This page is meant to help inspire your research projects and papers.
This page contains a brief overview of the psychological and social science theories and theorists upon which CADV is grounded. Each box has a description of the theory and a list of key theorists.
Click on each theorist's picture to link out to a peer-reviewed article about his/her scientific approach and work in the field.
Learning is gradual and continuous. Development is a sequence of specific conditional behaviours. Main emphasis is on the environment, not heredity. Observable behaviours are considered most important.
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Key Theorists |
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Qualitative changes in the way children think. The child is considered an active learner going through stages.
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George A. Miller
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Balance between nature and nurture. Child is placed in the middle of concentric factors which all influence the child. Emphasis is placed both on environment and heredity.
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James Gibson |
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Roger G. Barker |
We all have an innate learning ability. Children are born with specialised information processing abilities that enable them to figure out structure of development.
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Jean Piaget |
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Robert Sternberg |
Growth and development occur in orderly stages and sequence. The individual genetic timetable affects rate of maturation.
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Arnold L. Gesell |
Personality develops in eight stages throughout a lifetime. Development is influenced through interactions with family, friends and culture.
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Erik Erikson |
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Mary E. Richmond |
Behaviour is controlled by unconscious urges. Three components of the mind are id, ego and super ego.
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Sigmund Freud |
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Carl Jung |
