4PAHPDEV Psychology and Development Week 1
BSc Psychology Year 1 Developmental Psychology
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
“A field of study that seeks to understand and explain changes in individuals’ cognitive,
social and other capacities, first by describing changes in the child’s observed
behaviours, and second by uncovering the processes that underlie these changes”
(Leman et al., 2019)
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD
• The study is crucial for other domains of psychology, as it highlights how most psychological
processes evolve over time, providing a distinctive perspective on human behaviour
o In order to understand the adult (‘mature’) forms of our capacities, we must know
about their development
o Understanding issues and struggles in development can be helpful for interventions
and prevention of conditions such as depression, future criminality, or autism
• Developmental psychology can help to inform social policy in health and education by
understanding the mental wellbeing of children and what experiences are important for
‘healthy’ development
CATEGORISING DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENTAL PERIODS
• Developmental psychology historically focused on infancy and childhood but now explores
changes and processes throughout the lifespan
• Development can be loosely categorised by developmental periods, reflecting changes in
cognitive, social, and other capacities
o These effects can vary across cultures and change over time, as increased life
expectancy may lead to experiences typically associated with these stages occurring
at later ages
Prenatal Development (conception – birth)
• Prenatal experiences (e.g. sounds) and exposure (e.g. substances) can affect processes and
changes of a foetus
Infancy (birth – 18 months)
• Infants experience large amounts of sensory information and begin to process and learn
about the world around them
o Between 6 to 18 months, researchers’ focus is on testing what children know without
their verbal communication
1
,4PAHPDEV Psychology and Development Week 1
BSc Psychology Year 1 Developmental Psychology
Childhood
Preschool (18 months – 4 years)
• Children are rapidly developing in their language, cognitive and social skills
• Their world is beginning to expand as they spend more time with other people and in other
environments
Early Childhood (5 – 7 years)
• Children begin to understand complex ideas through normal schooling
• They have increased experience with non-family members
Middle/Late Childhood (8 – 12 years)
• Similar growth that is experienced in early childhood, however, some effects of puberty may
start to be seen
Adolescence (⁓13 – 20 years)
• The effects of puberty become fully apparent as well as sexual development
• Social development occurs with advancements in complex reasoning and impulse control
• Engagement in high school and higher education is accompanied by increased choice,
helping to lay the foundation for their unique identities and personal worlds
Adulthood
Young Adulthood (21 – 30 years)
• Gaining detailed knowledge of skills
• Establishing a role in life by getting a job and forming relationships, developing independent
worlds and choices
Middle Adulthood (31 – 60 years)
• This period is hard to classify across cultures
• However, we tend to see career peaks during this period as well as family transitions, such
as marriages and child-rearing
Late Adulthood (60+ years)
• Retirement and declining physical and mental skills occur
‘TYPICAL’ AND ‘ATYPICAL’ DEVELOPMENT
• This approach examines the stages and milestones that children typically experience at
certain ages, and the outcomes of when there are variations or deviations from these norms
• Researchers may focus on the factors influencing these developmental trajectories,
including how individuals might shift from atypical to more typical developmental paths
o For example, they might investigate what processes can help someone on an atypical
trajectory move toward a more typical development
• However, these terms are relative and depend on the reference point, which can vary based
on age, culture, or socioeconomic background
o In psychological research, reference points are often drawn from biased samples,
such as those from WEIRD societies
o Additionally, some researchers focus solely on atypical development without a
reference point, overlooking how common or uncommon these experiences are in
children who do not have the studied clinical condition
2
, 4PAHPDEV Psychology and Development Week 1
BSc Psychology Year 1 Developmental Psychology
DESCRIBE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT
KEY THEMES, ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES
Nature Versus Nurture
• These positions are often referred to as nativism and empiricism
• Most contemporary theories recognise that both play a role in human development, but
disagree as to the importance of the factors
• For example, children with certain genetic traits are more prone to behavioural problems,
and when raised in abusive environments, they face a higher risk of maltreatment (McCrory
et al., 2017)
o This highlights how genetic predispositions, their behavioural expression, and the
environment interact to increase a child’s vulnerability
Continuity Versus Discontinuity
• Development as a continuous process suggests each event builds on earlier experiences (a)
o Developmental changes add to earlier abilities in a cumulative way, without abrupt
shifts from one change to the next
• Development as a discontinuous process defines development as discrete steps or stages
o Behaviour gets reorganised into a new set of qualitative behaviours in each stage (b)
• A contemporary view (Siegler, 1996), suggests developmental change is primarily continuous
but occasionally includes discontinuous or qualitative shifts (c)
o Development can appear discontinuous, but overall, there are continuous/
quantitative changes in the use of ways of thinking
o With increasing age and expertise, abilities and strategies change, creating spikes,
however, the most successful strategies predominate slowly
Critical Versus Sensitive Periods
• A critical period of development refers to an age range during which certain experiences are
required for development to proceed in a typical way
o For example, whether or not a child has enough folate in the first trimester of
pregnancy is critical for neural development to continue in a typical trajectory
• A sensitive period of development is an age range during which certain experiences are
optimal for development to proceed in a typical way
o For example, it can be beneficial and optimal for an infant to be massaged to help
relieve stress, however, they can still develop in a typical way with the absence of this
