PSYC 335 Developmental Psychology I Session 3 – Theories in Developmental Psychology- Part I Lecturer: Dr . Joana Salifu Y endork Department of Psychology Contact Information: jyendork@ug.edu.gh College of Education School of Continuing and Distance Education 2014/2015 – 2016/2017 godsonug.wordpress.com/blog
Session Overview • Several theories have been propounded to help explain changes that humans go through as we age. For this session, the focus will be on Ecological Systems Theory with regards to the content of the theory and how it helps us to understand the changes in, and influence on human development. Slide 2
Session Outline The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows: • Basic assumptions of the Ecological theory • Systems in the Ecological Systems theory • The Family and Ecological Systems Theory • Contributions and criticisms Slide 3
Reading List • Read Chapter 1 of Recommended T ext – Development through the lifespan, Berk (2006) Slide 4
T opic One BASIC ASSUMPTIONS OF THE ECOLOGICAL THEORY Slide 5
Urie Bronfenbrenner • Born in Russia on April 29, 1917 • Immigrated to the US at age 6 • Enlisted in the US army immediately after completing his PhD • Co-founder of the Head Start program – Designed to serve at-risk nursery students to prepare them for school • Died on September 25, 2005 Slide 6
Basic assumptions of the Ecological Systems Theory • Development is the result of the relationships between people and varied systems of the environment and the interrelationships among the systems – Ca ŶŶot e ǀ aluate a Đ hild ’ s de ǀ el opŵeŶ t o ŶlLJ i Ŷ the i ŵŵ ediate environment – Must also examine the interactions among the larger environments that a child develops in • Key Question: How does the world around the child help or hinder development? • Bronfenbrenner assume that natural environment is the major source of influence on developing persons Slide 7
Basic assumptions of the Ecological Systems Theory • Development reflect effects of 5 environmental systems • Later emphasized the interaction of genetic make-up and environmental forces to shape development • Bioecological theory (Bronfenbrenner , 1995). • Development reflect effects of 5 environment systems Slide 8
Basic assumptions of the Ecological Systems Theory • Figure1. Bro Ŷ f eŶď r eŶŶ er ’ s ecological model of the environment as a series of nested structures. The microsystem refers to relations between the child and the immediate environment, the mesosystem to Đ oŶŶeĐti o Ŷ s aŵoŶ g the Đh ild ’ s i ŵŵed iate setti Ŷ gs, the exosystem to social settings that affect but do not contain the child, and the macrosystem to the overarching ideology of the culture. BASED ON BRONFENBRENNER, 1979. Slide 9
Basic assumptions of the Ecological Systems Theory Slide 10
T opic Two SYSTEMS IN THE ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY Slide 11
Systems in the Ecological Systems Theory • The Microsystem • The Mesosystem • The Exosystem • The Macrosystem • The Chronosystem Slide 12
The microsystem • Variables that the child is directly exposed to • Relationships: Family, school, religious institution, neighbors – Most direct interaction with social agents such as parents, teachers and peers • Family: Most influential and durable influence on child • For most young infants, the micro-system may be limited to the family. • Becomes much more complex as children are exposed to day care, preschool classes, youth groups, teachers and neighborhood playmates. • Person helps to construct developmental setting. • Environment: Geographic, Material structures • Child ’ s body • General health • Brain functioning – physiological and psychological • Emotions • Cognitive System Slide 13
The microsystem • Most of the Đhi ld ’ s ďeh a ǀi or is l earŶed i Ŷ the microsystem. • The microsystem consists of bi-directional influences – Parents actively shape the development of the child – Children actively shape their environment • Personal attributes influence responses from other people • Children actively select and avoid specific environments • Bi-directional relationships are the foundation for a Đhi ld ’ s Đ og Ŷi ti ǀ e aŶd eŵo ti oŶal gr oǁth Slide 14
The mesosystem • Mesosystem refers to the interconnections or interrelationships among such Microsystems as homes, schools, and peer groups. – Examples • Interactions between the family and teachers • Relati oŶshi p ď et ǁ eeŶ the Đ hild ’ s peers aŶd the f aŵi l LJ • Development is likely to be optimized by strong, supportive links between Microsystems • Non-supportive links between Microsystems can spell trouble. Slide 15
