Explorations in Sights and Sounds
Orginal Publication Date
1986
Journal Title
Explorations in Sights and Sounds
Volume
6
Issue
ess/vol6/iss1
First Page
20
Last Page
21
Abstract
Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications provides an excellent overview of developmental thinking throughout history and across several theoretical disciplines from Rousseau, the father of the developmental tradition, and Locke, the father of environmentalism, to the behaviorists and psycholinguists, Skinner and Chomsky. Crain then extends his coverage to the humanistic movement of Maslow and others. As Crain traces developmental theory, he draws parallels between early developmentalists and the modern humanists, suggesting that learning theorists and other environmentalists, by placing their focus on controlling and shaping behavior, provide an orientation that is too one sided. Modern humanists, suggests Crain, seek environments which allow the natural and spontaneous growth forces of human beings to unfold and which do not force behaviors into predetermined molds. The volume provides a broad survey of developmental psychological thought, including, in addition to the above, the social learning theory of Bandura, Jungian, Freudian, and Eriksonian theory, Schachtel's work on childhood experiences, Werner's organismic and comparative theory, Gessell's work, Kohlberg's work, the ethological theories and finally, the cognitive theories of Piaget.
Rights
Copyright, ©EES, The National Association for Ethnic Studies, 1986