Developing individual in society Lecture 1 : 15/10/2020 What is developmental psychology? Lecturer: Fenja Ziegler How does development occur, from childhood to adulthood, when we arose from a single cell? Some believe it was a purely biological process, others believe it is a result of our life experiences. However, it has been found that it is a result of nature and nurture. In order to complete simple tasks, a child has to improve and develop their cognition, perception, and social skills. Many researchers have attempted to discover this development process. Development : Patterns of change across a period of time, not just in childhood to adulthood, but throughout all an individual's life and what explains/drives this change. The reason children are the most used in these pieces of research is because it is where the most development changes take place, whereas in later life these changes are more subtle. Does age bring wisdom? Age in developmental psychology is the most common variable used, however age is just time elapsed since birth. Age itself is not a causal variable, it does not cause you to get wiser or learn, but it is what is called a proxy variable. As you age, some other developmental process leads to this development, however we do not yet understand or have not yet discovered this process. Proxy variable: Some other developmental process we have not yet measured. Therefore, age is not a full explanation for development. Charlesworth said development is the most 'complex phenomenon in the universe.' What drove developmental psychology? - Important periods of history influenced the rise of developmental psychology. - Industrial revolution: Included a workforce with a need for literacy and numeracy. Mass education lead to a need to understand learning and development. - It also meant there was a need to understand the effects of childhood experience on behaviour. - Darwin's book, origin of the species, went against the idea of being made by a divine being, and suggested we evolved into how we are. Lead to a biological understanding in terms of development. Darwin made the first attempts to observe child development. He suggested that emotional expressions are innate, such as how we express anger or happiness. Darwin noted that
children, like other young animals, like to bite. It seems to be as instinctive in them as it is in young crocodiles upon leaving their egg. Major themes and issues in developmental psychology Continuity and discontinuity: - Continuity: Indicates a smooth gradual process when it comes to development and skill accumulation. Children are 'mini adults'. - Discontinuous: Indicates behaviours change abruptly, in set stages of growth. - Overlapping waves: A theory made by Siegler, that development is a stage-like process, where multiple stages can occur at once throughout growth. More Strategy 1 Strategy 4 Strategy 5 Strategy 2 Percent use Strategy 3 Less Age Oider Stability and change: - Stability: If something is developed it remains the same throughout the course of your life. An example would be someone who