Developmental Psychology
Understanding Human Development
What is development?
Development refers to the systematic changes and continuities that individuals experience
from conception to death. These changes encompass physical, cognitive, and psychosocial
domains and occur in an orderly and cumulative manner, meaning each stage builds upon
previous ones.
Goals of studying human development
1. Description:
o Objective: To observe and document how people change over time.
o Example: Recording the average age at which children start walking or talking.
2. Prediction:
o Objective: To identify factors that can anticipate future developmental outcomes.
o Example: Predicting academic success based on early language skills.
3. Explanation:
o Objective: To understand the mechanisms and reasons behind developmental
changes.
o Example: Explaining why children with secure attachment tend to have better
social skills.
4. Optimization:
o Objective: To apply knowledge to improve developmental outcomes and enhance
well-being.
o Example: Designing educational programs that support cognitive development.
,Central Issues in Developmental psychology
1. Nature and Nurture
Nature vs. Nurture debates the relative contributions of biological and environmental factors
to human development.
- Biological Factors (Heredity): This perspective argues that genetic makeup plays a
significant role in shaping an individual’s traits, behaviours, and development. For
example, genetic predispositions can influence physical characteristics, intelligence, and
even aspects of personality.
- Environmental Factors (Social Influences, Culture): This viewpoint emphasizes the
impact of the environment, including upbringing, education, social interactions, and
cultural context. Environmental influences can shape behaviours, beliefs, and skills
through learning and experience.
- Equally Important Contributions of Both: Most contemporary psychologists agree that
development is the result of an intricate interaction between genetic and environmental
factors. This perspective, known as the interactionist approach, suggests that while
genetics may set certain potentials or limitations, environmental factors can significantly
influence how these genetic potentials are expressed.
Example: Bias in South African Developmental Psychology pre WW2
• “African children only 50% as mentally efficient as whites …. Their schooling should be
designed to suit their mentality.” (Loram,1923)
• “School under-achievement in poor white children is a result of poor nutrition and
education… improve access to education, and implement school feeding.” (Carnegie
Commission, 1932)
,2. Continuity and Discontinuity
Continuity vs. Discontinuity examines the nature of developmental changes over the lifespan.
- Gradual and Quantitative Changes: This view, associated with the continuity perspective,
posits that development is a smooth, continuous process where changes are gradual and
cumulative. Skills and behaviours improve incrementally, much like the gradual increase
in height over childhood.
- Abrupt, Qualitative, and Stage-like Changes: This discontinuity perspective suggests that
development occurs in distinct stages, each characterized by qualitative differences in
behaviour. Major theorists like Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson proposed stage theories,
where individuals move through specific stages in a fixed sequence, such as Piaget’s
stages of cognitive development or Erikson’s psychosocial stages.
- Sometimes Gradual, Sometimes Stage-like: This perspective acknowledges that some
aspects of development may be continuous while others may involve distinct stages. For
instance, language acquisition can show both gradual improvement in vocabulary and
distinct stages of grammatical development.
Early Development and Later Behaviour:
- Closely Connected: This view holds that early experiences and developmental milestones
have a significant and lasting impact on later behaviour and outcomes. Attachment
theory, for example, suggests that early relationships with caregivers can shape future
social and emotional development.
- Largely Unrelated: Some theories argue that while early development is important, later
experiences can significantly reshape and influence an individual’s behaviour and
outcomes. This perspective emphasizes the plasticity of development and the potential for
change and adaptation throughout life.
, 3. Universal and Context-Specific Development
Universal vs. Context-Specific Development explores whether development follows a
common trajectory for all people or varies across different contexts.
- Universal Developmental Path: This view posits that there are common stages or
sequences of development that all humans follow, regardless of cultural or environmental
differences. For example, Piaget’s stages of cognitive development suggest that all
children go through similar stages of cognitive growth.
- Context-Specific Development: This perspective argues that development is heavily
influenced by cultural, social, and environmental contexts, leading to unique
developmental paths. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of social
interactions and cultural tools in shaping cognitive development, suggesting that
developmental processes can vary widely across different cultures.
Today’s lifespan perspective
• Development is lifelong
• Development is multiply influenced
• Understanding development requires multiple disciplines
• Development is multidirectional
• Development is plastic
• Development is embedded in multiple contexts
• Research by African scholars trying to understand African children on their own terms is
still limited
What is developmental theory?
A theory is an organised set of ideas that is designed to explain (and make predictions about)
development.
