Developmental Psychology
1. Introduction
Internal factors - personality
External factors - environment
Typical & atypical development
Cognition, emotions, social development
Theory- Coherent set of ideas, hypotheses and explanations
- Descriptive
- Explanatory
- Predictive
- Make assumptions
- Reduction of reality
- Generalizable
- Testable
A theory will be replaced when: It is falsified on the basis of observations (A new theory
explains the observations better)
Theory follows empirical cycle - Observation, induction, deduction, testing, evaluation
Minor theories: theories single phenomenon -> learning to see depth
Major theories: broad theory -> eg development of cognition
A good developmental theory:
- Relates to ontogeny
- Focuses on change over time
- Explains the emergence of new properties
- Is preferably useful in education / interventions
Dimensions in theories about development
Nature-nurture
Nature/endogenous
Knowledge is innate and gets expressed during the course of development
Nurture/exogenous
Only learning mechanisms are innate, all the rest of development is determined by the
environment
Nature & Nurture
Both innate predispositions and the environment shape development
Continuous- stages
Continous
Development is gradual, children are not qualitatively different from adults, children lack
experience
,Stages
Development in transitions, children are qualitatively different from adults
Continuous and stages
Development is gradual; but some behaviors dominate temporarily and that’s why
development appears to occur stagewise
Passive- active
Passive
Child plays passive role, development occurs automatically
Active
Child plays active rol in own development, constructs own knowledge
Passive&active
Some processes develop automatically; other processes need an active role of the child
Motor development - Maturation vs dynamic systems theory
,Maturation theory (Gesell, 1924) intuitive, naturally
biologically directed maturation, same developmental patterns independent of environmental
input
Maturation of central nervous system determines the development of the child, behavioral
development follows
● Cephalocaudal trend = from head to foot
● Proximodistal trend = from centre of body to periphery
● Differences in child’s temperament play important role in pace of development
● Role of parents is to provide the right environment (when the child is ready; no
pushing)
Nature, clear stages, and passive role
Criticism:
Not all children follow same pattern (skip crawling)
Does not necessarily generalize to all cultures
Environment can play guiding role
McGraw (1945) Environment shapes motor development
Twin johnny received extra training in swimming, skating and climbing - development
accelarated
More nurture (providing certain environment), stages, passive role
Dynamic systems theory
Development is a complex interaction between properties of the system and environment
A system: a collection of components that are interrelated (body, family, flock of birds)
Dynamic system: collection of changing components that influence each other, describes
how a state changes into another state over time
Important property is self organisation
Effects non-linear: small changes in one variable may bring qualitative changes in the whole
pattern
Ester thelen (1941-2001): DST of motor development
Shaped by: Development central nervous system (nature)
Development motor skills (nature)
Environment (context and task)
, Middle nature and nurture, Middle continuous and stage, Active
Psychological assessment
Clinical
Psychological assessment - collection and integration of psychological data in order to make
a diagnosis, using tools such as
- clinical interviews
- behavioral observations
- tests of intellectual functioning
- Behavior rating scales
- Specifically designed tasks
What should you know:
Knowledge - psych and psychopathology, aspects of psychometrics and decision making,
types of instruments, ethics, diagnostic process
Skills - Administrationm scoring of instruments, interpretation instruments, communication,
observation, writing reports
Milestones in history of psychological assessment
2200 BC: tests to measure fitness for working for Chinese emperor
18th century: outside indication of inside
Late 19th century: brass instruments, perception and response speed indications of
intelligence
Early 20th century
- First intelligence tests as we know them today
- Group tests, educational testing, army
- Specific aptitude tests
- Personality assessment projective testing Rorsach (what do you see)
- Structured tests: big five, surveys, OCEAN
Names
Gall, wundt, galton, catell, binet, simon, spearmanm thurstone, rorsach
Pitfalls assessment
Fundamental attribution error: overestimate attribution and underestimate situational factors
- Be aware
Confirmation bias: only searching info consistent with hypothesis
- actively look for things that contradict beliefs
Salience effect: giving more weight to striking information than non striking info
- Awareness, objective measurements
Contrast error: Tendency to judge others opposite from yourself
- Awareness, objective measurements
Illusory correlation: Perceiving link between tests and own conclusion
- Scientifci approach
Blind spot bias: The tendency to see oneself as less biased than other people
and to be less able to recognize biases in oneself than in others (im sure im right)
- Awareness, scientific approach
