Verified Document

Theories Of Human Development Essay

Terrell One approach from the chapter that explains Terrell's behavior very well is the behavioral approach, especially the behaviorism of B.F. Skinner. By looking at the antecedents and consequences of the behavior we can determine what is being reinforced and Terrell's case. The vignette clearly states that Terrell's symptoms are disappearing once he is allowed to stay home, informing us that Terrell is being allowed to stay home when he feigns sickness. It is quite obvious that Terrell is being reinforced for feigning that he is ill according to B.F. Skinner's operant conditioning paradigm. The vignette does not allow us to determine the reason why he wants to stay home; however, it is not unusual for it a six-year-old boy to feel some anxiety regarding a new environment and separation from mother and we could hypothesize that Terrell is feeling some mild anxiety before going to school, this anxiety leads him to feeling sick with all the symptoms he complains of, and once he...

Alternatively, Terrell's mother might reinforce him for going to school such as praising him for attending school or allowing him to engage in some desired activity if he goes to school every day. Once he stops complaining of being ill the reinforcement can cease. It would not be such a great idea to reinforce Terrell for not complaining of being ill in the event that he really does get ill and does not tell his mother in an attempt to get the reinforcement.
Another theoretical perspective that might explain Terrell's behavior comes from Freudian thought. Terrell is at the upper end of the phallic…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Theories Human Development Factors Influence Development. Write
Words: 1719 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

theories human development factors influence development. write Erickson Psychosocial theory, Freudian Psychosexual theory small piece, Maslow theory Carl Rogers Piaget theory. make involve FACTORS . Psychoanalytic theory has made it possible for society to gain a more complex understanding of human behavior and of concepts that influence individuals in wanting to perform particular acts. Some of the most notable psychoanalysts devised a series of theories meant to assist the social

Human Development / Stage Theory
Words: 3589 Length: 13 Document Type: Essay

As for supernatural acts, the primary sources of these are God and Satan. Satan or the Devil constantly urges the individual to adopt sinful ways, to behave contrary to God's directives. To combat Satan's influence, God is always available as a guide and supporter for people in moments of indecision, of spiritual weakness, and of temptation. God's guidance and strength may be sought directly through prayer and through reading

Human Development Erikson's "Eight Stages of Man"
Words: 948 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

Human Development Erikson's "Eight Stages of Man" Erik Erikson was a student of Sigmund Freud's who developed a theory of personality development. According to Erikson, there are eight psychosocial stages in which the individual faces a crisis or developmental task (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010). If the individual successfully completes the developmental task, there is a positive outcome; if not, there is a negative outcome. The first stage, which is called trust vs.

Human Development: The Importance of
Words: 1389 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

This is expected in American culture, indeed, the fact that we speak of generations, as in Generation Y or Generation X, the Greatest Generation, indicates how it is normalized for children to ally with their peers in their social habits and attitudes. Perhaps the most profound difference between this generation and the past generation is the influence of new media upon children's development. The impact of high levels of violence

Human Development
Words: 3069 Length: 10 Document Type: Term Paper

Human Development In order to learn about the development of males in their late teenage stage, between the ages seventeen and twenty, an eighteen-year-old male was interviewed. An individual of this age was chosen since it is believed as the age that acts as a transitory period between teenage and adulthood thus the developmental features are explicitly displayed at this age within the period targeted. The individual interviewed was a student

Human Development Overview One of
Words: 894 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

This is often considered a highly impersonal and therefore largely imprecise and impractical framework for viewing development, especially since the purported events which have supposedly shaped the brain through evolution can never be observed. A more popular type of theory is cognitive development. Jean Piaget is considered the founder of this school of thought; after noticing that responses from children of different ages were qualitatively different, he identified several

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now