Understanding Human Development
What is development?
Development refers to the systematic changes and continuities that individuals experience
from conception to death. These changes encompass physical, cognitive, and psychosocial
domains and occur in an orderly and cumulative manner, meaning each stage builds upon
previous ones.
Goals of studying human development
1. Description:
o Objective: To observe and document how people change over time.
o Example: Recording the average age at which children start walking or talking.
2. Prediction:
o Objective: To identify factors that can anticipate future developmental outcomes.
o Example: Predicting academic success based on early language skills.
3. Explanation:
o Objective: To understand the mechanisms and reasons behind developmental
changes.
o Example: Explaining why children with secure attachment tend to have better
social skills.
4. Optimization:
o Objective: To apply knowledge to improve developmental outcomes and enhance
well-being.
o Example: Designing educational programs that support cognitive development.
,Central Issues in Developmental psychology
1. Nature and Nurture
Nature vs. Nurture debates the relative contributions of biological and environmental factors
to human development.
- Biological Factors (Heredity): This perspective argues that genetic makeup plays a
significant role in shaping an individual’s traits, behaviours, and development. For
example, genetic predispositions can influence physical characteristics, intelligence, and
even aspects of personality.
- Environmental Factors (Social Influences, Culture): This viewpoint emphasizes the
impact of the environment, including upbringing, education, social interactions, and
cultural context. Environmental influences can shape behaviours, beliefs, and skills
through learning and experience.
- Equally Important Contributions of Both: Most contemporary psychologists agree that
development is the result of an intricate interaction between genetic and environmental
factors. This perspective, known as the interactionist approach, suggests that while
genetics may set certain potentials or limitations, environmental factors can significantly
influence how these genetic potentials are expressed.
Example: Bias in South African Developmental Psychology pre WW2
• “African children only 50% as mentally efficient as whites …. Their schooling should be
designed to suit their mentality.” (Loram,1923)
• “School under-achievement in poor white children is a result of poor nutrition and
education… improve access to education, and implement school feeding.” (Carnegie
Commission, 1932)
,2. Continuity and Discontinuity
Continuity vs. Discontinuity examines the nature of developmental changes over the lifespan.
- Gradual and Quantitative Changes: This view, associated with the continuity perspective,
posits that development is a smooth, continuous process where changes are gradual and
cumulative. Skills and behaviours improve incrementally, much like the gradual increase
in height over childhood.
- Abrupt, Qualitative, and Stage-like Changes: This discontinuity perspective suggests that
development occurs in distinct stages, each characterized by qualitative differences in
behaviour. Major theorists like Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson proposed stage theories,
where individuals move through specific stages in a fixed sequence, such as Piaget’s
stages of cognitive development or Erikson’s psychosocial stages.
- Sometimes Gradual, Sometimes Stage-like: This perspective acknowledges that some
aspects of development may be continuous while others may involve distinct stages. For
instance, language acquisition can show both gradual improvement in vocabulary and
distinct stages of grammatical development.
Early Development and Later Behaviour:
- Closely Connected: This view holds that early experiences and developmental milestones
have a significant and lasting impact on later behaviour and outcomes. Attachment
theory, for example, suggests that early relationships with caregivers can shape future
social and emotional development.
- Largely Unrelated: Some theories argue that while early development is important, later
experiences can significantly reshape and influence an individual’s behaviour and
outcomes. This perspective emphasizes the plasticity of development and the potential for
change and adaptation throughout life.
, 3. Universal and Context-Specific Development
Universal vs. Context-Specific Development explores whether development follows a
common trajectory for all people or varies across different contexts.
- Universal Developmental Path: This view posits that there are common stages or
sequences of development that all humans follow, regardless of cultural or environmental
differences. For example, Piaget’s stages of cognitive development suggest that all
children go through similar stages of cognitive growth.
- Context-Specific Development: This perspective argues that development is heavily
influenced by cultural, social, and environmental contexts, leading to unique
developmental paths. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizes the role of social
interactions and cultural tools in shaping cognitive development, suggesting that
developmental processes can vary widely across different cultures.
Today’s lifespan perspective
• Development is lifelong
• Development is multiply influenced
• Understanding development requires multiple disciplines
• Development is multidirectional
• Development is plastic
• Development is embedded in multiple contexts
• Research by African scholars trying to understand African children on their own terms is
still limited
What is developmental theory?
A theory is an organised set of ideas that is designed to explain (and make predictions about)
development.
