Learning aim B

Maturation Theory

Intrested in: Biological maturation. During the 1940s and 1950's, he developed a new method or 'normative approach' to reasearching child development. 

This involved large numbers of children to find the skills and abilities that most children has in each group. 

His findings were used to establish 'norms' or milestones for each each PIES. 

He believed that each child should reach a particular milestone at a certain age. He recognised that it would be completed in their own time. 

Gesell is a nature theorist. It is beleievd that our environment doesn't have an impact of how we mature.

Criticism

Psychologists, such as Piaget, argue that the child is influenced more by the environment they live in. 

More recent research has suggested that Gesell's milestones are incorrect. We know that babies follow moving objects at an earlier stag ethan what Gesell thought. 

He only used white, middle class parents and their child in his sample. 

Summary

Positive:

• he determined typical norms and develpment taht are still used today
• he used adaanced methodology in observation of behaviour of a large number of children.

Negative:

• Didn't consider the infleunce of individual or cultural diiffrences in children. 
• He believed that the 'norms' of development he described were desirable.

Social Learning theory

This is the observation of learning occuring through observing the bahviour of others. Unfortuantely, children may copy unwanted behaviour such as hitting. Bendura suggested there were four stages of behavioural learning: 

• attention
• retention
• reproduction
• motivation

Reinforcement

Positive behaviour: is repeated because of personal satisfaction or rewards.

Negative behaviour: is not repeated to avoid an adverse experience such as being told off. (this isn't the same as a punishment). 

Bobo Doll

Bandura based his theory on a famous experiment 'the bobo doll.' He emonstarated that children learn and copy aggressive behaviour by observing adults. 

The importance of modelling apropriate behaviours is the recongised by many teachers and parents.