... Introduction A teacher who has a good understanding of child development and learning is more likely to be effective in the classroom; teachers today are familiar with the many ways children grow and develop. A child’s development and growth can be described from many theoretical points of view. Teachers that can understand and form an opinion about the various theories continuously create new environments, and can plan activities, that manage behaviors in ways that will nurture children according to their ways. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky each developed theories of child development and can be used in a educational setting. Jean Piaget, a Swiss epistemologist, was the most prominent in the field of cognitive psychology in his time and the most important contributor to the constructivist education theory. His theory of cognitive development was based on the notion that cognitive abilities, one’s ability to think, are developed as individuals mature physiologically and have opportunities to interact with their environment. Vygotsky was a psychologist born in Russia in 1896. Vygotsky was most famous for his theory of sociocultural development and believed that development occurs primarily through interaction with one's culture. Both theorists offered major contributions to the areas of developmental psychology as it applies to education. DeVries, R., & Kamii, C. (2001). Comparing and Contrasting two Curriculum Models. ...
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...Nature vs. Nurture vs. Tofu 2 Without conducting any research, I realize that I have never really thought about the subject of nature vs. nurture. By knowing a little of what the controversy is about, I am able to ask myself the right questions to complete my thoughts and come to a proper opinion. Usually I am an extremist by going with one side and not lingering with thoughts in the middle. However, this is a subject that does not deserve one end. By looking and observing those around me, many may notice that people share similar traits. Some traits are the result of nature and others are the result of nurture. There is no 50:50 ratio that is involved in the deciding factor of how much of each side contributes to the individuals we are today. Because biological factors and conformity are two different subjects, there is no scientific way to measure an accurate ratio of nature to nurture. Instead, I believe that each and every person is the product of 100 percent nature as well as 100 percent nurture. As my boyfriend and I are out to lunch, I throw my thoughts at him about nature vs. nurture and he makes me realize that tofu is a great example of both nature and nurture. He asks me how I am able to eat something so bland and tasteless. I tell him that tofu does have sort of a creamy nutty taste to it and is delicious plain uncooked. However, when tofu is cooked, it conforms to and picks up the flavor of the food or sauce that is being cooked with...
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...Running head: SOCIAL INFLUENCE Social Influence Monique C. Robertson Allied American University Author Note This paper was prepared for PSY 308: Social Psychology, Mod 1 Homework Assignment taught by Greg (Omer) Whitman. Directions: Please compose answers to the questions below. Each response to a question or sub-question should be at least one paragraph in length, which should consist of five to seven sentences. 1. What does social psychology have in common with folk wisdom and philosophy? How does social psychology differ from both folk wisdom and philosophy? Social psychology, folk wisdom and philosophy all deal with people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; they stay influenced by what other people think. Social psychology differs from both folk wisdom and philosophy in a multiplicity of ways. Social psychology is an experimentation-based science, which tests guesses, assumptions, and ideas about human social behavior. Folk wisdom is common sense or the opinions and insights of philosophers, novelists, and otherwise in the ways of us human beings. Whereas philosophy is the insight about human nature by philosophers or intellectuals. 2. Compare the self-esteem approach and the social cognition approach in terms of the motivations assumed to underlie human behavior. The self-esteem approach is "The reason people view the world the way they do can often be traced to this underlying need to maintain a favorable image of themselves. Given the choice between...
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...Introduction It cannot be disputed that there indeed lies an ocean of difference between that of an adult and a child. The difference transcends beyond age, size, gender, weight, and other obvious physical attributes. The matter of importance lies in the difference in terms of the grasp of understanding as between the two since the ability of one to comprehend greatly influences the person that the child ought to become in the future. As rightfully said, it is the things you do in the present that shape your future. Basic premises of cognitive development theory It is properly established that the field of cognitive development primarily tackles the mental faculties of individuals in the pursuit of understanding their mental undertakings. It goes as far as the extent of realizing and assessing their mental abilities in order to aid the individual concerned in making used of his mental faculties to the fullest extent for his own benefit so that such individual can achieve its maximum potential. The study of cognitive development covers a wide array of endeavors in the form of theoretical and actual practice applications. It is theoretical and practical in the aspect of concept understanding and problem solving wherein a child is placed in a situation to determine if projected theories based on studies are effective and efficient given the predicament of the child concerned. (Bjorklund, 2004) Cognitive development also covers the study of the thinking process, language...
