus on the development of behavior through reinforcement and punishments. It implies that the behaviors we have currently are a result of our response to a stimulus. Social learning theories complement the universal theories in that they focus on human growth through interacting with the environment.
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3. If you have to choose one theory, which one would you choose? Why?
I would choose the social learning theory because it is very practical in the contemporary world. The theory focuses on observational learning, where mentors and authority figures display the behavior that mentees learn and assimilate.
References
Berger, K. S. (2014). The developing person through the life span (9th ed.). Worth Publishers.
Crain, W. (2015). Theories of development: Concepts and applications: Concepts and applications . Psychology Press.
