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Essay / Theories of Child Development - 747
Biological theory refers to the emphasis on genetic factors that help the child adapt to their environment. The theory highlights the importance of the maturation of children's bodies and motor skills. The limitation of biological theory, however, is that it neglects the impact of children's experiences. Behaviorism theory focuses on children's behavioral and emotional responses to changes in the environment. The argument against behaviorism is that it focuses on children's visible behavior and ignores their thought processes. Social learning theory interprets children's beliefs and goals as affecting their behavior through what they learn from observing others. In psychodynamic theory, the emphasis is on the interaction between internal conflicts, early childhood experiences, and the environment. Theorists focus on personality development and how these early experiences play a role later in life. In theories of cognitive development, the focus is on how the thinking process changes over time. Although they encourage adults to recognize children as curious minds trying to make sense of their surroundings, the theories lack clear stages through which a child's thought process passes. Similarly, theories of cognitive processes also focus on the thought process, but more on how people decipher the information they see and hear. Sociocultural theories emphasize the impact of social factors.