Modern-Day Applications

Developmental theory has been important in virtually every branch of medicine
and education. The psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud were
the foundation of psychiatry and still form a central core for much of modern
psychiatric practice. These theories are less emphasized in modern clinical
psychology, but the work of Freud, Erikson, Jung, and later psychodynamicists
is still employed in many areas of psychotherapy.
The behavioristic theories have proved useful in the study of children’s
learning for educational purposes, and they have considerable relevance for
social development. An example is seen in the area of media violence.
Bandura’s work and other research stemming from social learning theory
has repeatedly demonstrated that children tend to imitate violent acts that
they see in real life or depicted on television and in other media, particularly
if the individuals who commit these acts are perceived as powerful or as rewarded
for their actions. Although this is disputed, especially by the media,
most authorities are in agreement that excessive exposure to televised violence
leads to real-world violence, largely through the mechanisms described
by social learning theorists. Social learning theory has contributed
significantly to an understanding of such topics as school violence, gang violence,
and violent crime.