HN377 Unit 1 DBP

Good Evening,

I need help in answering the following Discussion Board Question:

 

Methods for Studying Behaviors

In your Reading this week, you learned about the five major perspectives on child development (refer to Table 2-3) as well as the various types of research that can be utilized to gather information on development (refer to Table 2-4).

Imagine that you are working as a human service professional to evaluate the developmental progress of children. Today, you are working with two and three-year-old brothers whose mother was addicted to cocaine during the pregnancies, as well as over the last two years. The children play in your office and refuse to talk to you or even look at you. You decide that you need to conduct further research to determine the needs of each child.

Discuss which perspective(s) you would utilize to conceptualize the children’s current development and needs. Then, explore which type of research you feel would be most beneficial in gaining any additional information needed in your analysis. 

I have also attached copies of Tables 2-3 & 2-4.

Thank You

TABLE 2-3 Major Perspectives on Child Development

Perspective	Key Ideas about Human Behavior and Development	Major Proponents	Example
Psychodynamic	Behavior throughout life is motivated by inner, unconscious forces, stemming from childhood, over which we have little control.	Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson	This view might suggest that an adolescent who is overweight has a fixation in the oral stage of development.
Behavioral	Development can be understood through studying observable behavior and environmental stimuli.	John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner, Albert Bandura	In this perspective, an adolescent who is overweight might be seen as not being rewarded for good nutritional and exercise habits.
Cognitive	Emphasis is on how changes or growth in the ways people know, understand, and think about the world affect behavior.	Jean Piaget	This view might suggest that an adolescent who is overweight hasn’t learned effective ways to stay at a healthy weight and doesn’t value good nutrition.
Contextual	Behavior is determined by the relationship between individuals and their physical, cognitive, personality, and social worlds.	Lev Vygotsky, Uric Bronfenbrenner	In this perspective an adolescent may become overweight because of a family environment in which food and meals are unusually important and intertwined with family rituals.
Evolutionary	Behavior is the result of genetic inheritance from our ancestors; traits and behavior that are adaptive for promoting the survival of our species have been inherited through natural selection.	Konrad Lorenz; influenced by early work of Charles Darwin	This view might suggest that an adolescent might have a genetic tendency toward obesity because extra fat helped his or her ancestors to survive in times of famine.

TABLE 2
–
3

Major Perspectives on Child Development

Perspective

Key Ideas about
Human Behavior and
Development

Major
Proponents

Example

Psychodynamic

Behavior throughout life is
motivated by inner,
unconscious forces,
stemming from childhood,
over which we have little
control.

Sigmund Freud,
Erik Erikson

This view might suggest
that an adolescent who
is overweight has a
fixation in the oral stage
of dev
elopment.

Behavioral

Development can be
understood through
studying observable
behavior and
environmental stimuli.

John B. Watson,
B. F. Skinner,
Albert Bandura

In this perspective, an
adolescent who is
overweight might be
seen as not being
rewarded for good
nutritional and exercise
habits.

Cognitive

Emphasis is on how
changes or growth in the
ways people know,
understand, and think
about the world affect
behavio
r.

Jean Piaget

This view might suggest
that an adolescent who
is overweight hasn’t
learned effective ways to
stay at a healthy weight
and doesn’t value good
nutrition.

Contextual

Behavior is determined by
the relationship between
individuals and their
phy
sical, cognitive,
personality, and social
worlds.

Lev Vygotsky, Uric
Bronfenbrenner

In this perspective an
adolescent may become
overweight because of a
family environment in
which food and meals
are unusually important
and intertwined with
family rituals.

Evolutionary

Behavior is the result of
genetic inheritance from
our ancestors; traits and
behavior that are adaptive
for promoting the survival
of our species have been
inherited through natural
selection.

Konrad Lorenz;
influenced by early
work of Charl
es
Darwin

This view might suggest
that an adolescent
might have a genetic
tendency toward obesity
because extra fat helped
his or her ancestors to
survive in times of
famine.

