Developmental Psychology

• What is Developmental Psychology about?

  "The science of human development seeks to understand how + why (all kinds) people change and remain the same over time." 

• What kinds of development are we interested in?

  Physical (neural), cognitive (intellectual), social (emotional)
• Define 'interdependent domains'

  Where changes in one development is likely to cause change in others.
• Developmental issues and methods:

  1. Nature and nurture
  2. Sensitive and critical periods

  3. Stability and change
  4. Continuity and discontinuity
  5. Normative vs non-normative events
• • Piaget's Stage Model
  • Children's thinking changes qualitatively w/ age:

  
  

  • Schemas - organised patterns of thoughts + action
  • Schemas -> we receive new schemas + existing schemas become more complex

  
  

  • Assimilation - process where new exps are fit into existing schemas

  
  

  • Accommodation - process where new exps cause existing schemas to change

  
  

  • Disequilibrium - an imbalance between existing schemas + new exps
  • Disequilibrium -> confusion, frustration
• Piaget: Constructivism

   

  By engaging w/ the world -> children come to construct schemas (mental representations) -> help us understand how the world works

  
• Vygotsky: Development through social interaction

  • The importance of social interaction in development
  • Importance of learning from contact w/ others
  • Learning 'scripts' for activities in the world
• What is Psychology?

  = "the study of mind, behaviour, + the relationship between them"
• Goals of Psychology

  • Describe "behaviour" - what, where, when it happens
  • Explain "" - why it happens
  • Predict '' - what will happen next
  • e.g. why do children cry? - get hurt
  • Change '' - individuals, groups, society