Experience and Development

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From the moment babies are born, sensory experiences play a role in their development.The environment continues to exert a powerful impact on behavior throughout life, making it important to understand how developmental experiences influence children as they grow into youth and adulthood.

Genetics influence child developmentas well, but experiences are equally important. For example, genetics may influence how a child’s brain is wired from birth, but learning and experience literally shape how that child’s brain grows and develops.

Psychological Theories on Developmental Experiences

Some of the classictheories of psychologyfocus on the importance of experience and how it shapes behavior and personality. Three of the major theories that describe and explain how children learn include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.

Classical Conditioning

Classical conditioninginvolves making an association between a stimulus and a response.Even those with only a passing knowledge of psychology have likely heard ofPavlov’s dogs.

In this classic experiment, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov discovered that repeatedly pairing the sound of a bell with the presentation of food caused dogs to associate the tone with food. Once the association was formed, the sound of the bell alone could make the dogs begin to salivate in anticipation of a meal.

Operant Conditioning

When a behavior is rewarded, that same behavior is likely to occur again in the future.Conversely, when a behavior is punished, it becomes less likely that it will occur again. These principles underlie the concept of operant conditioning.

Operant conditioningis a set of learning techniques that utilizes reinforcement and punishment to either increase or decrease a response. For example, when a child is rewarded for cleaning their room, they become more likely to repeat the same behavior later on.

Observational Learning

Kids learn a great deal simply from watching their parents, peers, and siblings.Even behaviors observed on digital media—which includes what they see on the television, in video games, and on the internet—can influence children’s thoughts and actions.

Becauseobservational learningis so powerful, it’s important to ensure that kids are observing the right kinds of behaviors. By modeling good behaviors and appropriate responses, parents can help their kids learn how to act responsibly.

7 Theories on Child Development

Experiences That Influence Children’s Development

In addition to the kinds of learning that occur day-to-day, there are a number of other experiences that can influence children’s development.

Parents and Caregivers

The experiences that parents and other caregivers provide during the earliest years of a child’s life can be some of the most crucial.Varying experiences can have a dramatic impact on how these children develop.

Children raised in nurturing environments tend to learn with more ease, have greater achievements throughout life, and a higher quality of life, while those raised in less enriched settings often find it difficult to cope with life’s difficulties and experience morebehavioral issues.

Effects of Parents Spending Too Much Time on Their Phones

Peers

Because children spend so much time interacting with peers in school, it may come as no surprise that other children have a major influence on thatchild’s psychology and development. This influence can be positive or negative.

Bullying, for instance, can have an enormously detrimental effect on a child’s experience of growing up.Bullying behaviorcan be direct or indirect and lead to feelings of insecurity, isolation, and anger, in addition to showing up physically in the form of headaches, sleep troubles, and anxiety.

Education

School makes up an enormous part of a child’s life. Teachers and classmates play a major role in developmental experiences, while academics and learning also leave their mark.

Genetics and the environment are always interacting in a dynamic way. A child’s genetic background influences their ability to learn, but positive educational experiences can enhance these abilities.

Culture

There are many different influences that can play a role in how a child grows and the person they eventually become. The culture that a child lives in adds yet another element to this already complex mix.

For example, parents raising kids inindividualistic culturesmay focus on helping their kids develop autonomy and self-esteem. Parents incollectivist cultures, on the other hand, might be more likely to stress the importance of community, family, and society.

Even within the same culture, variations in social status, income, and educational background can influence how children develop,in part, based on how they’re raised. High-income parents might be more concerned with getting their kids into the best private schools, while low-income parents may spend more time worrying about meeting their children’s most basic needs.

Such disparities can lead to dramatic differences in experience, which can, in turn, have a powerful impact on how kids develop.

Summary

It’s important to remember that it is the interaction of a number of different influences that dictates how a child develops. Genetics, environmental influences,parenting styles, friends, teachers, schools, and culture are just some of the major factors that combine in unique ways to determine how a child develops and the person they will one day become.

7 Main Developmental Theories

14 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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National Academies Press.Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy, and Practice.

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