Health Sciences 2700A/B Chapter Notes -Arnold Gesell, Toilet Training, Social Forces

• School: Western University
• Department: Health Sciences
• Course: Health Sciences 2700A/B
• Professor: Treena Orchard

Document Summary

Research about development has been stimulated by social pressures to improve ppl"s lives. The medical profession needed and understanding of physical growth, nutrition, and disease. Social service professions desire to treat emotional problems, required info about personality and development. Human development is interdisciplinary: grew through combination of efforts from people of all fields. A theory is an orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behaviour. Good theories: describe, explain, and predict consequences. Ex, good theory of infant caregiver attachment, describes behaviours of babies of age 6- 8 months as they seek affection, explain how and why they develop desire to bond and predict consequences of the emotional bonds. Theories provide organizing frameworks for our observations of ppl guiding and giving meaning to what we see. When a theory allows us to understand development we can work on improving the welfare of others. Theories existence depends on scientific verification, findings must endure or be replicated over time.