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Chapter 1 - Basic Concept

The document outlines the scientific study of human development, emphasizing key philosophies, early contributions from notable figures like Darwin, Hall, Gesell, and Piaget, and contemporary perspectives such as the lifespan perspective and domains of development. It discusses the interactionist model of development and the continuity-discontinuity debate, categorizing age-related changes into universal, group-specific, and individual differences. Additionally, it highlights research designs and ethical considerations in studying age-related changes.

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Yusei Izumi
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14 views24 pages

Chapter 1 - Basic Concept

The document outlines the scientific study of human development, emphasizing key philosophies, early contributions from notable figures like Darwin, Hall, Gesell, and Piaget, and contemporary perspectives such as the lifespan perspective and domains of development. It discusses the interactionist model of development and the continuity-discontinuity debate, categorizing age-related changes into universal, group-specific, and individual differences. Additionally, it highlights research designs and ethical considerations in studying age-related changes.

Uploaded by

Yusei Izumi
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT


⚬ Explain each of the philosophies that are important to the
study of human development.
⚬ Describe the contributions of the early developmental
scientists.
• CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
⚬ Explain the importance of the lifespan perspective.
⚬ List and describe the three major domains of development.
⚬ Describe the interactionist model of development.
⚬ Explain developmental changes in terms of continuity and
discontinuity.
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
The scientific study of age-related
changes in our bodies, behavior,
thinking, emotions, social
relationships, and personalities.
CRITICAL THINKING
Other cultures and religions have different
ways of viewing the process of development.
How do the original sin, blank slate, and innate
goodness views compare with your own
beliefs? How do you think your own culture
and religion have contributed to these beliefs?
The Study of Human
Development becomes a
Science
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin and other evolutionists
believed they could understand the
development of the human species by studying
child development. Many, including Darwin,
kept detailed records of their own children’s
early development (called baby biographies) in
the hope of finding evidence to support the
theory of evolution (Charlesworth, 1992;
Dewsbury, 2009). These were the first
organized studies of human development.
G. Stanley Hall
• He used questionnaires and interviews to study
large numbers of children. His 1891 article titled
“The Contents of Children’s Minds on Entering
School” represented the first scientific study of
child development.
• He thought that developmentalists should
identify norms , or average ages at which
developmental milestones are reached. Norms,
Hall said, could be used to learn about the
evolution of the species as well as to track the
development of individual children.
Arnold Gesell
• Suggested the existence of a genetically
programmed sequential pattern of change.
• Gesell used the term maturation to describe
such a pattern of change.
• He pioneered the use of movie cameras and
one-way observation devices to study children’s
behavior.
• His findings became the basis for many norm-
referenced tests that are used today to
determine whether individual children are
developing normally.
Jean Piaget
• One of the most influential theories in
the history of developmental psychology.
• His studies convinced him that logical
thinking develops in four stages between
birth and adolescence.
• The stages Piaget described and the
theory he proposed to explain them
became the foundation of modern
cognitive-developmental psychology.
Contemporary
Developmental
Psychology
Lifespan Perspective
The current view of developmentalists that
changes happen throughout the entire
human lifespan and that changes must be
interpreted in light of the culture and context
in which they occur; thus, interdisciplinary
research is critical to understanding human
development.
Domain of Development
• Physical domain - changes in the size, shape,
and characteristics of the body.
• Cognitive domain - changes in thinking,
memory, problem-solving, and other intellectual
skills.
• Social domain - changes in variables that are
associated with the relationship of an individual
to others.
The Interactionist Model
of Development
The theory that development results
from complex reciprocal interactions
between multiple personal and
environmental factors.
Continuity and Discontinuity
in Development
A key issue in the study of human development is the
continuity–discontinuity issue. The question is whether
age-related change is primarily a matter of amount or
degree (the continuity side of the debate) or more
commonly involves changes in type or kind (the
discontinuity side).
Human development theorists and
researchers would agree that age-related
changes can be classified by using three
categories: universal changes , group-
specific changes , and individual differences.
Universal Changes
Universal changes are common to every
individual in a species and are linked to specific
ages. Some universal changes happen because
we are all biological organisms subject to a
genetically programmed maturing process.
Group-specific Changes
Group-specific changes are shared by all
individuals who grow up together in a particular
group. One of the most important groups to
which we all belong is our culture.
Individual Differences
Individual differences are changes resulting from
unique, unshared events. One clearly unshared
event in each person’s life is conception; the
combination of genes each individual receives at
conception is unique.
Research Designs
and Methods
Goals of Psychology
• Describe
• Explain
• Predict
• Influence
Studying age-related changes
Research Design
• Descriptive
• Correlational
• Experimental
Research Ethics
• Protection from harm
• Informed consent
• Confidentiality
• Knowledge of results
• Deception

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