Pshological Assesment

What theories can you apply to Julie? What conclusions can you make about Julie? What suggestions do you have for helping her?

In the scenario given about Julie many of the theories we have studied in class can be applied to the young girl and her problems. To start out, I would use Piaget's cognitive development theory to access exactly what stage she is in. Since Julie is ten years old, you would assume that she is in Piaget's concrete operational stage. This stage is characterized by the ability to think about concrete objects. By knowing this, you would be able to assume that Julie should be able to think and solve problems in a concrete area. This means that she should be able to solve basic problems. If she cannot, then something major is going on. Julie is able to solve problems according to the scenario; so therefore, she is doing some of the things she should be able to do.

The next theory that I believe could apply to Julie is Vygotsky's sociocultural view of development. This theory emphasizes the crucial influence that social interactions and language have on cognitive development. This could explain why the kids in her class make fun of her and her speech. If Julie has not had good social interaction with her peers, this could explain why she is shy in class and her speech is not as developed as it should be.

Gardner's theory of multiple intelligence could apply to Julie as well. Gardner's theory states that there are eight different types of intelligence. In this theory someone can have great intelligence in one area, but may be challenged in another. This could help explain why Julie exhibits remarkable resilience and insight in problem solving, but has trouble in other areas.

Another important aspect that we studied in class that could be of help to Julie is the effect of economical status on learning. The combination of income, occupation, and level of education that describes a family can have a great influence on a child. Students who have parents in the lower end of this spectrum, may have a hard time in school. This may also help to explain why Julie dresses the way she does and also why she has a hard time in some levels of school.

Another important aspect of psychology to keep in mind when thinking about Julie is the effect of culture. Culture has a great influence on school success through attitudes, values, and ways of viewing