Theories of

Development
Suziyani Mohamed
Faculty of Education
The National University of Malaysia
 Theories help people:
• Organizing frameworks for our observations
of children – guide & give meaning to what
see
• Understand development – know how to
improve the welfare & treatment of children

Why Study
Child
Why Study the Selected Theories?
The selected theories:

• Have been popular and influential.

• Represent different approaches to parent-

child interaction.

• Offer help in the “real world” of daily child-

rearing.

• Make good common sense.

  Preformationism: children seen as little adults.
 Childhood is not a unique phase.
 Children were cared for until they could begin
caring for themselves, around 7 years old.
 Children treated as adults (e.g. their clothing,
worked at adult jobs, could be married, were
made into kings, were imprisoned or hanged as
adults.)

6th - 15th centuries

Medieval period
  Puritan religion influenced how children
were viewed.
 Children were born evil and must be
civilized.
 A goal emerged to raise children
effectively.
 Special books were designed for children.

16th Century
Reformation period
 • John Locke believed in tabula rasa

• Children develop in response to

nurturing.

• Forerunner of behaviorism

17th Century
Age of Enlightenment
 • Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed children were
noble savages, born with an innate sense of
morality; the timing of growth should not be
interfered with.
• Rousseau used the idea of stages of
development.
• Forerunner of maturations' beliefs

18th Century
Age of Reason
 • Charles Darwin - theories of natural selection
and survival of the fittest

• Darwin made parallels between human prenatal

growth and other animals.

• Forerunner of ethology

19th Century
Industrial Revolution
 Theories about children's development
expanded around the world.

• Childhood was seen as worthy of special

attention.

• Laws were passed to protect children.

20th Century
 Evolution of Theories

Behaviorism
Psychosexual Theory Psychosocial Theory Classical
(Freud, 1856-1939) (Erikson, 1902-1994) Conditioning
(Pavlov)

Behaviorism Behaviorism
Social Learning
Classical Operant Theory
Conditioning Conditioning
(Bandura, 1977)
(Watson) (Skinner, 1904-1990)

Cognitive Ecological Systems

Sociocultural Theory
Development Theory
(Vygotsky, 1896-
Theory (Piaget, (Bronfenbrenner,
1934)
1896-1980) 1917-2005)

Language
Attachment Theory Theory of Moral
Acquisition Theory
(Bowlby, 1969) Development (1958)
(Chomsky, 1957)