Chapter 2 Learning Activity

This is assignment is directly related to chapter 2 in your text.

Learning Objective:

Recognize, describe, and compare the various schools of thought in development and the basic assumptions and principles associated with each (e.g., psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, psychobiological, and other developmental perspectives )

Analyze different theoretical approaches to the study of human development and propose practical applications supporting positive outcomes

Instructions:

Parenting choices are often based on what we are familiar with from our own family or childhood experience.  However, decisions are often made without any regard to why we are responding a certain way.  Babies do three primary things in the first couple of months after birth; they eat, cry, and sleep.

For this post, I want you to assume that I am a new mom who knows nothing about child development or caring for a child.  Assume you are my nurse, or mentor, and advise me on how I should respond to and care for my new baby using at least two different theoretical approaches.  Be sure your advice is based on learning from the readings, or presentations, and not based solely on your personal experience.

You may have a personal preference toward a particular theory and that is fine, but your advice should start with a statement such as, “Based on Erik Erikson’s theory of development……….”  Please note that Learning Activities are intended to promote critical thinking within the course.  I am looking for you to connect theory with practice for this blog entry.

Do not just describe the theory, but rather how that theory would guide the daily caretaking of a young infant.  Based on the theory, how should I respond to the baby’s needs in the area of eating, sleeping, and crying?  What specific strategies would each theorist recommend and why?  Be sure to include both theoretical and practical advice based on what you learned in the reading and lectures for this chapter, and/or previous chapters.