A theory is one's belief about how and why things are the way they are. It is the explanation of how the world we live in is what it is. Psychologically speaking, theories within Psychology will explain why people who what they do and what they say. A lot of research that is done in Psychology is done to test a theory (Walden University, LLC). With deductive theories, research is based on the theory or belief and the research comes after to prove the theory right or wrong. Most research is quantitative. With inductive theories, the research happens first and then the researcher beings to find patterns to formulate a theory. This type of research is qualitative and is derived from observation and interviewing. This type of theory is the start of finding new theories. Mixed methods theory is a combination of both deductive and inductive theories.

A theory that is in Cognitive Psychology that interests me is Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development. This is a developmental construct that believes that childhood functioning and development changes improve as they grow, and they get more intelligent over time. The stages each later a few years and in each stage, they are learning more. To answer the question the following question posed by Drs. Burkholder and Burbank in last week's reading: "What do I have to believe about the world and about human beings inorder for me to accept or use this theory?" (p. 27). I would say that for this to be true, the world would have to be a perfect and loving place. What I mean by this is that we must think about what environments are these babies and children being raised in. I can say that in a loving, stable household with appropriate caregivers than that this theory is probably going to be accurate for most children. However, for those that are raised in a hectic household, with domestic violence, abuse or drug use, then they might develop on that same track as a child being raised in a non-chaotic household. Another example of when I think that this would not be accurate is when a child is born with a physical or mental disability.

Respond supporting response or respectfully offering a differing perspective with scholarly reference