Dissanayake, E. (2017). Ethology, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Play: Insights into the Evolutionary Origin of the Arts. American Journal of Play, 9(2), 143-168.
This article journal explores the theory of evolution tenet of ethology. Ethology is the study of behavior based on social contexts and adaptive significance. According to the author (Dissanayake, 2017), the art of play among humans is a behavior that has been learned over the years to reduce the gestation periods. The interactions between the mothers and their infants are behavioral adaptions which can also be used to promote emotional bonding. Thus, better child care is a combination of biological influences, i.e., lactation as well as the ethological adaptation that produce feelings of intimacy and trust.
The theory of evolution in human development is essential in understanding the psychosocial behaviors of humans during human development. Human behavior keeps changing and understanding ethological behaviors helps provide social workers to have a clear view of behaviors contributing adaptive advantage among multicultural populations. For instance, an infant’s smile is an unlearned behavior that evokes a caregiving response; however, as the child grows, the smile may take up complex reactions as survival adaptations. In a multicultural setting, understanding human ethology through the evolutionary origin of arts plays an essential role in understanding the growing parent-child conflicts among teenagers in America.
Martin, M. J., Davies, P. T., " MacNeill, L. A. (2014). Social defense: An evolutionary-developmental model of children's strategies for coping with threat in the peer group. Evolutionary Psychology, 12(2).
This article journal explores the theory of evolution in human development through the tenant of evolutionary psychology. The author, (Martin, 2014), articulates that childhood development involves navigation through various issues such as conflict, competition and other dynamics with peer groups. To cope with these challenges, individuals often form social defenses through evolutionary developmental psychology. Evolutionary psychology involves the study of individual social behaviors and emotions as well as mental structures. Like the Darwinian theory of evolution where “only fittest survive,” the author suggests that children, through the ethological reformulation of emotional security form defense strategies to manage any antagonistic peer relations and threats.
Understanding behavioral change among peer groups is vital in social work. In a multicultural social setting, children behavior may be complicated. For instance, a social environment including Hispanic and children of color may lead the children to develop behavioral strategies to control specific peer threats. For example, it is common for children to portray fear and camouflaging behaviors as social defenses to peer threats. Other reactions may include initiation and maintenance of interpersonal ties to ensure affiliation to particular peer groups. Thus, understanding the t theory of evolution in human development offers a greater understanding of the behavioral changes among teenagers.
Bolhuis, J. J., Brown, G. R., Richardson, R. C., " Laland, K. N. (2011). Darwin in mind: New opportunities for evolutionary psychology. PLoS biology, 9(7).
This article explores the concepts of the theory of evolution and its implication for the study of human development. According to the report, the human mind is a composition of evolved mechanisms adapted to solve recurrent problems since the evolution of humankind. Just like the Darwinian theory of evolution, the theory of evolution in human development is influenced by issues such as the environment of evolutionary adaptedness, gradualism such as gene complexes, massive modality and the universal nature of humans (Bolhuis, 2011). However, the authors of this article argue that, despite the widely held assumption of change of human behavior to adapt to new environments, there is a likelihood that human behavior is predicted to solve self-imposed challenges.
Evolutionary psychology explains the origins of particular social behaviors, as well as emotions. This theory is therefore essential in social work and especially when working with a multicultural client base. For instance, evolutionary psychology can be used to assess client behavior, i.e., by asking questions that recognize the nature of the problem, and what is necessary to achieve a particular goal. Human beings face similar challenges; thus, the study of evolutionary psychology would hold the key to modern social problems especially those faced by gay/lesbian couples.
Pollet, T. V., " Hoben, A. D. (2011). An evolutionary perspective on siblings: Rivals and resources. The Oxford handbook of evolutionary family psychology, 128-148.
This article focuses on the theory of evolution tenet of evolutionary psychology emphasizing sibling relationships. According to the author (Pollet, 2011), siblings psychologically adapt to either become essential resources or rivals. Humans, through evolutionary survival technique monitor social connections, to determine whether they are potential sources of threat or potential for mutualism bond. Under the sibling relationship perspective, the article explorers’ various factors influencing sibling relationships, i.e., gender, birth order, and sexual values.
The issues of sibling rivalry have severe implications for human development and thus crucial in the social work profession. Using the psychosocial approach, siblings undergo various struggles and encounter multiple demands from the environment to develop into adulthood. In the modern multicultural society, siblings are more likely to view each other as competitors for family resources. For instance, siblings whose birth spacing in close are more likely be rivals -and these may extend into adulthood, however, this might not necessarily be the case if the siblings have bonding values.
Germine, L. T., Duchaine, B., " Nakayama, K. (2011). Where cognitive development and aging meet: Face learning ability peaks after age 30. Cognition, 118(2), 201-210.
This article focuses on the cognitive developmental theory. The cognitive developmental theory studies the ability to know and developing logic as well as the art of problem solving. Based on the Piaget's argument, there are various stages of development where cognitive development occurs, i.e., sensorimotor which is between 18-24 months, preoperational which goes up to early childhood, the concrete operational stage which is between ages 7 and 12 years and formal operational phase which starts from the adolescent stage through to adulthood. According to the article’s author, (Germine, 2011), the ability to recognize and remember faces peaks the ages between 30 and 34 years.
