4: Brain Development in the Early Years Flashcards
(12 cards)
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
describes early childhood as the sensorimotor (0–2 years) and preoperational (2–7 years) stages, where infants and toddlers explore the world through senses and actions before developing symbolic thinking and language. However, critics argue that Piaget underestimated young children’s cognitive abilities, as later research suggests infants may have more advanced problem-solving and reasoning skills than he proposed.
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
emphasises the role of social interactions and culture in learning, with concepts like scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development highlighting the importance of guidance from more knowledgeable individuals. While influential, this theory has been criticised for underemphasising the role of biological factors in development, such as genetic predispositions and innate cognitive abilities.
Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory
highlights early emotional development, particularly the stages of trust vs. mistrust (0–1 year), where secure attachment is crucial, and autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1–3 years), where toddlers begin asserting independence. However, Erikson’s model is often seen as too broad and lacking empirical evidence, making it difficult to test or apply in a structured way.
Bowlby’s Attachment Theory
underscores the importance of early bonds between infants and caregivers, suggesting that secure attachment leads to better emotional and social outcomes. While widely accepted, critics argue that attachment styles may be more fluid and influenced by later life experiences than Bowlby suggested.
Skinner’s Behaviourist Theory
proposes that reinforcement and punishment shape behaviour, which has been foundational in understanding learning and socialisation. However, this theory has been criticised for overlooking intrinsic motivation and the role of cognitive processes in shaping behaviour, reducing complex human development to external conditioning.
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory
takes a broader approach, recognising that a child’s development is influenced by multiple interconnected systems, from immediate family and caregivers to societal and cultural contexts. While valuable in highlighting external influences, some critics argue that it lacks specific mechanisms for explaining how internal psychological processes contribute to development.
Co-regulation
refers to the process by which caregivers, educators, or other supportive adults help children manage their emotions, behaviours, and physiological states by providing consistent, responsive interactions. This involves modelling appropriate emotional responses, offering comfort and reassurance, and helping children transition from heightened emotional states to a calmer, more regulated state. Through co-regulation, young children gradually develop the ability to manage their emotions and behaviours independently over time. However, this ability does not emerge on its own; it is cultivated through repeated relational experiences with responsive caregivers who provide external regulation before children can develop internal regulation.
self-regulation
The idea that young children should be capable of self-regulation is a fallacy because their nervous systems are not yet fully developed enough to manage stress, emotions, and impulses independently. This misconception assumes that children can regulate their emotions and behaviour without external support, placing unrealistic expectations on them.
Polyvagal Theory, developed by Stephen Porges
According to this theory, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) operates in three states: social engagement (ventral vagal), fight-or-flight (sympathetic), and shutdown (dorsal vagal). Young children rely on safe and attuned relationships to remain in a regulated (ventral vagal) state, where they feel secure and can engage, learn, and connect. When children experience stress or distress, they cannot simply “calm themselves down” because their nervous systems require external cues of safety—such as a caregiver’s soothing voice, touch, or presence—to return to a regulated state. Expecting self-regulation in young children ignores the biological reality that they need co-regulation to develop the neural pathways necessary for emotional and behavioural control later in life.
The limbic system (Mammalian)
is the main area where emotion, memories, self-esteem, sense of identity and belief in ourselves are developed, and where the need for touch and affection is located.
Repitillian brain (brainstem)
In simplistic terms, the reptilian brain controls our bodily functions and our responses to what is happening around us (especially danger)
The neocortex
Largest part. The neocortex supports our ability to think, be creative and imaginative, develop language, have consciousness, pay attention, be involved and so on.
