Child Development – Chapter 1: The
Science of Child Development
Platonic Epistemology
● Epistemology = the study of knowledge (what it is, where it comes from).
● Plato’s view: Knowledge is innate → already inside us before birth.
● Learning is just “recalling” what the soul already knows.
Example: If you suddenly understand math, Plato would say you didn’t learn it — you
remembered it.
Aristotle’s Epistemology
● Opposite of Plato.
● Believed there are no innate ideas.
● Knowledge comes from observation and experience (empiricism).
Exam tip: Be ready to compare Plato (knowledge is recalled) vs. Aristotle (knowledge is
learned).
Rousseau (1712–1778)
● Believed children are born good and pure (“from the hands of the Maker”).
● Society corrupts them.
● Emphasized letting children develop naturally.
Locke (1632–1704)
● Saw children as blank slates (tabula rasa).
● Thought they have natural inclinations (likes, dislikes, personality).
, ● Education = shaping their tendencies through instruction and environment.
Foundational Theories of Child Development
● A theory = organized ideas that explain development and make predictions.
● Science + concern for children → led to modern child development theories.
● Five big perspectives:
1. Biological
2. Psychodynamic
3. Learning
4. Cognitive-developmental
5. Contextual
The Biological Perspective
● Development is mainly shaped by biology.
● Maturational theory: Children grow according to a pre-set biological plan.
● Ethological theory: Behaviors have survival value (they evolved to help us survive).
Darwin (1809–1882)
● Believed studying children’s growth helps us understand human evolution.
● Inspired “baby biographies” → careful observations of children’s development.
G. Stanley Hall (1844–1924)
● Inspired by Darwin.
● Believed children’s development repeats human evolutionary stages.
● Pushing children ahead too soon = harmful.
Science of Child Development
Platonic Epistemology
● Epistemology = the study of knowledge (what it is, where it comes from).
● Plato’s view: Knowledge is innate → already inside us before birth.
● Learning is just “recalling” what the soul already knows.
Example: If you suddenly understand math, Plato would say you didn’t learn it — you
remembered it.
Aristotle’s Epistemology
● Opposite of Plato.
● Believed there are no innate ideas.
● Knowledge comes from observation and experience (empiricism).
Exam tip: Be ready to compare Plato (knowledge is recalled) vs. Aristotle (knowledge is
learned).
Rousseau (1712–1778)
● Believed children are born good and pure (“from the hands of the Maker”).
● Society corrupts them.
● Emphasized letting children develop naturally.
Locke (1632–1704)
● Saw children as blank slates (tabula rasa).
● Thought they have natural inclinations (likes, dislikes, personality).
, ● Education = shaping their tendencies through instruction and environment.
Foundational Theories of Child Development
● A theory = organized ideas that explain development and make predictions.
● Science + concern for children → led to modern child development theories.
● Five big perspectives:
1. Biological
2. Psychodynamic
3. Learning
4. Cognitive-developmental
5. Contextual
The Biological Perspective
● Development is mainly shaped by biology.
● Maturational theory: Children grow according to a pre-set biological plan.
● Ethological theory: Behaviors have survival value (they evolved to help us survive).
Darwin (1809–1882)
● Believed studying children’s growth helps us understand human evolution.
● Inspired “baby biographies” → careful observations of children’s development.
G. Stanley Hall (1844–1924)
● Inspired by Darwin.
● Believed children’s development repeats human evolutionary stages.
● Pushing children ahead too soon = harmful.
