This topic covers the various theories and approaches to understanding development, including modernization theory, dependency theory, world-systems theory, and sustainable development theory.
Theories of Development – Study Notes
1. Overview
Developmental theories aim to explain how and why people change over the lifespan. They differ in:
| Dimension |
Description |
| Focus |
Cognitive, psychosocial, moral, ecological, etc. |
| Level of Analysis |
Biological, individual, interpersonal, cultural |
| Methodology |
Observation, experiment, longitudinal study, cross‑cultural comparison |
| Assumptions |
Continuity vs. stage‑like change; nature vs. nurture; universality vs. cultural specificity |
2. Classical Stage Theories
| Theory |
Proponent(s) |
Core Idea |
Stages & Age Ranges |
Key Contributions |
| Psychosexual Development |
Sigmund Freud |
Personality shaped by pleasure zones & conflicts. |
1. Oral (0‑1) 2. Anal (1‑3) 3. Phallic (3‑6) 4. Latency (6‑12) 5. Genital (12+) |
Introduced concept of unconscious drives; highlighted early childhood impact. |
| Psychosocial Development |
Erik Erikson |
Crisis at each stage; resolution yields virtues. |
1. Trust vs. Mistrust (0‑1) 2. Autonomy vs. Shame (1‑3) 3. Initiative vs. Guilt (3‑6) 4. Industry vs. Inferiority (6‑12) 5. Identity vs. Role Confusion (12‑18) 6. Intimacy vs. Isolation (young adult) 7. Generativity vs. Stagnation (mid‑adult) 8. Integrity vs. Despair (late adult) |
Integrated social context; lifespan perspective. |
| Cognitive Development |
Jean Piaget |
Children construct knowledge through active schemes. |
1. Sensorimotor (0‑2) 2. Preoperational (2‑7) 3. Concrete‑operational (7‑11) 4. Formal‑operational (11+) |
Emphasized stages of logical reasoning; introduced concepts of assimilation & accommodation. |
| Moral Development |
Lawrence Kohlberg |
Moral reasoning progresses through hierarchical stages. |
1. Pre‑conventional (0‑9) 2. Conventional (9‑12) 3. Post‑conventional (adolescence onward) |
Showed moral thought as a cognitive process; inspired education reforms. |
3. Information‑Processing & Neo‑Piagetian Approaches
| Theory |
Main Proponents |
Central Tenets |
How It Extends Classical Views |
| Information‑Processing Theory |
George Miller, John Flavell, Robert Siegler |
Mind = computer: attention, encoding, storage, retrieval. Development = increase in processing speed, capacity, and strategy use. |
Focuses on mechanisms (e.g., working memory) rather than discrete stages. |
| Neo‑Piagetian Models |
Robbie Case, Andreas Demetriou, Juan Pascual-Leone |
Development driven by increasing “mental power” (working memory, processing efficiency) that enables higher‑order operations. |
Bridges Piaget’s stage view with quantitative changes in cognitive resources. |
4. Socio‑Cultural & Ecological Theories
| Theory |
Proponent(s) |
Core Concepts |
Implications for Development |
| Sociocultural Theory |
Lev Vygotsky |
Learning mediated by language, tools, and “more knowledgeable others” |
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