Understanding Piaget's theory on the stages of cognitive development is critical in social work, and it helps better understand the development level of individuals at each step. This article, however, also gives more insights into the cognitive stages, i.e., while Piaget considers the formal operational stage (ages 11 to 20 years) as the final stage in cognitive development, it is important to note that cognitive mental abilities extend to above 30 years of age. Understanding the development of cognitive skills in aging individuals is essential in handling the aging populations among the multicultural population settings.
Vetter, N. C., Leipold, K., Kliegel, M., Phillips, L. H., " Altgassen, M. (2013). Ongoing development of social cognition in adolescence. Child Neuropsychology, 19(6), 615-629.
This article focuses on the ability of social cognition during the adolescent stage. Based on the Piaget's stages of development, the formal operational phase involves children at the teenage stage and who often become adult-like with logical thinking on everything. In this article, the author (Vetter, 2013), articulates that while their age may be a determining factor in controlling basic cognitive abilities, development of social cognition abilities is independent of age and individual difference in basic cognitive skills.
The article thus reaffirms Piaget's theory of psychosocial implications on human development. Social workers in multicultural social setting need to understand the “the social brain” of adolescents as it has an ongoing development independent of basic cognitive abilities of the individuals. For instance, personal perception often dramatically influences adolescent’s relationships with others.
Poehner, M. E., " Infante, P. (2017). Mediated development: A Vygotskian approach to transforming second language learner abilities. TESOL Quarterly, 51(2), 332-357.
This article expands on the cognitive development theory through the Vygotsky’s concept of culture as a mediator of cognitive structure to help transform second language learners’ abilities. Based on the Vygotskian notion, elements of culture are essential in enhancing cognition. Similarly, the author, (Poehner, 2017), proposes the use of mediated development where there is an increased mediator -learner interaction as opposed to assessment of capabilities. Like the cultural elements suggested by Vygotsky to help in mediated development, i.e., cell phones and cars to reduce mobility, the academic program can use mediator -leaner interactions to teach English as the second language.
In a multicultural social setting in the US for instance, there is the problem of teaching second language learners among school children. Individuals often think based on the location and manner of communication. Mediator -leaner discussions will help reduce the gap between the learner and teachers ensuring better interpersonal communications. Understanding how to align cognitive thinking of the students is vital in ensuring educational success.
Jurk, S., Mennigen, E., Goschke, T., " Smolka, M. N. (2018). Low‐level alcohol consumption during adolescence and its impact on cognitive control development. Addiction biology, 23(1), 313-326.
This article focuses on the ability of cognitive control development during adolescence. Based on the cognitive stages of development by Piaget, the formal operational thought stage involves the development of cognitive control that influences behavior. However, binge drinking has the effect of impairing cognitive control among adolescents. Alcohol consumption is often started during the adolescent stage; this article focuses on the impact of low-level alcohol consumption on cognitive development control development. According to the author, (Jurk, 2018), the development of cognitive controls s not tied to alcohol consumption levels among adolescents. For instance, cognitive control abilities increase with age. Even so, reduced levels of alcohol consumption during adolescence does not impair the development of cognitive control abilities.
Understanding the implications of alcohol consumption on cognitive control development among the youth is vital in social work. The problem of addiction among adolescents is of great concern, especially among multicultural populations. Previous research indicates low cognitive control predicts probabilities of future alcohol use. Increased use of alcohol during adolescent has the effect of impairing the cognitive controls of switching between task sets as well as pre-potent responses. Understanding the influence of alcohol among adolescents will also help in developing solutions for alcohol addiction individuals.
References
Bolhuis, J. J., Brown, G. R., Richardson, R. C., " Laland, K. N. (2011). Darwin in mind: New opportunities for evolutionary psychology. PLoS biology, 9(7).
Dissanayake, E. (2017). Ethology, Interpersonal Neurobiology, and Play: Insights into the Evolutionary Origin of the Arts. American Journal of Play, 9(2), 143-168.
Germine, L. T., Duchaine, B., " Nakayama, K. (2011). Where cognitive development and aging meet: Face learning ability peaks after age 30. Cognition, 118(2), 201-210.
Jurk, S., Mennigen, E., Goschke, T., " Smolka, M. N. (2018). Low‐level alcohol consumption during adolescence and its impact on cognitive control development. Addiction biology, 23(1), 313-326.
Martin, M. J., Davies, P. T., " MacNeill, L. A. (2014). Social defense: An evolutionary-developmental model of children's strategies for coping with threat in the peer group. Evolutionary Psychology, 12(2).
Poehner, M. E., " Infante, P. (2017). Mediated development: A Vygotskian approach to transforming second language learner abilities. TESOL Quarterly, 51(2), 332-357.
Pollet, T. V., " Hoben, A. D. (2011). An evolutionary perspective on siblings: Rivals and resources. The Oxford handbook of evolutionary family psychology, 128-148.
Vetter, N. C., Leipold, K., Kliegel, M., Phillips, L. H., " Altgassen, M. (2013). Ongoing development of social cognition in adolescence. Child Neuropsychology, 19(6), 615-629.
