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Psychoanalytic Theory
a grand theory of human development that holds that irrational, unconscious drives and motives, often originating in childhood, underlie human behavior
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Behaviorism
a grand theory of human development that studies observable behavior.
AKA learning theory because it describes the laws and processes by which behavior is learned
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Conditioning
according to behaviorism, the process by which responses become linked to particular stimuli and learning takes place.
this word is used to emphasise the importance of repeated practice
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Classical Conditioning
the learning process in which a meaningful stimulus is connected with a neutral stimulus that had no special meaning before conditioning.
AKA Respondent Conditioning
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Operant Conditioning
the learning process by which a particular action is followed by something desired (which makes the person/animal more likely to repeat the action) or by something unwanted (which makes the action less likely to be repeated)
AKA Instrumental Conditioning
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Reinforcement
a technique for conditioning behavior in which that behavior is followed by something desired
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Social Learning Theory
an extension of behaviorism that emphasizes the influence that other people have over a person's behavior.
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Modeling
the central process of social learning, by which a person observes the actions of others and then copies them
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Self-Efficacy
in social learning theory, the belief of some people that they are able to change themselves and effectively alter the social context
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Cognitive Theory
a grand theory of human developmennt that focuses on changes in how people think over time. According to this theory, our thoughts shape our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors
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Cognitive Equilibrium
in cognitive theory, a state of mental balance in which people are not confused because they can use their existing thought processes to understand current experiences and ideas
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Assimilation
type of adaptation in which new experiences are interpreted to fit into old ideas
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Accommodation
type of adaptation in which old ideas are reconstructed to include new experiences
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Sociocultural Theory
an emergent theory that holds that development results from the dynamic interaction of each person with the surrounding social and cultural forces
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Guided Paticipation
in sociocultural theory, a technique in which skilled mentors help novices learn not only by providing instruction but also by allowing direct, shared involvement in the activity.
AKAA apprenticeship in thinking
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Zone of Proximal Development
in sociocultural theory, a metaphorical area surrounding a learner that includes all the skills, knowledge, and concepts that the person is close to acquiring but cannot yet master without help
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Epigenetic Theory
an emergent theory of development that considers both the genetic origins of behavior (within each person and within each species) and the direct, systematic influence that environmenal forces have, over time, on genes
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Performism
the theory that genes determine every aspect of development
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Sociobiology
the study of how individuals within society seek to pass along their genetic heritage
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Evolutionary Psychology
the study of the inherited patterns of behavior that were once adaptive
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Selective Adaptation
the process by which humans and other species gradually adjust to their environment.
This process is based on the frequency with which a particular genetic trait in a population increases or decreases over generations; that frequency depends on whether or not the trait contributes to the survival ad reproductive ability of members of that population
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Developmental Theory
a group of ideas, assumptions, and generalizations that interpret and illuminate the thousands of observations that have been made about human growth.
provides a framework for explaining the patterns and problems of development
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Eclectic Perspective
the approach taken by most developmentalists, in which they apply aspects of each of the various theories of development rather than adhering exclusively to one theory
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