3
BSc Psychology Year 1 Developmental Psychology
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANCE OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
“A field of study that seeks to understand and explain changes in individuals’ cognitive,
social and other capacities, first by describing changes in the child’s observed
behaviours, and second by uncovering the processes that underlie these changes”
(Leman et al., 2019)
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FIELD
• The study is crucial for other domains of psychology, as it highlights how most psychological
processes evolve over time, providing a distinctive perspective on human behaviour
o In order to understand the adult (‘mature’) forms of our capacities, we must know
about their development
o Understanding issues and struggles in development can be helpful for interventions
and prevention of conditions such as depression, future criminality, or autism
• Developmental psychology can help to inform social policy in health and education by
understanding the mental wellbeing of children and what experiences are important for
‘healthy’ development
CATEGORISING DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENTAL PERIODS
• Developmental psychology historically focused on infancy and childhood but now explores
changes and processes throughout the lifespan
• Development can be loosely categorised by developmental periods, reflecting changes in
cognitive, social, and other capacities
o These effects can vary across cultures and change over time, as increased life
expectancy may lead to experiences typically associated with these stages occurring
at later ages
Prenatal Development (conception – birth)
• Prenatal experiences (e.g. sounds) and exposure (e.g. substances) can affect processes and
changes of a foetus
Infancy (birth – 18 months)
• Infants experience large amounts of sensory information and begin to process and learn
about the world around them
o Between 6 to 18 months, researchers’ focus is on testing what children know without
their verbal communication
1
,4PAHPDEV Psychology and Development Week 1
BSc Psychology Year 1 Developmental Psychology
Childhood
Preschool (18 months – 4 years)
• Children are rapidly developing in their language, cognitive and social skills
• Their world is beginning to expand as they spend more time with other people and in other
environments
Early Childhood (5 – 7 years)
• Children begin to understand complex ideas through normal schooling
• They have increased experience with non-family members
Middle/Late Childhood (8 – 12 years)
• Similar growth that is experienced in early childhood, however, some effects of puberty may
start to be seen
Adolescence (⁓13 – 20 years)
• The effects of puberty become fully apparent as well as sexual development
• Social development occurs with advancements in complex reasoning and impulse control
• Engagement in high school and higher education is accompanied by increased choice,
helping to lay the foundation for their unique identities and personal worlds
Adulthood
Young Adulthood (21 – 30 years)
• Gaining detailed knowledge of skills
• Establishing a role in life by getting a job and forming relationships, developing independent
worlds and choices
Middle Adulthood (31 – 60 years)
• This period is hard to classify across cultures
• However, we tend to see career peaks during this period as well as family transitions, such
as marriages and child-rearing
Late Adulthood (60+ years)
• Retirement and declining physical and mental skills occur
‘TYPICAL’ AND ‘ATYPICAL’ DEVELOPMENT
• This approach examines the stages and milestones that children typically experience at
certain ages, and the outcomes of when there are variations or deviations from these norms
• Researchers may focus on the factors influencing these developmental trajectories,
including how individuals might shift from atypical to more typical developmental paths
o For example, they might investigate what processes can help someone on an atypical
trajectory move toward a more typical development
• However, these terms are relative and depend on the reference point, which can vary based
on age, culture, or socioeconomic background
o In psychological research, reference points are often drawn from biased samples,
such as those from WEIRD societies
o Additionally, some researchers focus solely on atypical development without a
reference point, overlooking how common or uncommon these experiences are in
children who do not have the studied clinical condition
2
, 4PAHPDEV Psychology and Development Week 1
BSc Psychology Year 1 Developmental Psychology
DESCRIBE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT
KEY THEMES, ISSUES AND PERSPECTIVES
Nature Versus Nurture
• These positions are often referred to as nativism and empiricism
• Most contemporary theories recognise that both play a role in human development, but
disagree as to the importance of the factors
• For example, children with certain genetic traits are more prone to behavioural problems,
and when raised in abusive environments, they face a higher risk of maltreatment (McCrory
et al., 2017)
o This highlights how genetic predispositions, their behavioural expression, and the
environment interact to increase a child’s vulnerability
Continuity Versus Discontinuity
• Development as a continuous process suggests each event builds on earlier experiences (a)
o Developmental changes add to earlier abilities in a cumulative way, without abrupt
shifts from one change to the next
• Development as a discontinuous process defines development as discrete steps or stages
o Behaviour gets reorganised into a new set of qualitative behaviours in each stage (b)
• A contemporary view (Siegler, 1996), suggests developmental change is primarily continuous
but occasionally includes discontinuous or qualitative shifts (c)
o Development can appear discontinuous, but overall, there are continuous/
quantitative changes in the use of ways of thinking
o With increasing age and expertise, abilities and strategies change, creating spikes,
however, the most successful strategies predominate slowly
Critical Versus Sensitive Periods
• A critical period of development refers to an age range during which certain experiences are
required for development to proceed in a typical way
o For example, whether or not a child has enough folate in the first trimester of
pregnancy is critical for neural development to continue in a typical trajectory
• A sensitive period of development is an age range during which certain experiences are
optimal for development to proceed in a typical way
o For example, it can be beneficial and optimal for an infant to be massaged to help
relieve stress, however, they can still develop in a typical way with the absence of this
3
