Topic > Theories of Child Development - 747

Biological theory refers to the focus of genetic factors that help the child adapt to his environment. The theory highlights the importance of the maturation of children's bodies and their motor skills. The limitation of the biological theory, however, is that it does not take into account the impact of children's experiences. Behaviorism theory focuses on children's behavioral and emotional responses to changes in the environment. The argument against behaviorism is that it focuses on children's visible behavior and ignores their thinking process. Social learning theory interprets children's beliefs and goals as influencing their behavior based on what they learn when they observe others. In psychodynamic theory, emphasis is placed on the interaction between internal conflict, early childhood experiences, and the environment. Theorists focus on personality development and how these early experiences play a role later in life. In theories of cognitive development, the focus is on how the thinking process changes over time. While it encourages adults to recognize children as curious minds trying to make sense of their environment, the theories lack clear stages through which a child's thinking process goes. Similarly, cognitive process theories also focus on the thinking process, but especially on how people decipher the information they see and hear. Sociocultural theories emphasize the effect of the social