Child Development Theorists: Freud to Erikson to Spock…and Beyond

Child Development Theorists takes viewers on a whirlwind 100-year-plus overview of men and women behind major theories relating to child psychology and development. Beginning with Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of the id, ego, and super-ego, the program introduces its subjects in chronological order, nicely illustrating concepts with visual examples filmed in daycares, kindergartens, and in the home. Fifteen theorists are profiled altogether, ranging from key figures such as Maria Montessori, B.F. Skinner, and Benjamin Spock, to lesser-known social scientists such as Lev Vygotsky or Lawrence Kohlberg, along the way exploring the origins and meanings of phrases such as “identity crisis” (Erik Erikson) or “hierarchy of needs” (Abraham Maslow). A fine introduction to the principal ideas regarding child development, this is recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (E. Gieschen)