Compare and contrast stage, incremental, and multidimensional models of development. What specific contributions does each perspective make to our knowledge of development?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Stage, incremental, and multidimensional models of development are similar in that they attempt to explain a wide variety and breadth of behaviors. Stage theories, such as Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, characterize development as a discontinuous process, whereas, incremental theories view change as a continuous process. Metaphorically, stage theories, conceptualize change as resembling a staircase. In contrast, incremental theories view change as more like a steadily rising slope. Stage theories are useful for addressing issues related to developmental readiness to learn. They also help us understand limitations associated with trying to accelerate an individuals’ capacity to learn and mature. Stage theories focus on qualitative differences in mental processes and behavior, compared to incremental theories that emphasize quantitative changes.

Incremental theories are based on the assumption that developmental change is not marked by major reorganizations that affect many behaviors at once, as in stage theories. Rather, change is gradual and steady and specific to particular mental activities or behaviors. Incremental theories also differ from stage theories in the kinds of processes they assume to underlie psychological change, such as the kinds of processes involved in learning. For example, social learning theory and most information processing theories are among the incremental models available to explain development and how knowledge is acquired.

In the multidimensional model, development is considered to be the result of many causal components that impact all domains of development from cognitive to social. According to this model there are different layers and levels of interacting causes for behavior change: physical, biological, social, psychological and cultural. Changes at one level causes and is influenced by what happens at other levels. Thus, the relationships among causes are reciprocal. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model is a good example of multidimensional model because it specifies how the following different levels of environment influence a person’s development:

1. Microsystem: This refers to immediate environment where proximal processes are played out. For example family, school, neighborhood.
2. Mesosystem: Relations among microsystems. For example, parental involvement in school affects the child’s education.
3. Exosystem: includes settings that may not directly interact with the child but will influence the child indirectly. The teacher’s family life influences the teacher and thereby influences the child.
4. 4. Macro system: This includes the customs and character of the larger culture that help shape the microsystem. For example, cultural attitudes toward senior citizens would influence the structure of the family and interactions with grandparents.