Introduction to Unit 02

• Human development


  The process of growth and change that takes place between birth and maturity [until death]
• Developmental psychology


  The scientific study of age-related changes throughout the human lifespan
• Developmental psychology examines how and why people change over time and how and why people are both unique and similar to each other
• Developmental psychology is a multidisciplinary science based on theories and research
• Developmental psychology


  Recognizes humans of all societies and cultures as beings who are "in process," or constantly growing and changing
• Developmental norm


  A standard based upon the average abilities or performances of children of a specified age
• Norms


  Averages of growth, development, work rate, or various other abilities observed across populations
• History of developmental psychology

  1. Ancient times to the Middle Ages - children seen as inherently evil, harsh discipline

  2. Modern viewpoints - John Locke (tabula rasa), Jean-Jaques Rousseau (children inherently good, society bad) but still seen as "little adults"

  3. 1800s (industrial revolution) - different stages of development by age

  4. Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget - early focus on child development

  5. 1950s - Stanley Hall said there is a stage between childhood and adulthood called adolescence

  6. Last 25 years - expanded focus to include all stages of the life span
• Assumptions within developmental psychology

  • Development is lifelong
  • Development is Multidimensional
  • Development is Multidirectional
  • Development is Fluid
  • Development is Embedded in History
  • Development is Multidisciplinary
  • Development is Contextual
• Life-span perspective


  An approach to human development that examines changes at all ages, through adolescence and adulthood, to late adulthood, up until death
• Many earlier approaches prioritized the first six years of life as a blueprint, but most contemporary approaches examine the entire life-span
• Stability versus Change


  Earlier theory supposed personality was shaped in early childhood and remained the same, but now children are seen as active in influencing environmental factors
• Nature versus Nurture


  • Heredity - inborn characteristics inherited from parents
  • Nativism - characteristics/abilities determined by inborn/genetic factors
  • Environmental determinism - environmental factors exert the greatest influence
• Continuity versus Discontinuity


  Does development follow a gradual, cumulative pattern or take place in clearly differentiated stages?
• Quantitative changes


  Changes in degree or amount, e.g. changes in height or weight
• Qualitative changes


  Changes in kind, structure, or organization that make a fundamental difference, e.g. preverbal infant vs toddler who can speak
• Phylogeny


  Application of developmental psychology to understanding development of a wider group or 'species'
• Ontogeny


  Application of developmental psychology to understanding individual development of a specific child or person
• Critical period


  A specific time during development when an event has its greatest effect
• Readiness


  The point at which an individual can benefit from a particular learning experience
• Normative influences


  Events that occur in a similar manner for most people in a given group, e.g. puberty or menopause
• Non-normative influences


  Unusual events that have a significant impact on an individual's life
• The biopsychosocial model/framework examines the interaction of biological, psychological, and social aspects of developmental psychology
• Contexts for development


  • Biological
  • Social
  • Cultural
  • Historical
  • Economic
  • Intellectual
• Developmental psychology has been criticized as a means of social regulation and control, having 'normalizing' effects, 'colonialism' of normalization, 'blameworthy mother', and an isolated focus on the individual child
• Psychoanalytic approaches


  Observe the significance of childhood in the development of personality, seeing it as a vulnerable and formative period
• Cognitive development


  The processes involved in acquiring, organizing, manipulating, and using knowledge
• Developmental psychology is primarily concerned with the description and explanation of changes that occur in psychological processes at any point in the lifespan
• Several perspectives of developmental psychology

  • Lifelong
  • Multidirectional
  • Multicultural
  • Multidisciplinary
  • Plasticity
  • Multi-contextual
• Development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation of loss
• Development is a co-construction of biology, culture, and the individual
• Biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes


  • Biological - changes in physical nature
  • Cognitive - changes in thought, intelligence, language
  • Socioemotional - changes in relationships, emotions, personality
• Developmental stages


  • Prenatal (conception to birth)
  • Infancy (birth to 18 months)
  • Early Childhood (18 months to 6 years)
  • Middle Childhood (6 to 11 years)
  • Adolescence (11 to 20 years)
  • Early Adulthood (20 to 40 years)
  • Middle Adulthood (40 to 65 years)
  • Late Adulthood (65+ years)
• The life-span perspective views development as lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involving growth, maintenance, and regulation; and constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors
• Studying lifespan development is important for understanding ourselves, how we came to be, and where our future will take us
• Factors affecting development


  • Internal factors - unique to the individual
  • External factors - environmental influences
• Life-span perspective


  Development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual; involves growth, maintenance, and regulation; and is constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together
• The life-span perspective is important because everyone, especially parents and teachers, deal with children in their everyday life
• Life expectancy


  The average time that a human being is expected to live, based on his or her birth year, current age, and other demographic factors such as gender and country of birth
• Factors affecting development


  • Internal factors (genetics, physical maturation, cognition)
  • External factors (socioeconomic status, availability of resources, social influences)