Foundations of Behavior: Child Development - Essay Example

In this case, development is seen as a continuous process where learned responses keep accumulating and new ones increase with age. To take an example, John Watson experimented with an infant's responses to a rat and stimuli coupled with it. The infant was not afraid of the rat. However, he developed a fear of the rat after a series of sharp sounds were made whenever the rat was shown. Behaviorists conclude that environment is more influential in shaping behavior. Also, behaviors can be modified using external stimuli. In the context of psychodynamic theories, famous psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and his theory of psychoanalysis come to mind.

Psychodynamics refers to theories of Freud, his followers' or theories based on his ideas. Anna Freud, Alfred Adler Carl Jung, and Erik Erickson are some of the most popular contributors from the field of psychodynamics. The theories are have been derived from sessions with patients, case studies, and the use of projective techniques to understand the workings of the human mind. The prime focus in psychodynamics is the interrelation between emotional states of id, ego, and superego and their impact on early developments and processes.

Psychodynamics also believes that early experiences are conserved in the unconscious mind. Later in life, these conserved experiences, thoughts, and emotions either remain buried in the unconscious or find a way to the conscious mind. These buried experiences are at times the cause of mental disturbances. Various psychodynamic theorists have devised their own stages of development from infancy through adulthood. 

The way to resolve these conflicts differs at each stage. Individuals constantly strive to strike a balance between personal needs and social expectations. In contrast to the behaviorist school of thought, the psychodynamic theory focuses on drives and forces working consciously or unconsciously within a human mind. While behaviorist theory lays stress on continuous development, psychodynamic theory believes that development happens in stages. In psychodynamics, nature and nurture both play an important role in development because the inner impulses are channeled through environmental experiences.

The cognitive theory looks at humans as active participants in building knowledge. The most influential theory was propounded by Jean Piaget. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, children acquire 'schemes', which are the building blocks of knowledge.