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The nature vs nurture debate is about the extent to which our behaviour and personality is either inherited or learned through our surroundings. Nature refers to inheritance, this side takes the approach that our behaviour is evolved. Whereas the nurture side thinks that our behaviour is learn through our experience and interaction with the environment. The nurture side is heavily focused on the environment. CITATION McL18 l 1033 (McLeod, 2018) . An example of nature is our genetics, so we normally inherit our hair and eye colour from our parents.
An example of nurture is our role models. It's thought that we observe our behaviour from our role models such as parents or celebrities, and so we imitate what they do in hope that we end up like them. CITATION McL18 l 1033 (McLeod, 2018).
behaviourism??? Mental health???? - debate that some think that it's both
An example of this debate in a developmental psychology is Dweck's mindset theory. Mindset refers to how a person thinks and or their attitude towards a particular topic.
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“ Ok, let me say I’m extremely satisfy with the result while it was a last minute thing. I really enjoy the effort put in. ”
Dweck argued that our intelligence comes from nurture and so can be changed. Dweck stated that we either have a fixed or growth mindset. A fixed mindset is when an individual believes intelligence is what you're born with and so is out of our control and cannot be changed. Whereas an individual with a growth mindset believes that out intelligence and abilities can always be developed. Dweck stated that we can change individual's mindsets through praise, rewards and by teaching growth mindsets.
It's thought that praise from teachers, can help encourage students to do better and continue learning. CITATION Dav15 l 1033 (David, 2015). When growth mindsets were taught, Dweck found that children's grades increased alongside their confidence. This is thought to be because the neurones in the brain form stronger connections. However, Dweck fails to take into account the role of nature, this is an issue because Piaget claims that we are born with the ability to think in certain ways and so our ability to learn is down to nature, as not everyone has the same abilities or mature the same way.
Piaget was a cognitive psychologist and suggested that children pass through four stages of cognitive development. CITATION Wya171 l 1033 (Wyatt, 2017) He stated that the stages are invariant, meaning all children pass through the stages in the same order. Also the stages are universal; they are the same for all children. Schemas???? Little scientists???
The first stage in cognitive development is sensori-motor (0-2years). In this stage, he stated that infants learn through their senses. The theory declares that at around 14 months, infants develop object permanence. This is when they learn that just because they can't see an object, it doesn't mean that it doesn't still exist. For example when you hide a toy behind a pillow from a 12 month old, they won't search for it, because once it's out of sight it ceases to exist, because they lack object permanence. However at around 14 months, infants will actively look for the toys because they have developed object permanence. CITATION Lum191 l 1033 (LumenLearning, 2019).
Secondly, is the pre-operational stage (2-7years). During this stage children start school, and so their language skills improve. However in this stage, children are unable to conserve, this is due to irreversibility. Meaning children are unable to think about things in reverse, so they don't understand that if you can add or take away something from an object, that you can return it to its original state. Many young children in school take part in make believe play, this is encouraged by animism. Animism is the belief that intimate objects have feelings. CITATION Spa19 l 1033 (Sparknotes, 2019). EXPAND. In this stage children are egocentric, meaning they lack empathy, and so they cannot understand why other individuals such as parents and siblings can be feeling or thinking different things them.
The third is called concrete operational (7-11years). In this stage children gain the ability to conserve. This means that if they see a substance such as liquid or a piece of string change shape, they realise that the volume, mass and length do not change. In 1952, Piaget, conducted a study into the conservation of number. His hypothesis said there will be a difference between children in the concrete operational stage and the children in the pre-operational stage in the ability to conserve number. In the study children were shown counters that were split evenly into two rows, each counter directly opposite the counter in the opposite row. The children were then asked "is there the same number of counters in each row?". After the researcher, the spread out the counters of one row in front of the child, they then asked the same question. Piaget found that children in the pre-operational stage stated that there were more counters in the longer row. However children in the concrete operational stage stated that there were the same amount of counters in each row and could justify why.
The concrete operational stage is also when children go through decentration, this is when children come out of egocentrism and are able to focus on more than one thing and can appreciate the view of others.
The final stage of cognitive development is formal operational (11+years). In which, children develop hypothetical thinking, this is when children are able to thinks about abstract ideas. For instance, they could imagine what it's like to be a Victorian and experience poverty even though they have never experienced it themselves.
Growth and Development Theories. (2019, Dec 09). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/growth-and-development-theories-essay
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