Topic 1: Theoretical Approaches To Understanding Childhood And Adolescent Development

Four discussion questions/posts.  Read Chapter 1 in Comprehensive Evidence-Based Interventions for Children and Adolescents. A substantive post is 150 words minimum, incorporates information from the course materials/readings or personal experience, and adds something new to the conversation that others can learn from.

DQ1: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky had different perspectives on how development occurs. Piaget suggested that cognitive development happens in a series of universal, sequential stages. He believed that children construct knowledge through independent exploration, emphasizing the importance of self-initiated discovery and interaction with their environment to build mental models of the world. According to Piaget, development comes before learning, as children need to achieve a certain level of cognitive maturity before grasping more complex ideas (Scott, 2023). On the other hand, Vygotsky highlighted the crucial role of social interaction and cultural context in cognitive development. He believed that learning occurs within a social framework, with knowledge being co-constructed through collaboration with others. Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) emphasizes the importance of guidance from more knowledgeable individuals, enabling children to learn tasks they could not accomplish on their own. Vygotsky viewed learning as driving development, with cognitive growth happening through social interaction and communication (Vasileva & Balyasnikova, 2019). While Piaget focused on independent discovery and predefined stages of development, Vygotsky centered his theory on social learning and the influence of cultural factors.

References:

Scott, H. K. (2023, January 9). Piaget. StatPearls [Internet]. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448206/

Vasileva, O., & Balyasnikova, N. (2019). (Re)Introducing Vygotsky’s Thought: From Historical Overview to Contemporary Psychology. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1515. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01515

 Great comparison of Piaget and Vygotsky! While Piaget emphasized independent discovery, Vygotsky’s concept of the Zone of Proximal Development highlights the importance of guided learning. This guidance from knowledgeable individuals can bridge the gap between what a child can do alone and what they can achieve with help (Vasileva & Balyasnikova, 2019). How do you think these differing perspectives impact modern educational approaches?


DQ2: Piaget theory is based on age and almost step type of developmental stages, whereas Vygotsky take a more social-cultural stand point. Essentially the Piaget focus of generic track everyone “learns like this” fro age 0-3 this happens, 4-6 that so on and so on. However Vygotsky look at that to an extent but focus much more on multiple aspect including one’s culture. Vygotsky theory has to do with yes thing happen at stages but those stage also include what they are exposed to, whereas Piaget is mainly focused on the stages ages, years, or thins happen after this.


Great post! You brought up an important difference between Piaget and Vygotsky’s views. Vygotsky’s emphasis on the sociocultural context acknowledges that development can vary depending on cultural and environmental influences, which Piaget’s stage-based model overlooks (Vygotsky, 1978). How do you think Vygotsky’s focus on social interaction might shape approaches to education in diverse cultural settings?


DQ3: From the surface level, it appears that Piaget lies closer to the nurture in the nature vs. nurture debate, while Vygotsky lies closer to the nature side. However, neither can be one hundred percent correct as the nature vs. nurture debate has been debunked as evidenced by the studies that show identical twins who share 100% of the same DNA. and 100% of the same environmental surroundings, will still grow to be different human beings who respond differently to things based on their unique experiences with both nature and nurture (Barlow. 2019.) What are your thoughts on this?

 

 – Faith

 

Barlow, F. (2019). Nature vs. nurture is nonsense: On the necessity of an integrated genetic, social, developmental, and personality psychology. Australian Journal of Psychology71(1), 68–79. https://doi-org.lopes.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/ajpy.12240



DQ4: Your explanation of Erikson’s identity vs. role confusion stage is well articulated. I agree that successfully resolving this stage results in a strong sense of self, while failure can lead to role confusion. Ragelienė (2016) highlights how peer relationships are critical in shaping identity, as adolescents often rely on their peers for validation and self-definition. However, family dynamics also play a crucial role. A supportive family can provide a stable foundation, guiding adolescents as they explore their identities. Conversely, family conflict or lack of support may complicate this process, making it harder for adolescents to find stability, which can exacerbate role confusion. Given the critical role peers play in identity development, how do you think family relationships influence an adolescent’s ability to resolve this crisis?

Reference:

Ragelienė T. (2016). Links of Adolescents Identity Development and Relationship with Peers: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry = Journal de l’Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent25(2), 97–105.

You’re absolutely right, family dynamics are key in navigating Erikson’s identity vs. role confusion stage. Research shows that strong family support provides emotional security, allowing adolescents to explore identity safely (Ragelienė, 2016). On the other hand, family conflict may heighten role confusion. How do you think this balance of peer influence and family support impacts long-term identity formation?


ADDITIONAL RESOURCES


Alfano, C. A., & Beidel, D. C. (2014). Comprehensive evidence based interventions for children and adolescents. Wiley.  Read Chapter 1


Read “Piaget on Childhood” by Siegler & Ellis from Psychological Science (1996).  https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=1996-05746-005&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s8333196&groupid=main&profile=ehost


Read “Freud’s Psychosexual Stage Conception: A Developmental Metaphor for Counselors” by Garcia from the Journal of Counseling & Development (1995).  https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=9508041192&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s8333196&groupid=main&profile=ehost


Read “Erikson’s Eight Stages of Development” by Gould from Research Starters: Sociology (2015).  


Watch the video “Child Development Theorists: Freud to Erikson to Spock…and Beyond” from the Films Media Group (2010).  Child development theorists: Freud to Erikson to Spock . . . And beyond. (2009). In Films On Demand. Films Media Group. https://fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=96349&xtid=41255


Read “Adverse Childhood Experiences. Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health, Chronic Medical Conditions, and Development in Young Children” by Kerker, Jinjin, Nadeem, Stein, Hurlburt, Heneghan, & Horwitz from Academic Pediatrics (2015).   https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cul&AN=109412048&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s8333196&groupid=main&profile=ehost


Read “Dynamic Field Theory and Executive Functions: Lending Explanation to Current Theories of Development” by Morton from the Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development (2014).  https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=psyh&AN=2014-20564-013&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s8333196&groupid=main&profile=ehost


Read “Pink Frilly Dresses and the Avoidance of All Things “Girly”: Children’s Appearance Rigidity and Cognitive Theories of Gender Development” by Halim, Ruble, Tamis-LeMonda, Zosuls, Lurye & Gruelich from Developmental Psychology (2014).  https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cmedm&AN=24274727&site=eds-live&scope=site&custid=s8333196&groupid=main&profile=eds1


Read “Are Children Really More Creative Than Adults? An Examination of Lev Vygotsky’s Theory” by Capossela from Yearbook (Claremont Reading Conference) (2000).  https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=507676742&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=s8333196&groupid=main&profile=ehost


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