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...Kant was a German philosopher born in 1724 in Königsberg, Prussia. Kant was a solid albeit unspectacular, student. He was brought up in a Pietist household that stressed education that preferred Latin and religious instruction instead of mathematics and science. Kant lived a predictable life. He never married. Kant was a popular teacher and a modestly successful author before starting on his major philosophical works. He studied at the University of Königsberg. He is best known for his work in philosophy of ethics and metaphysics. Immanuel Kant “rejected the empiricists blank slate hypothesis on the grounds that the mind was not simply a passive receptacle of neutral sense data (Palmer 102).” He replaced some of these ideas with categories, which were formal and active features of the mind. Kant’s model of the mind can be broken down into three categories: the mind is complex set of abilities, the functions crucial for mental, knowledge-generating activity, and these functions called synthesis. “Kant held surprisingly strong and not entirely consistent views on the empirical study of the mind. The empirical method for doing psychology that Kant discussed was introspection (Brook).” Kant’s synthesis is broken down into three parts: apprehending in intuition, reproducing in imagination, and recognizing in concepts. Each of these three concepts relates to a different aspect of fundamental duality of intuition and concept. “Synthesis of apprehension concerns raw perceptual...
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...Considering the seeds of discouragement when assessing young people. Introduction In order to consider and analyse the seeds of discouragement when assessing young people, this essay will examine and discuss a number of factors that relate to the discouragement felt by young people which can leave them with unmet needs. The first objective of this essay is to describe what can lead to “climates of futility” by examining negative expectations and professional pessimism. The essay will then go on to explain how the response from professionals to problem behaviour can become a contributing factor to a child’s sense of futility, through discussing positive and negative theories of behaviour. The second objective of this essay is to examine the concept of “learned irresponsibility” and to understand how youth cultures are able to contribute to such learned helplessness and rebellion through things like social exclusion and street gangs. Next, nearing the end of this essay I will offer my opinion as to how the child and youth care worker should approach the young person differently during the assessment as to avoid the young person becoming discouraged during the transaction. Before the conclusion I shall offer my self reflection as well as sharing the impact that this topic of “the seeds of discouragement” has had on me. Climates of Futility The climates of futility refers to those environments which may cause young people to experience feelings of deficiencies and that...
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...11/21/2012 | Submitted to: Mrs. Maria Hutchinson Submitted by: Roger Polanco Introduction to Counseling and Guidance Research On Cognitive and Behavioral Approaches Similarities and differences In psychology many approaches have been discovered and some are still currently in use. There are two approaches, which I feel have much similarities but also differences. I will be explaining the cognitive and behavioral approach. Cognition literally means, “Knowing”. In other words, psychologists from this approach study cognition, which is A ‘the mental act or process by which knowledge is acquired.’ They focus on the way human’s process information, looking at how we treat information that comes in to the person (stimuli) and how this treatment leads to responses. In other words, they are interested in the variables that mediate between stimulus/input and response/output. The main areas of study in cognitive psychology are: perception, attention, memory and language. The essence of the behavioral approach is the statement that all behavior is learned and that when we are born we are like a blank slate. Experience and interactions with the environment make us what we are. We become what we become as a result of forming stimulus-response units of behavior in reaction to the environment. This perspective has been called environmental determinism because it suggests that the environments in which we exist determine us. The second statement is that all behavior can be explained...
