Learning and Social Learning Theories
Read: Miller: Chapter 6
PSYC 525
Human Development Paper Assignment Instructions
Overview
Description: This assignment requires you to think critically about theories and issues in human development.
Purpose: A temptation in studying human development is to neglect the hard work of critical thinkingchallenging underlying assumptions of theories, integrating theories, comparing/contrasting theories, etc. This assignment will allow you to practice critical thinking in the context of theories in human development.
Instructions
Details:
1. There is considerable flexibility in this paper. The main criterion is that it must demonstrate critical thinking in a coherent argument related to course material.
2. Some options include:
a. Critiquing concepts or underlying principles of a theory covered so far.
b. Integrating theories covered to date.
c. Challenging assumptions of a theory that has been discussed.
d. Comparing/contrasting theories that have been covered.
e. Discussing strengths/limitations of a theory that has been explored.
3. This paper is NOT a summary of a theory. This paper IS a demonstration of your understanding of a theoretical approach/issue through critical analysis.
4. The instructor will not proofread papers, but it is acceptable for a friend to proofread for clarity, grammar, and spelling. In addition, the Liberty University Online Writing Center can help with overall writing and flow. You can find the link to the Online Writing Center on the
Human Development Paper Assignment page under
Human Development Paper Resource.
Format:
1. Include a title page, abstract, references page, and 4 pages of content.
2. Whatever approach you choose, be sure to defend your positions, including at least 5 citations of course material.
3. Avoid first and second person pronouns and be sure to use past tense when describing completed research.
4. Current APA standards must be followed.
Note: Your assignment will be checked for originality via the Turnitin plagiarism tool.
P1: FXY
December 11, 2000 22:35 Annual Reviews AR120-01
Annu. Rev. Psychol. 2001. 52:126
Copyright c© 2001 by Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY: An Agentic
Perspective
Albert Bandura
Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2131;
e-mail: [email protected]
Key Words biosocial coevolution, collective efficacy, emergent properties,
human agency, self-efficacy
¦ Abstract The capacity to exercise control over the nature and quality of ones
life is the essence of humanness. Human agency is characterized by a number of
core features that operate through phenomenal and functional consciousness. These
include the temporal extension of agency through intentionality and forethought, self-
regulation by self-reactive influence, and self-reflectiveness about ones capabilities,
quality of functioning, and the meaning and purpose of ones life pursuits. Personal
agency operates within a broad network of sociostructural influences. In these agentic
transactions, people are producers as well as products of social systems. Social cogni-
tive theory distinguishes among three modes of agency: direct personal agency, proxy
agency that relies on others to act on ones behest to secure desired outcomes, and
collective agency exercised through socially coordinative and interdependent effort.
Growing transnational embeddedness and interdependence are placing a premium on
collective efficacy to exercise control over personal destinies and national life.
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PARADIGM SHIFTS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIZING. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
PHYSICALISTIC THEORY OF HUMAN AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
CORE FEATURES OF HUMAN AGENCY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Intentionality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Forethought. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Self-Reactiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Self-Reflectiveness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
AGENTIC MANAGEMENT OF FORTUITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
MODES OF HUMAN AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
UNDERMINERS OF COLLECTIVE EFFICACY
IN CHANGING SOCIETIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
EMERGING PRIMACY OF HUMAN AGENCY
IN BIOSOCIAL COEVOLUTION .
Developmental Psychology
1992, Vol. 28, No. 3, 360-367
Copyright 1992 by the American Psychological Association, Inc.
OOL2-1649/92/$3.0O
John B. Watson’s Legacy: Learning and Environment
Frances Degen Horowitz
Graduate School and University Center
City University of New brk
John B. Watson’s contribution is evaluated in relation to his own time, with respect to his historical
influence, and in light of current issues in developmental psychology. A survey of a nonrandom
sample of current developmental psychologists revealed no consensus with respect to Watson’s
legacy to developmental psychology. The influence of Watson’s insistence on an objective methodol-
ogy in psychology remains, although is not necessarily acknowledged. His extreme environmental-
ism has been rejected. His concern to understand the principles of learning is reflected in the
subsequent work of the Hullians and the Skinnerians. The influence of his underlying premise
about the importance of environment and of learning is to be found in such work as studies of the
effects of intervention programs. I question the possible costs to the field of the continued rejection
of a Watsonian emphasis on learning as an important process in development and behavior.
