DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF GHANA PSCY 335: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 1: CONCEPTION TO ADOLESCENCE LECTURER URER: Dr. Joana Salifu Yendork
Definitions, Nature/characteristics of development, Domains of human development, Stages of life span The concept of age Themes/controversies/issues Research methods Ethical issues in research
Development: systemat ematic continui nuiti ties es and changes nges in the individual that occur between conception and death (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010, 2014). Systematic: changes are orderly, patterned, and relatively enduring Continuities: ways in which individuals remain the same or continue to reflect our past Development: pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the life span (Santrock, 2011)
Branch of psychology devoted to identifying and explaining the continuities and changes that individuals display over time (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010, 2014). Branch of psychology devoted to studying pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the life span (Santrock, 2011)
Development is lifelong Development is multidimensional Development is multidirectional Development is a holistic process Development is Plastic Development is Contextual The study of development is multidisciplinary
Development is lifelong spanning from conception to death. Development is a continual process such that the path of developmental changes stretch ever onward until we die. Changes are cumulative: such that changes that occur at each stage of life can have significant implications for the future.
Development is multidimens ensiona ional occurring across many dimensions/domains Biological processes: changes in the physiology. Eg., genes from parents, brain development, height and weight gain, hormonal changes in adolescents. Cognitive processes: changes in thinking, intelligence and language Social and emotional processes: changes in relationship with others, emotions and personality. Eg . Infant’s smile in response to cuddling, toddler’s aggressive behaviours towards a playmate. Component within dimensions. E.g, attention, memory, abstract thinking as component of cognitive development.
Development is multidirecti irectional onal: Throughout life, some dimensions or components of a dimension expand and others shrink. Eg, when one language (such as English) is acquired early in development, the capacity for acquiring second and third languages (such as Spanish and Chinese) decreases later in development, especially after early childhood.
Deve velopmen opment is a holistic istic process cess: formally developmentalists; those who studied physical only , cognitive only and psychosocial development Presently: a unified view that emphasizes the important interrelationships among domains of development Development can’t be pieced out but viewed as a holistic process encompassing cognitive, physical and psychosocial aspects and each aspect impact on the other E.g., Popularity with peers: age of puberty + social skills + intellectual abilities
Devel elopment pment is is pla lastic ic: capacity for change during different stages of life and in response to positive or negative life experiences. The course of development can change abruptly if important aspects of one’s life change . Devel elopment pment is is contextual tual: the context influence development Context include cultural, social, geographical and historical
Th The study y of development opment is multidis idiscipli ciplina nary ry: to understand development, information is integrated from different disciplines such as biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and medicine.
Chro ronol nologi ogical cal age ge: number of years since birth Bi Biologi gical cal age ge: describes biological health and functional capacity of vital organs, such as heart, lungs, kidneys, circulatory system Ps Psycho ychologic ogical al age ge: measure of adaptive capacities, including ability to learn, establish and maintain motivation, be flexible and think clearly
Prenatal development: conception to birth. A point where single cell develop into a complete organism with complex brain and nervous system Infancy: birth to 18-24 months. extremely dependent on adult and other older individuals. Psychological activities begin
Early childhood: 2 to 5/6 years/preschool years. Become more self-sufficient, learn school readiness skills such as following instructions and recognizing letters and colours Middle and late childhood: 6 to 11/12 years/Elementary school years. Master skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, achievement is central theme and person shows increasing self- control Adolescence: 10-12 to 18-22 years/transition from childhood to early adulthood. Begins with rapid physical changes, characteristic of puberty, major goals of becoming independence and developing an individual identity. Think more logical and abstract
Early adulthood: from late teens through 30 years. Establish personal, social, emotional and economic independence, beginning career development, select life partner, start family and child rearing Middle adulthood: from early 40s until around age 60. Expands personal and social involvement and responsibility, assist next generation and reach and maintain career satisfaction Late adulthood: from 60s and 70s until death. Time to review and reflect, retirement and adjusting to decreasing strength and health, longest span of any developmental period
Give me a dozen healthy infants, well formed, and my own specified world to bring them up in and I’ll guarantee to take any one at random and train him to become any type of specialist I might select — doctor, lawyer, artist, merchant, chief, and yes, even beggar-man and thief, regardless of his talents, penchants, tendencies, abilities, vocations, and race of his ancestors. There is no such thing as an inheritance of capacity, talent, temperament, mental constitution, and behavioral characteristics (Watson, 1925, p. 82).
Behaviorism: development is viewed in terms of learning. Assumptions are children are born as tabula rasa/blank slate and their ideas, preferences and skills are shaped by experience. Arnold Gesell also opined that biologi gical al maturati uration on was the main principle of development. Gesell focused on the physical aspect of growth and development. Nature-Nurture debate
Nature vs nurture, • Active vs passive, • Continuous vs discontinuous/Quantitative vs • qualitative; Stability vs change •
Is human development primarily the result of nature (biological forces) or nurture (environmental forces)? One group of developmentalists advanced the view that heredity and not environment is the chief maker of man. . . . . Nearly all of the misery and nearly all of the happiness in the world are due not to environment. . . . The differences among men are due to differences in germ cells with which they were born (Wiggam, 1923, p. 42). Nature-focused
E.g., cognitive developmentalists and biological theorists Another group of developmentalists (nurture- focused) advanced the view that environment and not heredity causes development. Watson, 1925, p. 82. Currently: integrative approach The relative contributions of nature and nurture depend on the aspect of development in question E.g.,: Language: brain component and influence of caregiver’s language
Are children curious, active creatures who largely determine how agents of society treat them? Or, are they passive souls on whom society fixes its stamp? Active-viewers opine that children are born with certain predispositions that influence how people treats them E.g., a child with difficult temperament Passive-viewers opine that children are extremely malleable — literally at the mercy of those who raise them Eg. a young preteen girl who has gone through the biological changes of puberty earlier than most of her classmates and friends (passive). But her early maturity will affect how she is treated
Do you think that the changes we experience occur very gradually? Or, would you say that these changes are rather abrupt? Continuity theorists who view human development as an continuous/additive process that occurs gradually and continuously, without sudden changes. Discontinuity theorists view development as series of sudden changes each of which elevates the child to a new and presumably more advanced level of functioning.
Quant ntita itativ tive e changes are changes in degree or amount Eg, grow taller and run a little faster with each passing year Qualita itativ tive e changes are changes in form or kind — changes that make the individual fundamentally different in some way than he or she was earlier Eg, an infant who lacks language may be qualitatively different from a preschooler who speaks well Continuity theorists view developmental changes are basically quantitative in nature, whereas discontinuity theorists view development as a sequence of qualitative changes
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