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...Introduction This assignment is about critically comparing and contrasting the community psychology and public health approaches to social problems. Firstly I will define the concepts involved, secondly I will briefly discuss historical context of both community psychology and public health and lastly I will discuss approaches. . The comparison will be based upon prevention and health promotion, empowerment, individual wellness and citizen participation 2. Definition of concepts Community psychology is all about how individuals relate to the society in which they live. Public health on the other hand is defined as being concerned with preventing disease and distress. Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals. On the other hand, community psychology is fundamentally concerned with the relationship between social systems and individual well-being in the community context. Community psychology aims to promote human welfare. Community psychology focuses on economic, environmental, political and social factors that influence the way in which people all over the world live their lives. It also focuses on social issues which contribute to, or cause, problems in various societies. In contrast to community psychology, public health incorporates environmental health, community...
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...understanding and knowledge. A thorough understanding of verbal learning can be obtained through a comprehensive examination of the various aspects that it encompasses. The first aspect of verbal learning is defining the concept itself. Within the definition of verbal learning will be an introduction to Dr. David Ausubel, a psychologist who studied verbal learning. The second aspect of verbal learning that will be examined in this paper is the comparison and contrasting of serial learning (a list of items), paired associate learning (one item helping retrieve information), and free recall (independent items). The fourth and final aspect of verbal learning explored in this paper is the concept of mnemonics, or retention of information, in the recall of verbal stimuli. Verbal Learning S. Cooper wrote about David Ausubel as he was a psychologist who studied the developmental and educational psychology of individuals. Verbal learning was the area of psychology that was studied most in depth by Ausubel. In his research, Ausubel “focused on the nature of meaning, and believes the external world acquires meaning only as it is converted into the content of consciousness by the learner” (Cooper, 2009). Careful examination of learning and information retention led Ausubel to propose his theory on verbal learning, which concentrated on speech, reading, and writing. Ausubel asserted that individuals who benefit from knowledge...
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...Alison Neddeau Professor Gelven General Psychology II 21 March 2015 Intelligence Research shows that individuals learn in different ways. This has lead to several studies, which have inferred the different characteristics associated with how people receive, process and utilize information. A keen interest in these individual differences, named "learning styles" saw an increase in the 1960s. Today, even as the field of psychology has made as shift to studying more in-depth behaviors of group, learning styles continues to play significant roles in how human beings learn. What seems to remain a constant in attempting to interpret how learning is done is the complexity of the human mind in terms. It is quite unique that one person is able to process information one way while another does so in a contrasting manner, yet both people receive, process and ultimately arrive at the same level of knowledge about what they are taught. Understanding learning styles, which are often simple, yet complex, allows educators and trainers to tailor their methods of teaching and materials to accommodate different styles of learning. Generally speaking, there are three types of learning styles. People receive process and retain information by using visual, auditory or kinesthetic methods. There has also been evidence that these learning styles often lead learners to develop characteristics that have led experts to properly gauge levels of intelligence (Ldpride.net). Those that learn by using their...
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...Success in a Democratic Iran 2 Abstract As Iran transitions into a democratic nation, there are many changes that will take place. Along with the changes occurring in the country, there are also worldwide changes. New trends for success in the 21st century are emerging and it is necessary that Iran understands the trends needed for success in a newly formed democracy. Decentralization and an emphasis on personal growth and community are two such trends. Along with new trends, are needed attributes to obtain success in the 21st century such as the ability to think critically and set goals for the future. To prepare the younger Iranian generation for success in the newly formed democratic nation, these trends and attributes must be addressed in the classroom through meaningful learning experiences. Along with individual classrooms, school systems should also adopt a more holistic approach to education that encourages content knowledge as well as knowledge of the changing world and the attributes for success in this world.Success in a Democratic Iran 3 Life in a Democratic Iran: A Plan for Success Iran as a newly democratic nation must face many changes. The characteristics of a democratic nation include individual rights and freedoms, voting rights, free elections, as well as more gender equality. These are all elements that will be new for the Iranian people. Along with the changes presented by a new democracy, Iran must also prepare for the changes...
