Overview

Developmental psychology is guided by a variety of theoretical perspectives that help explain how and why humans grow, learn, and change throughout life. Each theory offers a unique lens—biological, behavioral, cognitive, or social—through which to understand the complexity of human development.

Key Perspectives and Theorists

• Cognitive Developmental (Jean Piaget): Emphasizes how children actively construct knowledge through stages. Key concepts include schemas, assimilation, accommodation, and the four stages of development (sensorimotor through formal operational).
• Psychodynamic (Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson): Freud focused on unconscious drives and psychosexual stages. Erikson expanded with psychosocial stages emphasizing social and emotional conflicts at each life phase.
• Behavioral and Learning (Pavlov, Skinner): Behavior is shaped by reinforcement and punishment. Learning occurs through conditioning—classical (Pavlov) and operant (Skinner).
• Social Cognitive (Albert Bandura): Adds observational learning to behaviorism. People learn by watching others and modeling behaviors, influenced by perceived outcomes and self-efficacy.
• Biological (ethology, neuroscience): Focuses on genetic, neurological, and evolutionary factors in development. Includes hormonal influences, brain structure, and instinctual behaviors.
• Sociocultural (Lev Vygotsky): Emphasizes the role of culture, language, and social interaction in cognitive development. Zone of proximal development and scaffolding are key concepts.
• Ecological Systems (Urie Bronfenbrenner): Development is influenced by interacting systems—microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem—all nested within the individual's environment.

Quick Tip

Know the major theorists and what makes each theory unique. CLEP questions often ask you to match a concept (e.g., scaffolding, reinforcement, formal operations) to its theoretical origin or founder.