The Exosystem • Structures or Institutions of society in which the child does not have direct contact with but indirectly aff eĐt a Đhi ld ’ s de ǀ el opŵeŶ t – Eg., pare Ŷts’ ǁ ork e Ŷǀi r oŶŵeŶ t, FuŶdiŶg for edu Đ ati oŶ • IŵpaĐ ts a Đhi ld ’ s de ǀ el opŵeŶ t ďLJ i Ŷ fl ueŶĐiŶg structures in the microsystem Slide 16
The Macrosystem • Cultural, subcultural, or social class context in which microsystems, mesosystems, and exosystems are embedded. • Provides the values, beliefs, customs, and laws of the culture in which a child grows up • Influences how parents, teachers, and others raise a child • May be conscious or unconscious • Macrosystem is a broad, overarching ideology that dictates how children should be treated, what they should be taught, and the goals for which they should strive. – Influences the societal values, legislation, and financial resources provided by a society to help families function – Influences the interactions of all other layers • These values differ across cultures Slide 17
The Chronosystem • Pattern of environmental events and transitions over life course and sociohistorical circumstances. • Changes in the child or in any of the ecological contexts of development can affect the direction of development. – Eg., cognitive and biological changes that occur at puberty, contribute to increased conflict between young adolescents and their parents – Eg., the birth of a sibling • And the effects of environmental changes also depend upon the age of the child. Slide 18
T opic Three THE FAMIL Y AND ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS THEORY Slide 19
The family & Ecological Systems Theory • Recognizes that parents influence their children. • Also stresses that (1) children influence the behavior and childrearing practices of their parents, and (2) that families are complex social systems • The family is a complex social system – ie. a holistic structure consisting of interrelated parts and each part contributes to the functioning of the whole • Families are also dynamic or changing systems • Families are embedded within larger cultural and subcultural contexts • The ecological niche a family occupies (eg., f aŵi l LJ ’ s religion) can affect family interactions and the de ǀ el opŵeŶ t of a f aŵi l LJ ’ s Đhi ldr eŶ Slide 20
The family & Ecological Systems Theory • Properties of the four layers of relationships – Each layer of the environment is complex – E aĐh la LJ er has aŶ eff eĐ t o Ŷ a Đhi ld ’ s de ǀ el opŵeŶ t – Conflict within any layer ripples throughout other layers • As a child develops, interaction within environments becomes more complex – Coŵpl e dž i tLJ is the result of the ŵ aturati oŶ of a Đhi ld ’ s physical and cognitive structures Slide 21
The family & Ecological Systems Theory • Five propositions that describe how home and school relationships work together for positive development • 1. Child must have an ongoing, long-term mutual interaction with an adult characterized by unconditional love and support • 2. The child-adult relationship provides the pattern of i Ŷ terper soŶ al relati oŶshi ps ǁ i th all of the Đ hild ’ s other relationships. • The confidence from this relationship allows a child to explore and grow from other activities. Slide 22
The family & Ecological Systems Theory • 3. Interactions with other adults enables the child to develop a more positive relationship in the primary child-adult relationship. • 4. The primary child-adult relationship improves with repeated two-way interchanges and mutual compromise. • 5. Relationships between child and adults require the society to support the importance of these roles. • Public policies must provide time and resources for child- adult relationships to be nurtured. Slide 23
The family & Ecological Systems Theory • Risk factors for ideal family environment for optimal child development • Instability and unpredictability in modern family life is the ŵo st des truĐtiǀ e for Đe i Ŷ Đhi ld ’ s de ǀ el opŵeŶ t • Because of demands within the workplace, children do not have constant mutual interactions with important adults that are necessary for development • If relationships in the microsystem break down, the child will not have tools to explore other parts of the environment Slide 24
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