Strengths and Weaknesses of Various Perspectives

 Psychoanalytic
Strengths
- history of individual important
- personality (& its development) is important
- mental representations (vs. 'reality')
- unconscious mind recognized
Weaknesses
- difficult (impossible?) to test
- post hoc (past is reconstructed)
- clinician subjectivity
- sexuality overemphasized
- unconscious mind

 Cognitive
Strengths
- importance conscious thought
- child's mind becomes 'interesting'
- precise methods and experiments (IP)
Weaknesses
- stages not clearly defined
- concepts not clearly defined
- underestimate experience

Behavioral/Social Learning
Strengths
- connects specific behaviour with environmental stimuli
- rigorous experimental approach
- context important
- cognition important (SL)
Weaknesses
- not chronological
- downplays cognition (not SL)
- biological/ecological factors ignored
- too reductionistic

Sociocultural
Strengths
- the role of cultural context is given a prominent role
- concept of guided participation has been useful (Z.P.D.)
Weaknesses
- overlooks non-social aspects of development
- especially downplays the role of biological factors (e.g., maturation)

The moral of this story? Take an eclectic view.