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Developmental theories provide a set of guiding principles and concepts that describe and explain human development. Some developmental theories focus on the formation of a particular quality, such as Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. Other developmental theories focus on growth that happens throughout the lifespan, such as Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development. It would be natural to wonder which of the perspectives provides the most accurate account of human development, but clearly, each perspective is based on its own premises and focuses on different aspects of development. Many lifespan developmentalists use an eclectic approach, drawing on several perspectives at the same time because the same developmental phenomenon can be looked at from a number of perspectives. In the table below, we’ll review some of the major theories that you learned about in this module. Recall that three key issues considered in human development examine if development is continuous or discontinuous, if it is the same for everyone or distinct for individuals (one course of development or many), and if development is more influenced by nature or by nurture. The table below reviews how each of these major theories approaches each of these issues.
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Which approach to development suggest that there are five levels of the environment?Ecological systems theory was developed by Urie Bronfenbrenner. He divided the environment into five different levels. The microsystem is the most influential, has the closest relationship to the person, and is the one where direct contact occurs. The mesosystem consists of interactions between a person's microsystems.
Which perspective suggests that different levels of the environment simultaneously influence individuals?Psychology - Lifespan. Which developmental research strategy is borrowed from the field of anthropology and is used primarily to investigate cultural questions?Ethnography is cultural anthropology's distinctive research strategy. It was originally developed by anthropologists to study small-scale, relatively isolated cultural groups.
What is the type of research where people of different ages are compared at the same point in time?Cross sectional research is a study in which subjects of different ages are compared at the same time. It is often used in developmental psychology, but also utilized in many other areas including social science, education and other branches of science.
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