CHAPTER 1CHAPTER 1

The Study of Human

Development

Human DevelopmentHuman Development

• Multidisciplinary study Multidisciplinary study of how people change of how people change and how they remain and how they remain the same over timethe same over time

• A pattern of change A pattern of change beginning at beginning at conception and conception and continuing throughout continuing throughout lifelife

Recurring Issues in Human Recurring Issues in Human

DevelopmentDevelopment Nature vs. Nurture* Involves hereditary and * Involves hereditary and environmental influences in environmental influences in determining the individualdetermining the individual

Continuity vs. Discontinuity* Concerns whether a * Concerns whether a particular developmental particular developmental phenomenon represents a phenomenon represents a smooth progression through smooth progression through live (continuity) or a series live (continuity) or a series of abrupt shifts of abrupt shifts (discontinuity)(discontinuity)

Universal vs. Context-Specific Development* Concerns whether there is * Concerns whether there is one developmental path or one developmental path or severalseveral

Interacting Processes in Human Development

Biological Processes

Psychological Processes

Socioemotional Processes

Developmental Theories

Psychodynamic PerspectivePsychosexual & Psychosocial Theories

Behavioral Perspective

Behavior Modification & Cognitive Learning Theory Cognitive PerspectivePaiget’s Theory & Vygotsky’s Sociocultural TheoryInformation Processing Approach

How information is accessed, used, & storedCognitive Neuroscience Approach

Cognitive Development via brain processesHumanistic Perspective

How people make decisions and control their behaviorEvolutionary Perspective

Genetically inherited behavior patternsBronfenbrener’s Ecological & System’s Theory

Development is inseparable from the environment

Psychodynamic Theory

Human behavior is largely governed Human behavior is largely governed by unconscious internal motives & by unconscious internal motives & drivesdrives

Erikson’s Psychosocial TheoryErikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Personality develops through an interaction Personality develops through an interaction of an internal maturational plan & external of an internal maturational plan & external social demandssocial demands

Stages based on the epigenetic principle that Stages based on the epigenetic principle that each psychosocial strength has its own time each psychosocial strength has its own time or period of ascendancy or importanceor period of ascendancy or importance

Piaget’s TheoryPiaget’s TheoryChildren naturally try to make sense of the worldChildren naturally try to make sense of the worldChildren construct their knowledge of their world Children construct their knowledge of their world and these constructions change over timeand these constructions change over timeChildren construct knowledge in new ways at Children construct knowledge in new ways at critical points in their development (about 2 yrs., critical points in their development (about 2 yrs., about 7 yrs., and before puberty)about 7 yrs., and before puberty)

4 developmental stages w/each one representing a 4 developmental stages w/each one representing a more sophisticated organization & reasoning more sophisticated organization & reasoning

Learning TheoryBehaviorismBehaviorismPersonality develops Personality develops through operant through operant conditioning conditioning procedures; procedures; reinforcement & reinforcement & punishmentpunishment

Social Social Learning Learning TheoryTheory People learn a lot People learn a lot through observational through observational learning & imitation learning & imitation combined with reward combined with reward & punishment& punishment Experience gives Experience gives people a sense of self-people a sense of self-efficacy (beliefs about efficacy (beliefs about their own abilities and their own abilities and talents)talents)

Information Processing

Human cognition Human cognition consists of mental consists of mental hardware and hardware and mental softwaremental software

Seeks to identify Seeks to identify the ways people the ways people take in, use, and take in, use, and store informationstore information

Vygotsky’s Vygotsky’s TheoryTheory

Sociocultural TheorySociocultural TheoryA child’s understanding of the world is acquired A child’s understanding of the world is acquired through problem-solving interactions with adults through problem-solving interactions with adults & other children.& other children.

To understand the course of development it is To understand the course of development it is necessary to consider what is meaningful to those necessary to consider what is meaningful to those of a given culture.of a given culture.

The emphasis is on The emphasis is on Reciprocal TransactionsReciprocal Transactions between people in the child’s environment & the between people in the child’s environment & the childchild

Cognitive Neuroscience Approach

Looks at Cognitive Development through Brain ProcessesSeeks to identify the locations & functions in the brain that are related to different cognitive activities.

Humanistic Humanistic PerspectivePerspective

Humans have a degree of free will and can choose the direction of their lives and control their behaviorWe all have the potential for self-actualization which is our primary goal in life.

Humans have a need for positive regard that results from an underlying wish to be loved & respected.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological & Systems Theory

Human development is inseparable from the environmental contexts in which the person develops Microsystem consists of the people & objects in the immediate environment (people closest to individual) Microsystems are connected to create a Mesosystem Exosystem is the social settings a person may not experience firsthand but still influences development (government policies)Macrosystem is the subcultures & cultures in which all are embedded Chronosystem is time: the sociohistorical continuum over the course of life

Evolutionary PerspectiveEvolutionary Perspective

Seeks to identify behaviors in todays humans that are the result of genetic inheritance from our ancestors