Psychology 233
Chapters 1-3
Slides
I. Chapter 1: Basic concepts of the child and adolescent behaviour
A. Goals of Child psychology
1. To:
a) Describe how changes typically occur from conception to ±18 years of age
b) Explain what causes these developmental changes
c) Predict based on past and present characteristics what behaviour a child
will manifest at a later stage of life
d) Improve well being
(1) Meaning to make positive changes in people’s lives or to prevent
problems from developing
B. Developmental Stages
1. Development is a continuous process but it is useful to divide it into stages
2. Some boundaries are more clearly demarcated than others
3. It is important that we take individual and cultural di erences into account
a) Prenatal stage
(1) Germinal
(2) Embryonic
(3) Foetal
b) Neonatal Stage
(1) First 2 weeks of life
(2) And infancy (2 years)
c) Early childhood
(1) ±2-6 years
d) Middle childhood
(1) ±6 to puberty (12)
e) Adolescence
(1) Puberty to adulthood
C. Developmental domains
1. Physical development
a) Changes in the child’s body
b) Important aspect means we have to monitor development
2. Cognitive development
a) Includes perception, learning, memory, thinking, decision making,
imagination, creativity, language and intelligence
3. Personality development
a) Totality of a persons psychological, social, moral and physical
characteristics
4. Social development
a) Individuals interaction and relationships with other people
b) In uence of society and signi cant others on individual
c) Includes socialisation, moral development, religion and spirituality
II. Lecture 2: Developmental issues
A. Is the child’s development due to biological, genetic or environmental factors?
Page 1 of 15
fl fi ff
, 1. The focus of this debate is one that no longer centres on which is more
important but rather on how each of these contribute to speci c behaviours,
situations and individuals
B. Is human development a continuous or discontinuous process?
1. Both viewpoints are considered correct depending on the type of behaviour
C. Do children have an active role in their development or is it entirely up to
environmental factors?
1. Most agree that although environmental in uences cannot be denied, children
also play an active role in their development
2. Unique way in which children interpret and process experiences has a high
in uence on development
D. Do all children in the world follow universal developmental pathways or are there
clear di erences between cultures?
1. Importance of cultural context
2. Paths of developmental in one culture may vary from another
3. In uence of parental practices
4. Must not overemphasise the roll of culture
III. Lecture 3: Theories of Development
A. What is a theory?
1. In child development, a theory is an organised set of ideas that is designed to
explain and make predictions about development
a) It summarises and explains presently known facts
b) It aims to predict future behaviour
c) It stimulates new research
B. The biological perspective
1. Behaviour is primarily determined by biological factors
2. Maturational Theory
a) Natural unfolding of biological plan and experience matters very little
b) This theory was discarded because it ignored the impact of the environment
3. Ethological theory
a) Views on development are from an evolutionary perspective where
behaviours are adaptive
b) Contains inherent adaptive behaviours
c) Says that all animals are programmed so that some kinds of learning occur
only at certain stages and critical periods
4. Evolutionary theory
a) Applies Darwin’s theory of evolution and principle of natural selection
b) Emphasises the adaptive value of children’s behaviour at di erent periods in
development
C. The Psychodynamic perspective
1. Explores in uence of unconscious psychological motives on behaviour
2. Freuds psychosexual theory
a) Convinced early experiences establish patterns that endure throughout life
b) Psychoanalysis:
(1) Development is largely determined by how well people resolve
unconscious con icts they face at di erent ages
c) Personality has three primary concepts that emerge at distinct ages:
(1) Ego
(2) Superego
(3) Id
d) Series of psychosexual stages
(1) Child moves in sequence determined by maturation
Page 2 of 15
fl
ff fl fl ff fl ff fi
Chapters 1-3
Slides
I. Chapter 1: Basic concepts of the child and adolescent behaviour
A. Goals of Child psychology
1. To:
a) Describe how changes typically occur from conception to ±18 years of age
b) Explain what causes these developmental changes
c) Predict based on past and present characteristics what behaviour a child
will manifest at a later stage of life
d) Improve well being
(1) Meaning to make positive changes in people’s lives or to prevent
problems from developing
B. Developmental Stages
1. Development is a continuous process but it is useful to divide it into stages
2. Some boundaries are more clearly demarcated than others
3. It is important that we take individual and cultural di erences into account
a) Prenatal stage
(1) Germinal
(2) Embryonic
(3) Foetal
b) Neonatal Stage
(1) First 2 weeks of life
(2) And infancy (2 years)
c) Early childhood
(1) ±2-6 years
d) Middle childhood
(1) ±6 to puberty (12)
e) Adolescence
(1) Puberty to adulthood
C. Developmental domains
1. Physical development
a) Changes in the child’s body
b) Important aspect means we have to monitor development
2. Cognitive development
a) Includes perception, learning, memory, thinking, decision making,
imagination, creativity, language and intelligence
3. Personality development
a) Totality of a persons psychological, social, moral and physical
characteristics
4. Social development
a) Individuals interaction and relationships with other people
b) In uence of society and signi cant others on individual
c) Includes socialisation, moral development, religion and spirituality
II. Lecture 2: Developmental issues
A. Is the child’s development due to biological, genetic or environmental factors?
Page 1 of 15
fl fi ff
, 1. The focus of this debate is one that no longer centres on which is more
important but rather on how each of these contribute to speci c behaviours,
situations and individuals
B. Is human development a continuous or discontinuous process?
1. Both viewpoints are considered correct depending on the type of behaviour
C. Do children have an active role in their development or is it entirely up to
environmental factors?
1. Most agree that although environmental in uences cannot be denied, children
also play an active role in their development
2. Unique way in which children interpret and process experiences has a high
in uence on development
D. Do all children in the world follow universal developmental pathways or are there
clear di erences between cultures?
1. Importance of cultural context
2. Paths of developmental in one culture may vary from another
3. In uence of parental practices
4. Must not overemphasise the roll of culture
III. Lecture 3: Theories of Development
A. What is a theory?
1. In child development, a theory is an organised set of ideas that is designed to
explain and make predictions about development
a) It summarises and explains presently known facts
b) It aims to predict future behaviour
c) It stimulates new research
B. The biological perspective
1. Behaviour is primarily determined by biological factors
2. Maturational Theory
a) Natural unfolding of biological plan and experience matters very little
b) This theory was discarded because it ignored the impact of the environment
3. Ethological theory
a) Views on development are from an evolutionary perspective where
behaviours are adaptive
b) Contains inherent adaptive behaviours
c) Says that all animals are programmed so that some kinds of learning occur
only at certain stages and critical periods
4. Evolutionary theory
a) Applies Darwin’s theory of evolution and principle of natural selection
b) Emphasises the adaptive value of children’s behaviour at di erent periods in
development
C. The Psychodynamic perspective
1. Explores in uence of unconscious psychological motives on behaviour
2. Freuds psychosexual theory
a) Convinced early experiences establish patterns that endure throughout life
b) Psychoanalysis:
(1) Development is largely determined by how well people resolve
unconscious con icts they face at di erent ages
c) Personality has three primary concepts that emerge at distinct ages:
(1) Ego
(2) Superego
(3) Id
d) Series of psychosexual stages
(1) Child moves in sequence determined by maturation
Page 2 of 15
fl
ff fl fl ff fl ff fi
