Title: The Humanistic, Contextual, and Evolutionary Perspectives of Development | Lifespan Development
Headings: The Humanistic, Contextual, and Evolutionary Perspectives of Development
The Humanistic, Contextual, and Evolutionary Perspectives of Development
What you’ll learn to do: describe the humanistic, contextual, and evolutionary perspectives of development
Learning outcomes
The Humanistic Perspective: A focus on Uniquely Human Qualities
Carl Rogers and Humanism
Unconditional Positive Regard
The Good Life
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Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
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Contextual Perspectives: A Broad Approach to Development
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory: Changes in thought with guidance
Scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development
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Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory
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The Evolutionary Perspective: Genetic Inheritance from our Ancestors
The fundamentals of the evolutionary perspective
Lorenz and Imprinting
Behavioral Genetics
Link to Learning
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
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Comparing and Evaluating Lifespan Theories
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Theory
Major ideas
Continuous or discontinuous development?
One course of development or many?
More influenced by nature or nurture?
Major Theorist (s)
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glossary
behavioral genetics:
bioecological model:
chronosystem:
congruence:
contextual perspective:
ecological systems theory:
exosystem:
ethology:
evolutionary psychology:
humanism:
imprinting:
macrosystem:
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:
mesosystem:
microsystem:
phenomenal field:
scaffolding:
self-actualization:
sociocultural theory:
zone of proximal development (ZPD):

Content: Rogers focused on the idea that we need to achieve consistency between these two selves. Unconditional Positive Regard
Human beings develop an ideal self and a real self, based on the conditional status of positive regard. How closely one’s real self matches up with their ideal self is called congruence. We experience congruence when our thoughts about our real self and ideal self are very similar—in other words when our self-concept is accurate . High congruence leads to a greater sense of self-worth and a healthy, productive life. Conversely, when there is a great discrepancy between our ideal and actual selves, we experience a state Rogers called incongruence, which can lead to maladjustment. According to Rogers, parents can help their children achieve their ideal self by giving them unconditional positive regard, or unconditional love. In the development of self-concept, positive regard is key. Unconditional positive regard is an environment that is free of preconceived notions of value. Conditional positive regard is full of conditions of worth that must be achieved to be considered successful.