TABLE 2-3 Major Perspectives on Child Development
Perspective
Key Ideas about
Human Behavior and
Development
Major
Proponents Example
Psychodynamic Behavior throughout life is
motivated by inner,
unconscious forces,
stemming from childhood,
over which we have little
control.
Sigmund Freud,
Erik Erikson
This view might suggest
that an adolescent who
is overweight has a
fixation in the oral stage
of development.
Behavioral Development can be
understood through
studying observable
behavior and
environmental stimuli.
John B. Watson,
B. F. Skinner,
Albert Bandura
In this perspective, an
adolescent who is
overweight might be
seen as not being
rewarded for good
nutritional and exercise
habits.
Cognitive Emphasis is on how
changes or growth in the
ways people know,
understand, and think
about the world affect
behavior.
Jean Piaget This view might suggest
that an adolescent who
is overweight hasn’t
learned effective ways to
stay at a healthy weight
and doesn’t value good
nutrition.
Contextual Behavior is determined by
the relationship between
individuals and their
physical, cognitive,
personality, and social
worlds.
Lev Vygotsky, Uric
Bronfenbrenner
In this perspective an
adolescent may become
overweight because of a
family environment in
which food and meals
are unusually important
and intertwined with
family rituals.
Evolutionary Behavior is the result of
genetic inheritance from
our ancestors; traits and
behavior that are adaptive
for promoting the survival
of our species have been
inherited through natural
selection.
Konrad Lorenz;
influenced by early
work of Charles
Darwin
This view might suggest
that an adolescent
might have a genetic
tendency toward obesity
because extra fat helped
his or her ancestors to
survive in times of
famine.

TABLE 2-4 Types of Research

Research Method	Description	Example
Naturalistic observation	An investigator systematically observes naturally occurring behavior and does not make a change in the situation.	A researcher investigating bullying carefully observes and records instances of bullying on elementary school playgrounds.
Archival research	Existing data such as census documents, college records, and newspaper clippings are examined to test a hypothesis.	College records are used to determine whether gender differences exist in math grades.
Ethnography	Careful study of a culture’s values and attitudes through careful, extended examination.	A researcher lives for 6 months among families in a remote African village in order to study child-rearing practices.
Survey research	Individuals chosen to represent a larger population are asked a series of questions about their behavior, thoughts, or attitudes.	A researcher conducts a comprehensive poll asking a large group of adolescents about their attitudes toward exercise.
Case study	An in-depth, intensive investigation of an individual or small group of people.	An intensive study of a child involved in a school shooting is carried out by an investigator.
Psychophysiological research	A study of the relationship between physiological processes and behavior.	A researcher examines brain scans of children who are unusually violent to see whether there are abnormalities in brain structures and functioning.

TABLE 2
–
4

Types of Research

Research Method

Description

Example

Naturalistic
observation

An investigator systematically
observes naturally occurring
behavior and does not make a
change in the situation.

A researcher investigating bullying
carefully observes and records
instances of bullying on
elementary school playgro
unds.

Archival research

Existing data such as census
documents, college records,
and newspaper clippings are
examined to test a hypothesis.

College records are used to
determine whether gender
differences exist in math grades.

Ethnography

Careful study o
f a culture’s
values and attitudes through
careful, extended examination.

A researcher lives for 6 months
among families in a remote African
village in order to study child
–
rearing practices.

Survey research

Individuals chosen to
represent a larger popula
tion
are asked a series of questions
about their behavior, thoughts,
or attitudes.

A researcher conducts a
comprehensive poll asking a large
group of adolescents about their
attitudes toward exercise.

Case study

An in
–
depth, intensive
investigation of an individual
or small group of people.

An intensive study of a child
involved in a school shooting is
carried out by an investigator.

Psychophysiological
research

A study of the relationship
between physiological
p
rocesses and behavior.

A researcher examines brain scans
of children who are unusually
violent to see whether there are
abnormalities in brain structures
and functioning.

TABLE 2-4 Types of Research
Research Method Description Example
Naturalistic
observation
An investigator systematically
observes naturally occurring
behavior and does not make a
change in the situation.
A researcher investigating bullying
carefully observes and records
instances of bullying on
elementary school playgrounds.
Archival research Existing data such as census
documents, college records,
and newspaper clippings are
examined to test a hypothesis.
College records are used to
determine whether gender
differences exist in math grades.
Ethnography Careful study of a culture’s
values and attitudes through
careful, extended examination.
A researcher lives for 6 months
among families in a remote African
village in order to study child-
rearing practices.
Survey research Individuals chosen to
represent a larger population
are asked a series of questions
about their behavior, thoughts,
or attitudes.
A researcher conducts a
comprehensive poll asking a large
group of adolescents about their
attitudes toward exercise.
Case study An in-depth, intensive
investigation of an individual
or small group of people.
An intensive study of a child
involved in a school shooting is
carried out by an investigator.
Psychophysiological
research
A study of the relationship
between physiological
processes and behavior.
A researcher examines brain scans
of children who are unusually
violent to see whether there are
abnormalities in brain structures
and functioning.