the macrosystem refers to how developmental processes unfold over the life course

by Oleta Funk 7 min read

What is a microsystem in psychology?

(SES) Refers to the conceptual grouping of people with similar occupational, educational, and economic characteristics ... (Psychoanalytic) A theory in which eight stages of psychosocial development unfold throughout the human life span. Each stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be ...

What are Microsystems in child development?

A developmental research design in which one group of subjects is studied repeatedly over months or years. Macrosystem In Bronfenbrenner's bioecological approach, the larger cultural or sub cultural context of development.

What is Bronfenbrenner's microsystem theory?

A person undergoing the period of development from infancy through puberty infancy The period of very early childhood, characterized by lack of complex speech; the first 2 years after birth development The processes by which organisms unfold features and traits, grow, and become more complex and specialized in structure and function growth

What are the five systems of child development?

A psychoanalytic theory in which eight stages of psychosocial development unfold throughout the life span. Each stage consists of a unique developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be faced Erikson's Theory

What is the discipline of life span development?

Psychologists, anthropologists, sociologists, neuroscientists, and medical researchers all work in the discipline of life span development. Development occurs in a context/setting; school, families, peer groups, churches, critics, neighborhoods, university laboratories, countries, etc. Individuals in a particular age group.

What is development in context?

Development occurs in a context/setting; school, families, peer groups, churches, critics, neighborhoods, university laboratories, countries, etc. Individuals in a particular age group. Individuals in a particular generation during historical circumstances. Unusual occurrences that have a major impact on the individual's life.

What are the characteristics of lifespan perspective?

What are the 6 different characteristics of lifespan perspective - 6 views and 4 other processes. lifelong, muti-dimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual and as a process that involves growth, maintenance, regulation, and loss. LIFELONG. No age period dominates development.

What are the three dimensions of psychology?

Researchers increasingly study the experiences and psychological orientations of adults at different points in their lives. MULTIDIMENSIONAL (3 dimensions) biological, cognitive, and socioemotional dimensions. Changes in one dimension also affect development in other dimensions. MULTIDIRECTIONAL.

What is socioemotional process?

SOCIOEMOTIONAL PROCESS. Involve changes in the individual's relationships with other people, changes in emotions, and changes in personality.

Bronfenbrenner's Microsystem Theory

Urie Bronfenbrenner was an American psychologist who is most known for his Ecological Systems Theory. According to this theory, a child's development occurs within an ecological system that contains multiple environments or systems that interact to shape the child as they grow into an adult.

Microsystem Definition

As previously mentioned, the microsystem is the layer of Bronfenbrenner's model that has the most influence on a child's development. But what does microsystem mean? It can be defined as a system of people, groups, and institutions that play an immediate and explicit role in a child's life.

What are the ecological systems?

Putting it all together: Ecological Systems Model (Ob 14) 1 Microsystem includes the individual’s setting and those who have direct, significant contact with the person, such as parents or siblings. The input of those is modified by the cognitive and biological state of the individual as well. These influence the person’s actions, which in turn influence systems operating on him or her. 2 Mesosystem consists of the interactions between the different parts of microsystem of person. These could include interactions between the microsystems, such as the interaction between different family members and individual’s within organizational structures, such as school, the family, or religion (e.g., parent and teacher, . 3 Exosystem includes the broader contexts of the community. A community’s values, history, and economy can impact the organizational structures it houses. Mesosystems both influence and are influenced by the exosystem. 4 Macrosystem includes cultural elements, such as global economic conditions, war, technological trends, values, philosophies, and society’s responses to the global community. 5 Chronosystem is the historical context in which these experiences occur. This relates to the different generational periods previously discussed such as the baby boomers and millennials.

Which theorists believe that development is more discontinuous?

Thus, stage theorists assume that development is more discontinuous. Others, such as the behaviorists, Vygotsky, and information processing theorists, assume development is a more slow and gradual process known as continuous development (non-stage theories see development as continuous).

What are the stages of life?

We will discuss each of these stages in length as we explore each period of the life span, but here is a brief overview: 1 Trust vs. mistrust (0-1 years old/infancy): the infant must have basic needs met consistently in order to feel that the world is a trustworthy place 2 Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1-2 years old/toddlerhood): mobile toddlers have newfound freedom they like to exercise, and by being allowed to do so, they learn some basic independence 3 Initiative vs. Guilt (3-5 years old/early childhood): preschoolers like to initiate activities and emphasize doing things “all by myself” 4 Industry vs. inferiority (6-11 years old/middle childhood): school-aged children focus on accomplishments and begin making comparisons between themselves and their classmates 5 Identity vs. role confusion (adolescence): teenagers are trying to gain a sense of identity as they experiment with various roles, beliefs, and ideas 6 Intimacy vs. Isolation (young/early adulthood): in our 20s and 30s we are making some of our first long-term commitments in intimate relationships 7 Generativity vs. stagnation (middle adulthood): the 40s through the early 60s we focus on being productive at work and home and are motivated by wanting to feel that we’ve contributed to society 8 Integrity vs. Despair (late adulthood): we look back on our lives and hope to like what we see, that we have lived well and have a sense of integrity because we lived according to our beliefs.

What is human development?

As discussed in chapter one, human development describes the growth throughout their lifespan, from conception to death. Psychologists strive to understand and explain how and why people change throughout life.

What is developmental theory?

Developmental theories offer explanations about how we develop, why we change over time and the kinds of influences that impact development. A theory guides and helps us interpret research findings as well. It provides the researcher with a blueprint or model to be used to help piece together various studies.

How are theories developed?

Theories can be developed using induction in which several single cases are observed, and after patterns or similarities are noted, the theorist develops ideas based on these examples. Established theories are then tested through research; however, not all theories are equally suited to scientific investigation.

What are the two main questions that are at the heart of developmental theories?

At the heart of all of these developmental theories are two main questions: (1) How do nature and nurture interact in development? (2) Does development progress through qualitatively distinct stages? In the remainder of this chapter, we examine the answers that are emerging regarding these questions

What is the microsystem of a child?

The microsystem is a child's immediate surroundings. The idea of the microsystem is a part of the ecological systems theory, which says that a child's development is best understood by examining the context of the child's environmental influences. Developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner created this theory, ...

Who created the bioecological system theory?

Developmental psychologist Urie Bronfenbrenner created this theory, also referred to as the bioecological systems theory, in 1979. A child's immediate environment has a direct influence on the child's development. This includes the influence of family and peers. There are also indirect environmental influences, ...

How does the environment affect a child's development?

A child's immediate environment has a direct influence on the child's development. This includes the influence of family and peers. There are also indirect environmental influences, such as the culture in which the child lives, that influence how a child develops.

What are indirect environmental influences?

There are also indirect environmental influences, such as the culture in which the child lives, that influence how a child develops. A child's own biology also plays a role in the child's development. It is the interaction between these different environmental factors that determines how a child will develop. ...

How many environmental systems are there?

According to the ecological systems theory, there are five different environmental systems. Changes or problems in any one of the systems can cause changes in the others. The five environmental systems are microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem. This picture explains each of the five systems.

What does the blue circle represent?

The blue circle represents the exosystem, which are the environmental settings that indirectly affect the child. Neighbors and social services are examples of things in the environment that do not directly interact with the child, but nonetheless have an important influence on the child's development.

What is Bronfenbrenner's microsystem?

Bronfenbrenner's Microsystem. The institutions and settings in which a child personally interacts is known as the microsystem. There are several microsystems present for each child. Microsystems include the child's family, school, peers, and neighborhood.