CPCE: Human Growth and Development
Development -
☑️ Systematic changes and continuities in the individual that occur between conception
and death. These systematic changes occur in three broad areas: physical development, cognitive
development, and psychosocial development.
Categories of Development Theories -
☑️ Theories of how humans grow and develop fall into the following broad categories:
a. learning including behavioral theories, social learning theories, and
information-processing theories
b. cognitive theories
c. psychoanalytic including the neo-Freudian and ego psychology theories
d. humanistic psychology and selftheories
Human growth and development changes can be viewed as...(3 pairs) -
☑️ a. Qualitative: change in structure or organization {for example, sexual development)
or
Quantitative: change in number, degree or frequency (content changes, for example, intellectual
development).
b. Continuous: changes are sequential cannot be separated easily (for example, personality
development)
or
Discontinuous: certain changes in abilities or behaviors can be separated from others which argues
for stages of development (for example, language development).
c. Mechanistic: this is the reduction of all behavior to common elements (for example, instinctual,
reflexive behavior)
or
Organismic: because of new stages, there is change or discontinuity; it is more than Stimulus-
Response. The organism is involved including the use of cognition. Examples would be moral or
ethical development.
Self-Concept -
☑️ Self-concept may be defined as your perception of your qualities, attributes and traits.
At birth, infants have no sense of self. In early months this quickly changes.
By 24 months, most infants show signs of self-recognition; they can identify social categories they
are in such as age and gender, "who is like me and who is not like me"; they exhibit various
temperaments.
The pre-school child's self-concept is very concrete and physical. By 8 or so, they can describe
inner qualities.
By adolescence, self-concepts (self-descriptions) become more abstract and psychological.
Stabilization of self-concept attributes continues. Cultural and family factors influence the
development of attributes and some traits.
, Genotype vs. Phenotype -
☑️ Genotype is the genetic (inherited) makeup of the individual.
Phenotype: the way an individual's genotype is expressed through physical and behavioral
characteristics.
Tabula Rasa -
☑️ John Locke's view that children begin as a 'blank slate' acquiring their characteristics
through experience.
Plasticity -
☑️ For most individuals lifespan development is plastic representing an easy and smooth
transition from one stage to the next.
Resiliency -
☑️ The ability to adapt effectively despite the experience of adverse circumstances.
For example, some children, despite experiencing potentially damaging conditions and
circumstances, seem to suffer few consequences.
Neurobiology -
☑️ Neuroscience is sometimes referred to as the missing link in the mental health
professions. Ivey, D'Andrea and Ivey (2012 -see references) believe that "the mind is the product of
the activity occurring in the brain at the molecular, cellular, and anatomical levels, which are in turn
impacted by a person's interpersonal relationships, cultural context, and societal experience."
Counselors, by using different theories, skills and interventions promote the release of various
neurotransmitters which promote related brain changes.
Neurotransmitters affect various cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioral reactions that
people have to their life experiences.
Neurotransmitters carry messages between neurons that stimulate reactions in the brain. These
chemical reactions stimulate different parts of the brain leading to different cognitive, emotional,
psychological and behavioral outcomes.
Four Principal Neurotransmitters -
☑️ a. Acetylcholine -important for memory, optimal cognitive functioning, emotional
balance and control.
b. Serotonin - affects feelings, behaving, thinking; critical for emotional and cognitive processes;
vital to sleep and anxiety control.
c. Dopamine -important for emotional wellness, motivation, pleasurable feelings.
d. GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) - helps reduce anxiety, promotes relaxation and sleep.
Different counseling and therapy skills help promote the production of each of these four
neurotransmitters.
Abraham Maslow -
☑️ Humanistic Psychologist. Maslow developed the 'hierarchy of needs.'
People are always motivated to higher-order needs:
Food/water
Development -
☑️ Systematic changes and continuities in the individual that occur between conception
and death. These systematic changes occur in three broad areas: physical development, cognitive
development, and psychosocial development.
Categories of Development Theories -
☑️ Theories of how humans grow and develop fall into the following broad categories:
a. learning including behavioral theories, social learning theories, and
information-processing theories
b. cognitive theories
c. psychoanalytic including the neo-Freudian and ego psychology theories
d. humanistic psychology and selftheories
Human growth and development changes can be viewed as...(3 pairs) -
☑️ a. Qualitative: change in structure or organization {for example, sexual development)
or
Quantitative: change in number, degree or frequency (content changes, for example, intellectual
development).
b. Continuous: changes are sequential cannot be separated easily (for example, personality
development)
or
Discontinuous: certain changes in abilities or behaviors can be separated from others which argues
for stages of development (for example, language development).
c. Mechanistic: this is the reduction of all behavior to common elements (for example, instinctual,
reflexive behavior)
or
Organismic: because of new stages, there is change or discontinuity; it is more than Stimulus-
Response. The organism is involved including the use of cognition. Examples would be moral or
ethical development.
Self-Concept -
☑️ Self-concept may be defined as your perception of your qualities, attributes and traits.
At birth, infants have no sense of self. In early months this quickly changes.
By 24 months, most infants show signs of self-recognition; they can identify social categories they
are in such as age and gender, "who is like me and who is not like me"; they exhibit various
temperaments.
The pre-school child's self-concept is very concrete and physical. By 8 or so, they can describe
inner qualities.
By adolescence, self-concepts (self-descriptions) become more abstract and psychological.
Stabilization of self-concept attributes continues. Cultural and family factors influence the
development of attributes and some traits.
, Genotype vs. Phenotype -
☑️ Genotype is the genetic (inherited) makeup of the individual.
Phenotype: the way an individual's genotype is expressed through physical and behavioral
characteristics.
Tabula Rasa -
☑️ John Locke's view that children begin as a 'blank slate' acquiring their characteristics
through experience.
Plasticity -
☑️ For most individuals lifespan development is plastic representing an easy and smooth
transition from one stage to the next.
Resiliency -
☑️ The ability to adapt effectively despite the experience of adverse circumstances.
For example, some children, despite experiencing potentially damaging conditions and
circumstances, seem to suffer few consequences.
Neurobiology -
☑️ Neuroscience is sometimes referred to as the missing link in the mental health
professions. Ivey, D'Andrea and Ivey (2012 -see references) believe that "the mind is the product of
the activity occurring in the brain at the molecular, cellular, and anatomical levels, which are in turn
impacted by a person's interpersonal relationships, cultural context, and societal experience."
Counselors, by using different theories, skills and interventions promote the release of various
neurotransmitters which promote related brain changes.
Neurotransmitters affect various cognitive, emotional, psychological and behavioral reactions that
people have to their life experiences.
Neurotransmitters carry messages between neurons that stimulate reactions in the brain. These
chemical reactions stimulate different parts of the brain leading to different cognitive, emotional,
psychological and behavioral outcomes.
Four Principal Neurotransmitters -
☑️ a. Acetylcholine -important for memory, optimal cognitive functioning, emotional
balance and control.
b. Serotonin - affects feelings, behaving, thinking; critical for emotional and cognitive processes;
vital to sleep and anxiety control.
c. Dopamine -important for emotional wellness, motivation, pleasurable feelings.
d. GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) - helps reduce anxiety, promotes relaxation and sleep.
Different counseling and therapy skills help promote the production of each of these four
neurotransmitters.
Abraham Maslow -
☑️ Humanistic Psychologist. Maslow developed the 'hierarchy of needs.'
People are always motivated to higher-order needs:
Food/water
