Developmental Psychology

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Developmental Psychology

• The Life-Span Perspective
• The Nature of Development
• Theories of Development Differ

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Main Ideas/Terms/Concepts

• The Life Span Perspective
• Different Theories about development
• What is Development?
• Historical and contemporary ideas/focus
• Controversial Issues
• Continuity-discontinuity
• Nature - Nurture Debate
• Stability or Change

• Characteristics of the Life Span Perspective
• Lifelong
• Contextual
• Multidisciplinary
• Individualistic
• Multidimensional
• Multidirectional
• Plastic

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Development

• the pattern of movement or change that begins at
  conception and continues to death.

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Traditionally, the study of Human Development
focused on Childhood and Adolescence.Our Ideas
of childhood were different than today.
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The Nature of Children Contemporary Views

• Children are not Little Adults
• Childhood is a unique time of life..special time
  of growth and change
• Developmental Milestones...
• Lays a foundation for adult years.

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Characteristics of the Life-Span Perspective

• Lifelong
• Multidimensional
• Multidirectional
• Plastic

• Contextual
• Multidisciplinary
• Individualistic

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Development is a Lifelong Process

• We dont stop developing when we reach adulthood.
• Growth and change continues up to deathbeyond
  perhaps?

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Another Way of Thinking About Development

• Development the growth and decline in skills
  and processes across the life span.

Growth, Maintenance, Regulation
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Traditionally Believed

• Most of human development happened by the end of
  adolescence
• Adulthood development only recently studied
• Few changes occur in adulthood

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Changes during childhood and adolescence are very
obvious and dramatic. But what about changes
during adulthood?What are three developmental
changes you can think of that adults experience?
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Changes Experienced During Adulthood

• Menopause
• Cognitive abilities
• Sleep patterns
• Rates of Metabolism
• Energy levels
• Physical changes (hair loss, muscle tone)

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Periods of Life Long Development
The Nature of Development

• Prenatal Period
• Conception to birth
• Infancy
• 0 - 2
• Early childhood
• 2 5 yrs
• Middle and late childhood
• 6 11 yrs

• Adolescence
• 10/12 18/21
• Early adulthood
• 20s and 30s
• Middle adulthood
• 35 60s
• Late adulthood
• 60 and beyond

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Periods of Development
The Nature of Development

• Involves growth and decline
• Multi-directional
• Each period of the life span has its own
  stresses, ups and downs, and concerns.
• Older adults have different views than children
  or adolescents.
• How does satisfaction in life relate to age?

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During Which Developmental Stage Do You will Be
the Most Happy? Why?
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Research Findings Similar Levels of Life
Satisfaction Across the Life Span

• Different age groups report the same levels of
  life satisfaction - 78 satisfied
• Each stage has challenges and benefits!

The Balancing Act Persists
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Age and Happiness
The Nature of Development
Fig. 1.6
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Moving OnMain Ideas/Terms/Concepts

• Characteristics of the Life Span Perspective
• Lifelong
• Contextual
• Multidisciplinary
• Individualistic
• Multidimensional
• Multidirectional
• Plastic
• Controversial Issues
• Continuity-discontinuity
• Nature - Nurture Debate
• Stability or Change

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B. Development isMultidimensional

• Development is a Product of many Processes
• Biological Dimension
• Cognitive Dimension
• Social/Emotional Dimension

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1. Biological Processes of Development

• Changes in the individuals physical nature.
• Examples include genes, brain development,
  height, weight, motor skills, puberty, menopause
  etc.

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2. Cognitive Processes of Development

• Changes in the individuals thinking,
  intelligence, and language.

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3. Social/Emotional Processes of Development

• Involves change in the individuals relationships
  with other people, changes in emotions, and
  changes in personality.
• Examples include your changing relationship
  with your parents, siblings, friends, world view
  due to life events.

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Although Well Study These Dimensions Separately
they are Very Much Integrated Processes
Processes in Development
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C. Development is Contextual
Normative History Graded Influences
Normative Age-Graded Influences
Non-normative Life Events
Development is embedded in many
experiences/contexts
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C. Development is Contextual ...Time period you
grew up, unique things that happen to you, age
related events...
1. Normative Age-Graded
2. History-Graded
3. Nonnormative life events
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D. Development is Plastic
A. Lifelong
B. Multidimensional
C. Contextual
D. Plastic
E. Multidirectional
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The Plasticity of Development

• The potential for change
• Someone who goes blind may develop better hearing
  as a result.

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E. Finally, Development is Multidirectional

• Growth in some areas, decline in others
  simultaneously
• Example the capacity of acquiring second and
  third languages decreases after early childhood,
  while experiential wisdom increases with age.

Development involves both Growth and decline.
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Contemporary and Historic Controversial issues
in the Field...

• Continuity-discontinuity
• Nature - Nurture Debate
• Stability or Change

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A. Continuity-Discontinuity Issue

• Whether development involves gradual, cumulative
  change (continuity) or distinct stages
  (discontinuity).
• Baby learning to talk

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Continuity and Discontinuity in Development
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B. Stability and Change Issue

• Is who we are as children a forecast for who we
  will be as adults?
• How much do early life experiences
  determineinfluence our trajectory for later
  life?

Million dollar question for many
Developmental Psychologists, Social Workers,
Teachers, etc.
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C. Nature-Nurture Issue

• Is development primarily influenced by nature or
  nurture?

Heredity
Environment
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Century Old Debate Nurture or Nature?

• We are Influenced by the social context in which
  we are raised.

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• Different Theoretical Approaches to Human
  Development

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What are the Developmental Theories in Psychology?

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Developmental Theories
Grand Theories

• Psychoanalytic Theorists
• Sigmund Freud
• Erik Erikson
• Cognitive Theorists
• Jean Piaget
• Lev Vygotsky
• Behavioral (learning) and Social Cognitive
  Theorists
• Ivan Pavlov
• John B. Watson
• B.F. Skinner
• Albert Bandura

• Ethological Theorists
• Konrad Lorenz
• John Bowlby
• Ecological Theorists
• Urie Bronfenbrenner
• Eclectic Approach

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Psychoanalytic Theories

• Sigmund Freud Erik Erikson (neo-Freudian)
• A theory of human development that holds that
  irrational, unconscious drives and motives, many
  of which originate in childhood, underlie human
  behavior.
• Focus primarily on socioemotional processes

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Behavioral (Learning) and Social Cognitive
Theories

• Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, B.F. Skinner and
  Albert Bandura
• Theories which explain human development in terms
  of the behaviors learned through interactions
  with the environment.
• Social Cognitive Theories behavior, environment
  and person/cognitive factors are important in
  understanding development.

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Cognitive Theories

• Jean Piaget Lev Vygotsky
• A Theoretical school of thought which emphasizes
  thinking, reasoning, language and other cognitive
  processes.
• Focuses on the structure and development of
  thought processes and how we come to understand
  the world.

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Eclectic Approach

• The approach that emphasizes relying on several
  sources rather than a single perspective or
  school of thought to best understand human
  behavior
• Most common approach to practicing psychology
  today

Psychoanalysis
behaviorism
Eclectic approach
cognitive
biological