Chapter 1-DP

• Human Development


  Refers to the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of a person throughout his/her lifespan
• Research findings in human development often have applications to education and social policy
• Life Span Development


  A concept of human development as a life-long process which can be studied scientifically
• Life Span Development comprises the entire life span from conception to death, from "womb to tomb"
• Events such as the timing of parenthood, maternal employment, and marital satisfaction are now studied as part of developmental psychology
• Goals of Studying Human Development


  • To describe, explain, predict, and intervene
  • Describe the typical pattern of development
  • Explain why a child has delayed language acquisition
  • Predict the likelihood that the child will develop speech problems
  • Intervene by giving speech therapy
• Domains of Development

  • Physical Development
  • Cognitive Development
  • Psychosocial Development
• Domains of Development

  • Physical Development - growth of the body and brain, sensory capacities, motor skills, and health
  • Cognitive Development - learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity
  • Psychosocial Development - emotions, personality, and social relationships
• These domains of development are intricately interconnected
• Periods of the Life Span

  1. Division of the life span into periods is a social construction

  2. A concept or practice that is an invention of a particular culture or society
• Life Span Developmentalist

  • First Age - Childhood to adolescence
  • Second Age - Prime adulthood, 20s through 50s
  • Third Age - 60s to 79 years old
  • Fourth Age - 80 years old up to death
• Key aspect in the study of life-span development

  How development in one period is connected to development in another period
• Influences in Development

  • Nature vs Nurture
  • Stability vs Change
  • Continuity vs Discontinuity
• Nature vs Nurture

  • Heredity - inborn traits and characteristics provided by a child's biological parents
  • Environment - influences stem from outside the body, starting at conception with the prenatal environment in the womb and continuing throughout life
  • Epigenetics - the tendency of our genes to "change" as we develop or due to the influence of the environment
• Stability vs Change


  Involves the degree to which early traits and characteristics persist through life or change
• Stability vs. Change

  Many developmentalists argue that stability in development is the result of heredity and possibly early experiences in life
• Continuity vs Discontinuity


  Focuses on the degree to which development involves either gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages (discontinuity)
• Nature and nurture, stability and change, continuity and discontinuity characterize development throughout the human life span
• Maturation


  The unfolding of a natural sequence of physical changes and behavior patterns
• As children grow into adolescents and then into adults, individual differences in innate characteristics and life experiences play a greater role
• Throughout life, maturation continues to influence certain biological processes such as brain development
• All people undergo rates and timing of development vary
• Human Development

  •Refers to the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of a person throughout his/her lifespan.

  •Research findings often have applications to education and social policy.
• Human Development

  Refers to the physical, cognitive and psychosocial development of a person throughout his/her lifespan
• Research findings often have applications to education and social policy
• Life Span Development


  • Concept of human development as a life-long process which can be studied scientifically
  • Comprises the entire life span from conception to death
  • Events such as the timing of parenthood, maternal employment and marital satisfaction are now also studied as part of developmental psychology
• Domains of Development

  • Physical Development
  • Cognitive Development
  • Psychosocial Development
• Domains of development are intricately interconnected
• Periods of the Life Span

  • First Age – Childhood to adolescence
  • Second Age – Prime adulthood, 20s through 50s
  • Third Age – 60s to 79 years old
  • Fourth Age – 80 years old up to death
• Key aspect in the study of life-span development

  How development in one period is connected to development in another period
• Nature vs Nurture

  • Heredity - genetic traits provided by biological parents
  • Environment - influences from outside the body, starting at conception and continuing throughout life
  • Epigenetics - tendency of genes to change due to the influence of the environment
• Stability vs Change

  • Stability-change issue - degree to which early traits persist or change
  • Stability in development is influenced by heredity and early experiences
• Continuity vs Discontinuity

  • Continuity-discontinuity issue - degree to which development involves gradual change or distinct stages
  • Continuity - gradual, continues
  • Discontinuity - distinct stages
• Most developmentalists do not take extreme positions on these important issues
• Maturation


  • Unfolding of a natural sequence of physical changes and behavior patterns
  • Individual differences in innate characteristics and life experiences play a role
  • Maturation continues to influence certain biological processes such as brain development
  • Rates and timing of development vary
• From “womb to tomb” comprising the entire life span from conception to death.
• Maturation

  •The unfolding of a natural sequence of physical changes and behavior patterns.

  •As children grow into adolescents and then into adults, individual differences in innate characteristics and life experiences play a greater role.

  •Throughout life, however, maturation continues to influence certain biological processes such as brain development.

  •All people undergo rates and timing of development vary
• Prenatal Period

  (conception to

  birth)
• Infancy and

  Toddlerhood

  (birth to age 3)
• Early Childhood

  (ages 3 to 6)