DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES

Developmental Theories

Developmental Theories

The paper compares and contrasts two developmental theories: social learning theory by Bandura and theory of attachment by Bowlby. ““Bandura's social learning theory? though acknowledging the constraints of biological origins and the role of neural mediating mechanisms? emphasizes the role of the individual's experience of the environment in development. Other learning theories are based on the organism's direct performance of behaviors? whereas social learning theory posits that most learning occurs vicariously by observing and imitating models. For survival and growth? humans are designed to acquire patterns of behavior through observational learning. Social behavior in particular is a function of one's social learning history? instigation mechanisms? and maintaining mechanisms. (Bandura? 1977)

Bowlby generated a theory of attachment that has had enormous influence in contemporary developmental psychology. According to Bowlby? infants are born with innate tendencies to seek direct contact with an adult (usually the mother). In contrast to Freud's perspective that early attachment seeking is a function of a desire for the mother's breast (and food)? Bowlby argued that attachment seeking is directed toward social contact with the mother (the desire for a love relationship) and driven by fear of unknown others. Bowlby hypothesized that individual differences exist in patterns of parent-infant relationship quality and that the infant acquires a mental representation (or working model) of this relationship that is stored in memory and carried forward to act as a guiding filter for all future relationships. This working model of relationships generalizes to other contexts and allows future interactions to conform to the working model? thereby reinforcing the initial representation of how relationships operate. Thus the quality of the initial parent-infant relationship has primary and enduring effects on later adjustment? relationships? and parenting. (Bandura? 1977)

Individual differences in attachment patterns have been assessed through a laboratory procedure called the Strange Situation? ...