Summarise the major key points in each of the four perspectives (biological, ecological, psychodynamic and the social-cognitive) on child development. How each of these views may help to account for the barriers to your own personal growth.

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PSYC-A222F

Name: Lam Fung

Student ID: 10476789

Question: 1

Examine the barriers to personal growth in each of the four major perspectives covered in Chapter 2.

。 Summaries the major key points in each of the four perspectives (biological, ecological, psychodynamic and the social-cognitive) on child development.

。 How each of these views may help to account for the barriers to your own personal growth.

This essay is my own work and aspects where collaboration has been involved are acknowledged, and sources cited

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Date: 13th February, 2012

Abstract:

There are four major perspectives namely Biological, Ecological, Psychodynamic and the Social-cognitive perspective. Each one of the perspective searches for the answer of the child development and through looking for the answer to find out certain kind of barriers to personal growth. Each perspective consists of its own assumption and explanations towards child development. Before examining the barriers to personal growth in each of the four perspectives, it is worth to explore the major key points in each. Each of these views could contribute to account for the barriers to my own personal growth in follow.

Child Development

According to the biological perspective, many of our personal attributes and much of our personal development may be attributable to genetic and other biological influences. (Duffy, K. G, 2010) Thus, it mainly focuses on several aspects to explain human development. First, genetics and the possibility that certain behavioral tendencies are inherited. Second, the nervous system and the way certain behaviors are linked to the functioning of particular parts of the brain. Third, chemical influence and the way that substances such as neurotransmitters and hormones can alter the functioning of the brain. (Aidan Samsons)

There has been much controversy on the issue of behavioral influences due to nature vs. nurture. Psychological outcomes in adulthood such as alcoholism, depression, and phobias; in childhood, intelligence, sociability, emotionality, and activity level do related to the genetic factors. However, with disorders, behaviors, or any physical trait, genes are just a part of the story, since there are varieties of genetic and environmental factors involved in the development of traits. In developing of a particular trait, genetic factors also can influence the role of certain environmental factors. For example, a person may have a genetic variant that is know to increase the risk for developing emphysema from smoking, which is the environmental factor. If the person never smokes, then emphysema will not be developed. ( Joseph McInerney)

The nervous system is the major controlling, regulatory, and communicating system in the body. It is the center of all mental activity including thought, learning, and memory. Through its receptors, the nervous system keep us in touch with our environment, both external and internal. The job of the nervous system is to send and receive information. It controls and communicates throughout the rest of the body. Thus the nervous system and human behavior are inter-related.

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It is well known that hormones and behavior have some kind of connection. Hormones are chemicals secreted from specialized cells into the bloodstream, from where they are transported to various parts of the body to act on target tissues, thereby producing physical and mental effects in an individual. Children’s behavior significantly influence by hormone especially during puberty, such as the height and weight growth spurts and sex characters like growth of body hair, pimples, breast enlargement in girls, change voice in boys, etc. Moreover, hormones cause mood swings and mood in stability during puberty being more assertive and aggressive. A ...

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