An Introduction to Development:

Fundamental Issues in

Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology• Basic question: What shapes the way we change over

time?• Investigate the influence of multiple factors

on development, including biological, environmental, social, cultural, and behavioral factors

• Every area of psychology can be looked at from this perspective– biological development– social development– cognitive / perceptual development– personality development

What is Developmental Psych?

• Developmental psychology is the study of how people change physically, mentally, and socially throughout the lifespan

• At every age and stage of life, developmental psychologists investigate the influence of multiple factors on development, including:– Biological– Environmental– Social– Cultural– Behavioral factors

Continuity and Stages

• How much of behavior is continuous and how much follows a more stage like development?

Fundamental Issues: Is Development Continuous?

• Development means change - change can be abrupt or gradual

• Two views of human development– stage theories: there are distinct phases to

intellectual and personality development– continuity: development is continuous

• These views have been applied to social, personal and intellectual development

Types of Growth Patterns

Stability and Change

• What developmental traits remain stable over time, and which change?

Fundamental Issues: Critical Periods

• Critical period - Are there periods when an individual is particularly sensitive to certain environmental experiences?– Are the first hours after birth critical for parent-child bonding?– Is first year critical for developing trust?– Easier to learn a language before age 10?

• Are there individual differences in stages and critical periods?

• Some aspects of development, such as prenatal development and language development, are closely tied to critical periods

Themes in Development:Gradual Changes

• Typical course of human (physical, mental, & social) development is gradually unfolding changes.

Themes of Development:Nature and Nurture

• How much of our behavior is due to nature and how much is due to nurture?

• How do nature and nurture interact in development?

Nature vs. Nurture

• What is role of heredity vs. environment in determining psychological makeup?– Is your IQ inherited or determined by nutrition and early

environment?

– Is there a ‘criminal’ gene or does poverty lead to criminal behavior?

– Is sexual orientation a choice or genetically determined?

• These are some of our greatest societal debates• Mistake to pose as ‘either / or’ questions

Developmental Research Methods

• Cross-sectional - performance of people of different age groups is compared

• Longitudinal - performance of one group of people is assessed repeatedly over time

• Sequential - combines cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches in a single study