Development

• Development 


  The process by which an organism (human or animal) grows and changes through its' life-span
• Continuous pattern of developmental stage


  The change that occurs at steady pace - may show a constant, consistent improvement or growth.
• Discontinuous pattern of developmental change


  Development occurs in stages - every age/stage is qualitatively different
• Asynchronous pattern of developmental change


  Skills may develop faster than others - onset of development may occur quicker.
• Normative age-graded (major influence on life-span development)


  Chronological association (e.g., puberty or starting school)
• Normative history graded (major influence on life-span development)


  Historical time association (famine, natural disaster, war or civil unrest, technological change).
• Non-normative life events (major influence on life-span development)


  Major event that can occur at any point in life-span (e.g., major accident, divorce, bereavement, job loss) - Neither chronological or historical association.
• Microsystem (systems of ecological model)


  Relations between the developing person and immediate environment (e.g., school, day-care centre, peers)
• Mesosystem (system of ecological model)


  A system of microsystems - they are linked amongst them and the individual participates directly
• Exosystem (system of ecological model)


  Settings in which the individual does not participate directly - however, it does have an effect on individual's development (e.g., extended family, mass media, workplace)
• Macrosystem (system of ecological model)


  The interactions between microsystems - e.g., when two microsystems interact.
• Chronosystem (system of ecological model)


  Changes in person or environment over time or their transitions - (e.g., starting school)