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...Operant Conditioning B.F Skinner based his work on the work of Edward Thorndike who developed the law of effect theory (Olson & Hergenhahn, 2013). Through his work Skinner went on to identify fundamental principles of learning, based on experiments with pigeons and rats. From these experiments, Skinner developed an explanation as for how humans learn behaviors or change behaviors, and went on to infer that patterns of reinforcement shape behavior, which is operant conditioning. Comparing and contrasting positive and negative reinforcement in operant conditioning gives an understanding of how both are a necessity in operant conditioning. Both positive and negative reinforcement are a necessity in operant conditioning; one form of reinforcement is more effective than the other. Several reasons exist to why one form of reinforcement is more effective than the other. A given scenario can show how to apply operant conditioning to shape behavior and how the creation of a reinforcement schedule can apply to a certain selected behavior. B. F. Skinner developed the “term” operant conditioning in 1937 (Staddon& Cerutti, 2003). Skinner's theory of operant conditioning explains how organisms acquire learned behaviors that they exhibit. The main focus of operant conditioning is to use reinforcement as a reward or punishment to increase or decrease the likelihood of behavior (Staddon & Cerutti, 2003). Operant conditioning is a means or method of learning, which occurs through...
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...student assignments One of the difficulties experienced by students, particularly in first year, is understanding what standard is expected in essays at tertiary level. As well as this, each subject discipline has its own ways of doing things and its own conventions about essay structure and writing style. For instance, in some subjects it is acceptable to write very personally and put forward your own opinions and feelings on a topic and in others such a personal response would not be appropriate. You need to find out the expectations and conventions of your subjects so that you can write essays that are valued within the context of your discipline. You may be lucky enough to have information and support provided by individual subject teachers e.g. model essays, assessment criteria sheets. You can help yourself by • reading Faculty handbooks, which will often give information about the disciplinary expectations. Some Faculties...
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...kermit and the keyboard Kermit and the Keyboard Lora Norris American InterContinental University May 4, 2014 Abstract This story of “Kermit and the Keyboard” will take us through many different theories to unravel the elements of why each viewpoint is important as the other. We will look at 3 different cognitive theories in this situation with some comparing and contrasting to see what elements are in the same manner and the others differently. Grasping the understanding of which theory that works the best and how the others play a role in the development of Kermit’s behavior. Introduction This scenario of “Kermit and the Keyboard” has many illustration of the constructivist learning environment. His learning was to skillfully play the keyboard by using a variety of different background voices to help him achieve the desired sound by thinking critically and how to apply them. Three Different Cognitivist Theories of this Situation First we will look at Kermit through the Cognitive Information Processing (CIP). The cognitive information processing theory is one where learning is based upon the ideas that learning is an internal process. The scenario of Kermit learning to play the keyboard and attempting to try other avenues may or may not be feasible. Each theory has some insight into his learning and development that is useful for him to learn how to play the keyboard. Kermit has already achieved limited learning in this outcome from the studies and on his own...
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...TO BE LOVED OR FEARED AS A LEADER? Leaders in fields ranging from military and politics to business and even education have been posed with the choice of instilling love or fear among their respective followers. Traits like warmth and trustworthiness of a leader instill love among followers and fear of a leader originates mostly from his strength and competence. Although there are numerous other traits in a leader, warmth and strength are the most influential. According to psychology, a major part of other people's perception about a person is determined by these two dimensions of personality (Cuddy, Kohut and Neffinger, 2013, p. 56). The dilemma of the choice between these two is inherently present in the nature of the two extremes i.e. either of the choices will make you fall at the opposing ends of the human emotional spectrum. It is interesting to note that the question of choosing between the two extremes is not a new one . Tracing this conundrum back to the sixteenth century takes us to the writings of Machiavelli. His political philosophy in 'The Prince' acknowledges the best leaders to command both fear and love. Having said that, Machiavelli recognizes the opposite polarity of the two emotions and maintains that since it is difficult to combine both in one person, it is better to be feared as a leader than to be loved (Machiavelli, 2003, p.53). Today, about five hundred years later, the Machiavellian concept of a feared leader is still quite rigorously followed...
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