1. Introduction
Internal factors - personality
External factors - environment
Typical & atypical development
Cognition, emotions, social development
Theory- Coherent set of ideas, hypotheses and explanations
- Descriptive
- Explanatory
- Predictive
- Make assumptions
- Reduction of reality
- Generalizable
- Testable
A theory will be replaced when: It is falsified on the basis of observations (A new theory
explains the observations better)
Theory follows empirical cycle - Observation, induction, deduction, testing, evaluation
Minor theories: theories single phenomenon -> learning to see depth
Major theories: broad theory -> eg development of cognition
A good developmental theory:
- Relates to ontogeny
- Focuses on change over time
- Explains the emergence of new properties
- Is preferably useful in education / interventions
Dimensions in theories about development
Nature-nurture
Nature/endogenous
Knowledge is innate and gets expressed during the course of development
Nurture/exogenous
Only learning mechanisms are innate, all the rest of development is determined by the
environment
Nature & Nurture
Both innate predispositions and the environment shape development
Continuous- stages
Continous
Development is gradual, children are not qualitatively different from adults, children lack
experience
,Stages
Development in transitions, children are qualitatively different from adults
Continuous and stages
Development is gradual; but some behaviors dominate temporarily and that’s why
development appears to occur stagewise
Passive- active
Passive
Child plays passive role, development occurs automatically
Active
Child plays active rol in own development, constructs own knowledge
Passive&active
Some processes develop automatically; other processes need an active role of the child
Motor development - Maturation vs dynamic systems theory
,Maturation theory (Gesell, 1924) intuitive, naturally
biologically directed maturation, same developmental patterns independent of environmental
input
Maturation of central nervous system determines the development of the child, behavioral
development follows
● Cephalocaudal trend = from head to foot
● Proximodistal trend = from centre of body to periphery
● Differences in child’s temperament play important role in pace of development
● Role of parents is to provide the right environment (when the child is ready; no
pushing)
Nature, clear stages, and passive role
Criticism:
Not all children follow same pattern (skip crawling)
Does not necessarily generalize to all cultures
Environment can play guiding role
McGraw (1945) Environment shapes motor development
Twin johnny received extra training in swimming, skating and climbing - development
accelarated
More nurture (providing certain environment), stages, passive role
Dynamic systems theory
Development is a complex interaction between properties of the system and environment
A system: a collection of components that are interrelated (body, family, flock of birds)
Dynamic system: collection of changing components that influence each other, describes
how a state changes into another state over time
Important property is self organisation
Effects non-linear: small changes in one variable may bring qualitative changes in the whole
pattern
Ester thelen (1941-2001): DST of motor development
Shaped by: Development central nervous system (nature)
Development motor skills (nature)
Environment (context and task)
, Middle nature and nurture, Middle continuous and stage, Active
Psychological assessment
Clinical
Psychological assessment - collection and integration of psychological data in order to make
a diagnosis, using tools such as
- clinical interviews
- behavioral observations
- tests of intellectual functioning
- Behavior rating scales
- Specifically designed tasks
What should you know:
Knowledge - psych and psychopathology, aspects of psychometrics and decision making,
types of instruments, ethics, diagnostic process
Skills - Administrationm scoring of instruments, interpretation instruments, communication,
observation, writing reports
Milestones in history of psychological assessment
2200 BC: tests to measure fitness for working for Chinese emperor
18th century: outside indication of inside
Late 19th century: brass instruments, perception and response speed indications of
intelligence
Early 20th century
- First intelligence tests as we know them today
- Group tests, educational testing, army
- Specific aptitude tests
- Personality assessment projective testing Rorsach (what do you see)
- Structured tests: big five, surveys, OCEAN
Names
Gall, wundt, galton, catell, binet, simon, spearmanm thurstone, rorsach
Pitfalls assessment
Fundamental attribution error: overestimate attribution and underestimate situational factors
- Be aware
Confirmation bias: only searching info consistent with hypothesis
- actively look for things that contradict beliefs
Salience effect: giving more weight to striking information than non striking info
- Awareness, objective measurements
Contrast error: Tendency to judge others opposite from yourself
- Awareness, objective measurements
Illusory correlation: Perceiving link between tests and own conclusion
- Scientifci approach
Blind spot bias: The tendency to see oneself as less biased than other people
and to be less able to recognize biases in oneself than in others (im sure im right)
- Awareness, scientific approach
