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James Mccann: Urie Bronfenbrenner Ecological Systems Theory

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James McCann, a three year old boy from Connecticut, loves hockey. Which, to his family, does not come as a surprise. Following in the footsteps of both his parents and sister, his feet are already hitting the ice. But, although genetically predisposed to be an athlete, that is not the only reason why James has a desire to play hockey.
Most three year olds, as they begin to encounter the world, are trying to get their footing right on the ground. This, however, is not the case for James. Taking ice skating lessons has become a top priority for him. In order for him to learn how to skate and be the best ice skater he can starts at the simplest level. Urie Bronfenbrenner ecological systems theory explains how it is not just the child's biology …show more content…

Arguably, James biology is often associated with the most inner circle of Bronfenbrenner's ecological system (Fabes & Martin, 2009). If James had only one leg, or had some sort of disability, his ability to play hockey at such a young age would be greatly affected. James’ only health concern was that he has two separate benign heart murmurs. Although this is something that can be problematic, in the case of James it does not stop him at all. If James’ personal genetic makeup were altered in any form, his ability to play hockey could have been greatly impacted even if none of the systems were …show more content…

His potty training, like most children, was heavily a result of operant conditioning. B. F. Skinner “believed that learning could be broken down into smaller tasks, and that offering immediate rewards for accomplishments would stimulate further learning” (Fabes & Martin, 2009). Kiddo (2012) discusses how operant conditioning can be both positive and negative in the case of potty training. For example, if children were to use the toilet they would get positive reinforcement, like toys or candy. But, if they were to have an accident there would be negative reinforcement, like lack of toys or no dessert. Kiddo (2012) further discussed that in order for the child to be successfully potty trained s/he needed to show signs of readiness. In the case of James, positive reinforcement was used. Everytime he went to the bathroom he received two pieces of candy. James, who had been fully potty trained by the age of two and a ½ is still receiving the positive reinforcement at the age of

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