Evaluate Symbolic Convergence Theory, Functional Theory, and Family Communication Patterns

question 13

Essay

Evaluate symbolic convergence theory, functional theory, and family communication patterns theory using the four criteria for evaluating good theories: scope, verifiability, heuristic value, and parsimony. Construct an argument for your assessment of each theory using evidence from the text or from other sources you may know.

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Definitions:

Symbolic Thought

A major accomplishment of preoperational intelligence that allows a child to think symbolically, including understanding that words can refer to things not seen and that an item, such as a flag, can symbolize something else (in this case, a country).

Language Development

The process by which individuals acquire the capacity to perceive, produce, and use words to understand and communicate.

Hemisphere

Half of a spherical or roughly spherical body, especially one of the halves into which the earth or brain is divided.

Brain Weight

The mass of the brain, which can vary depending on age, sex, and size of the individual, and is a factor sometimes considered in neuroscientific research.