In his time, John Broadus Watson (1878-1958) was contro-
versial. So he remains. In preparation for this reflective essay
on his legacy to developmental psychology, I sent a question-
naire to a nonrandom sample of mostly senior developmental
psychologists.1 The 45 respondents ranged widely in their per-
ceptions of Watson’s contributions and in their evaluations.
Watson’s name, it appears, can still elicit strongly negative reac-
tions. For example, in relation to his contribution to develop-
mental psychology and psychology in general, Watson was de-
scribed as “an embarrassment,” “harmful,” “very important,
but mostly a negative influence.” One respondent said his
“main contribution was obfuscation,” another that “he had lit-
tle lasting effect,” and yet another that the “long-term effect of
Watson was harmful.”
Other comments were more positively valenced, such as, that
his “biggest contribution was balancing the scales between na-
ture and nurture by overstating the case,” his “major contribu-
tion was to establish behavior as an important phenomenon in
its own right,” his “thoroughgoing empirical orientation was of
the greatest import,” and his “methodological behaviorism is to
be found in neobehaviorism, behavior analysis and much of
cognitive psychology.” One person wrote, “Contemporary
developmental psychology would not be the same had not Wat-
son contributed to this field.”
John B. Watson died more than 40 years ago. His active con-
tributions to the field of psychology ceased more than 50 years
ago, and an evaluation of him and his work still evokes strong
reactions and little consensus about his legacy. About h
THEORIES o f
DEVELOPMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY
01_MIL_7898_FM_i_xiv.indd 1 1/27/16 12:11 AM
This page intentionally left blank
M01_VAND8930_09_SE_C01.indd 3 06/02/15 3:04 PM
S I X T H E D I T I O N
THEORIES o f
DEVELOPMENTAL
PSYCHOLOGY
Patricia H. Miller
San Francisco State University
New York
01_MIL_7898_FM_i_xiv.indd 3 1/27/16 12:11 AM
Publisher, Psychology and Sociology: Rachel Losh
Associate Publisher, Psychology and Sociology: Jessica Bayne
Senior Associate Editor: Sarah Berger
Development Editor: Thomas Finn
Editorial Assistant: Kimberly Morgan-Smith
Executive Marking Manager: Katherine Nurre
Director, Content Management Enhancement: Tracey Kuehn
Managing Editor, Sciences and Social Sciences: Lisa Kinne
Senior Production Supervisor: Stacey B. Alexander
Project Editor: Kevin Bradley, Jouve North America
Photo Editor: Robin Fadool
Director of Design, Content Management: Diana Blume
Senior Design Manager: Vicki Tomaselli
Cover and Interior Design: Kevin Kall
Composition: Jouve India
Printing and Binding: RR Donnelley
Cover Image: Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock
Library of Congress Control Number: 2015960099
ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-7898-0
ISBN-10: 1-4292-7898-6
© 2016, 2011, 2002 by Worth Publishers
© 1983, 1989, 1993 by W. H. Freeman and Company
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing
Worth Publishers
One New York Plaza
Suite 4500
New York, NY 10004-1562
www.macmillanhighered.com
01_MIL_7898_FM_i_xiv.indd 4 1/27/16 12:11 AM
http://www.macmillanhighered.com
CONTENTS
Preface xi
C H A P T E R 1
Introduction 1
What Is a Theory? 3
What Is a Developmental Theory? 7
Of What Value Is a Developmental Theory? 11
Organizing Information Guiding Research
What Main Issues of Developmental Psychology
Do Theories Address? 14
What Is the Basic Nature of Humans? Is Development Qualitative or
Quantitative? How Do Nature and Nurture Contribute to Development? What Is It
That Develops?
SUMMARY 23
CHRONOLOGY OF DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES 23
ORGANIZATION OF THIS BOOK 23
SUGGESTED READINGS 24
C H A P T E R 2
Piagets Cognitive-Stage Theory and the Neo-Piagetians 25
Biographical Sketch 26
General Orientation to the Theory 29
Genetic Epistemology Biological Approach Structuralism Stage
Approach Methodology
Description of the Stages 36
Sensorimotor Period (Roughly Birth to 2 Years) Preoperational Period
(Roughly 2 to 7 Years) Concrete Operational Period (Roughly 7 to
11 Years)
