Developmental Theories - Essay Example

To begin with, I will base my discussion on some research work. Researchers assert that developmental theories give answers that open important ways or depths into human behaviors in studying causes of different experiences that human beings face. Developmental theories emanate from different schools of thought. From studies, there are various schools of thought that resulted to the developmental theories. They include Humanism, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Gestalt. Piaget’s Cognitive Development theory handles matters of human thinking.

According to Piaget, the difference between children’s and adult’s thinking is qualitative other than being quantitative, as some people may have thought. In this theory, we get to know that development occurs in distinct observable and more so measurable stages. The theory enlightens us that developmental growth is not affected by the experience. According to Piaget, development is viewed to be unidirectional (Fletcher, 2005). Furthermore, according to Kohlberg, the theory of morality has several stages which include pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional.

He states that the degree of responsibility goes, with age where in middle childhood, children perceive themselves to be responsible for others around them. To this end, it is seen that the theories do not cover all possible areas of human development and as a result, sub-divisions like those of Kohlberg will help clarify so many issues or answers (Sigelman, 2011). Are they original theories or have they evolved from another theory? From many researchers, it is evident that the developmental theories are not original and base their roots deep down in different schools of thought.

These schools include Gestalt, Psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Humanism. Therefore, a few factors seem to have been put together to make up the theories in meeting the need to answer some of the questions or explain some experiences in human development (Fletcher, 2005). What are their strengths and weaknesses Research shows that the stages in developmental theories are accurate and provide a good model for better research. This accuracy helps determine appropriate learning ways and materials.

In general, each theory has got some weaknesses. For instance, in the developmental theory, scientific research shows that each learning facility operates on different levels thus this weakens Piaget’s belief that these levels are intertwined. This study, therefore, shows the insufficiency in information provision that developmental theories have as a weakness (Sigelman, 2011).