OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and
adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field
has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan.
Developmental psychologists study human growth and development over the lifespan, including
physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional growth.
Developmental psychologists working in colleges and universities tend to focus primarily on
research or teaching.
Developmental psychologists aim to explain how thinking, feeling, and behaviors change
throughout life. This field examines change across three major dimensions, which are physical
development, cognitive development, and social emotional development. Within these three
dimensions are a broad range of topics including motor skills, executive functions, moral
understanding, language acquisition, social change, personality, emotional development, self-
concept, and identity formation.
Developmental psychology generally focuses on how and why certain changes (cognitive, social,
intellectual, personality) occur over time in the course of a human life. Many theorists have made
a profound contribution to this area of psychology. One of them, Erik Erikson developed a model
of eight stages of psychological development. He believed that humans developed in stages
throughout their lifetimes and that this would affect their behavior

HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Developmental psychology first appeared as an area of study in the late 19th century (Baltes,
Lindenberger, & Staudinger, 2007). Developmental psychology focused initially on child and
adolescent development, and was concerned about children’s minds and learning (Hall, 1883).

The 1900s saw many significant people dominating the developmental psychology field with
their detailed theories of development: Sigmund Freud (1923, 1961), Jean Piaget (1928), Erik
Erikson (1959), Lev Vygotsky (1978), John Bowlby (1958), and Albert Bandura (1977).

By the 1920s, the scope of developmental psychology had begun to include adult development
and the aging process (Thompson, 2016).

In more recent years, it has broadened further to include prenatal development (Brandon et al.,
2009). Developmental psychology is now understood to encompass the complete lifespan (Baltes
et al., 2007).
4 Popular Theories, Stages, & Models

1. Bowlby’s attachment styles

2. Piaget’s stage theory

3. Freud’s psychosexual development theory

4. Bandura’s social learning theory

FOCUS OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Earlier developmental psychology models and theories were focused on specific areas, such as
attachment, psychosexual, cognitive, and social learning. Although informative, they did not take
in differing perspectives and were fixed paradigms.

We’ve now come to understand that development is not fixed. Individual differences take place
in development, and the factors that can affect development are many. It is ever changing
throughout life.

The modern-day approach to developmental psychology includes sub-fields of positive

psychology. It brings these differing disciplines together to form an overarching positive
developmental psychology paradigm.

Developmental psychology has helped us gain a considerable understanding of children’s

motivations, social and emotional contexts, and their strengths and weaknesses.

This knowledge is essential for educators to create rich learning environments for students to
help them develop positively and ultimately flourish to their full potential.

Resources From PositivePsychology.com

There are many valuable resources to help you foster positive development no matter whether
you’re working with young children, teenagers, or adults.
Therefore, Developmental psychology is essentially the scientific study of human growth and
development over the lifespan. It examines how and why humans grow and change over the
course of a lifetime – from childhood right through to their elderly years.

Some of the human changes explored in developmental psychology include:

 Cognitive
 Motivational
 Biological
 Social
 Emotional
 Intellectual

Developmental psychologists analyse how and why these changes have contributed to an
individual’s growth and development and apply appropriate theories and approaches to help
individuals optimise their development and better adapt to real-life situations.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN AREAS OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY?

Developmental psychology tends to focus on 4 key areas of human growth and development:

 Physical – This relates to the physical signs of an individual’s development. For

example, a child is typically able to walk at 9-15 months of age. If they’re unable to walk
by 16 to 18 months, their parents/guardians may need to consider reaching out to a
developmental psychologist to discover if there may be a developmental issue.
 Cognitive – This examines an individual’s cognition and how it may be contributing to
any developmental issues. For example, individuals facing mental health issues may be
experiencing impaired cognitive function, and therefore may seek help from a
developmental psychologist to find better ways they can cope with and approach certain
situations in their lives.
 Social/emotional – An individual’s social environments and emotional state can have a
great influence on their growth and development. Developmental psychologists take a
close look into these areas of an individual’s life and try to identify how they may be
impacting their growth and development and ability to adapt.
  Communication – An individual’s ability to communicate can also greatly influence
their growth and development, as well as their success in reaching their potential. This
area of developmental psychology explores how and why an individual’s communication
skills have changed over time, and identifies whether their communication skills
development is congruent with the level typically reached at their stage in their lives.

Why is developmental psychology important? How is it used by psychologists?

Developmental psychology is crucial in understanding how and why individuals develop, learn,
grow, and adapt over time.

Humans go through a range of developmental stages over their lifetimes, and understanding the
complexities around each of these stages, as well as the interplay between them, can help
psychologists better understand how and why an individual thinks, feels and behaves the way
they do.

Psychologists therefore harness developmental psychology theories and approaches to not only
gain a deeper understanding of an individual and their behaviours, but also importantly to help
them identify ways they can better facilitate their growth and development and reach their full
potential.

DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY IN NURSING

INTRODUCTION: Nursing concentrates entirely on assisting individuals recover from serious
and chronic diseases, while psychology concentrates on dealing with the emotional issues of
individuals. Nurses have to understand the psychology of their patients and help them
psychologically for a rapid restoration. Nurses have to manage patients during severe healthcare
concerns and deal with their emotions and actions. Patients begin to depend on nurses who try to
reduce their emotional stress. It has been seen in many cases that physical sickness results in
emotional interference. At this stage, nurses have to be sympathetic and understanding. Nursing
staff are trained in a manner that they help sufferers psychologically by dealing with the
emotional changes. Psychology in the healthcare industry is trained intentionally. The modern
medical literary works on counseling psychology and clinical psychology helps nurses perform
their everyday tasks. They communicate with sufferers on a regular basis and it is easy for them
to recognize the signs of emotional disruptions compared to other healthcare employees. It
guarantees proper care to sufferers and professional services are given to them. The knowledge
of the assumptions about how the child develops and his/her inherent characteristics which give
rise to personality will afford the nurse the opportunity to guide the parents the on learning
processes towards optimal performance of the child.. Psychology has a huge relevance on the
nursing practice. Nurses work in a setting where they’re required to interact with other
professionals in an effort to bring the best quality care for their patients.
The word “Psychology” originated from two Greek words-“psyche” and “logos”. The word
logos stand for a rational discourse or a study. The word psyche is interpreted in different ways
by psychologists at various periods. Initially the word psyche was interpreted as ‘soul’, then
‘mind’ and at later stage as ‘consciousness’. Now psychology is viewed as a science which aims
to give us better understanding and control of the behavior of individuals as a whole. In simple
terms, it is a science of human behavior. A human being is best understood through his behavior.
The following quote by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe reveals the importance of studying
human behavior.“Behavior is a mirror in which everyone displays his image.”
Psychology is basically the study of behavior, mental operations and performance of people. It is
also the connection of educational, theoretical and applied science. Student nurses who study
psychology devotedly are able to understand the compound process of the brain that commands
the actions of all human. They also are able to realize that they can make use of psychology in
understanding the behaviors, situations and everyday life of patients. The concern as a nurses is
to assist the child to develop the appropriate personality from conception to adolescent. This
implies that we must not only know the subject matter but the child. Knowing the child includes
knowing how the child grows and develops in the study.
Developmental psychology is an aspect of psychology which deals with the development,
growth and behaviour in human beings right from the time of conception to the period of
adolescence when most of the functions of the body become matured. It also deals with the
factors which determine what a child will become in future. It is therefore a scientific approach
which aims to explain how children and adults change over time. The aims of developmental
psychology are to describe, explain, and to optimize development
CONTROVERSIES IN LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT:
There are three issues, sometimes called controversies in life-span development. They are;
THE NATURE –NURTURE DEBATE
The Nature-Nurture debate. This is arguing whether development is due to nature or nurture. Is
one’s development as a result of one’s genetic structure (Nature) or one’s care (Nurture)?
Nature View: What aspects of your behavior are controlled and what happens when we grow?
Nurture View: What aspect of your behavior can we attribute to the way in which we are
brought up-what are the environmental, social and human influences on us? At present, there is
universal agreement that both nature and nurture are involved.
DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS OR IN STAGES
Whether developments occur continuously or in stages. Is one’s development a gradual and
continuous process or does it pass through stages which have to be negotiated one after the
other?
Behaviorists like Watson, believe that our development is a steady continuous process based on
the rate at which we learn new behaviors. But Stage theorists like Freud, Erikson and Piaget
believe that development or maturation is an uneven process, with periods of little development
followed by dramatic changes in a relatively short time. They argue that however rich or
enriched the environment, however keen the parents are that their children should speak or walk
–until the child is ready or has matured enough for the next stage, it will not happen. In order
words, untilthe child has matured biologically, the next stage will not occur. Biological change
preceded or prepares us for psychological change. At present, the Stage theorists appear to have
the upper hand. Nature theorists tend to be stage theorists while nurture theorists tend to hold to
the continuous view.
DEVELOPMENT STABLE OR CHANGES OVER TIME
The stability or change issue. Is one’s personality development stable over one’s span or does it
change as one develops?
These are controversies that are faced in developmental psychology
The Importance of developmental Psychology to a Nurse
Why do nurses study developmental psychology? Nurses study developmental psychology for
the following reasons:
i). understand and help the patient
Nurses must understand the patients to provide quality nursing care. The study of psychology
helps nurses to understand the individual differences found in behavior and personality traits of
the patients and the meaning of their behavior at different circumstances.
ii. understand and help the relatives
Nurses in the process of providing holistic care, they encourage the relatives and well wishers to
participate in the patient care. It’s a challenging task for the nurses to get their cooperation and
make them understand why certain actions are performed for the patients. The study of
psychology helps nurses to understand the genuine demand of the relatives and concern for the
patien
vii). In managing patients with different illnesses, both nurses and psychologists not only
work in
understanding the physical pain associated, but also change their thought and attitudes to
improve well-being.
viii). With the help of psychology, nurses will know how to interact with their patients based on
different factors such as gender and age. For instance, young patients may be more afraid than
adults. They may have difficulties in understanding their illness. A nurse can apply his
knowledge of child development and psychology and relate to the young patients in a way their
apprehensions are alleviated. Thus, psychology can help improve the nurse and patient
relationship. As a result, patients can openly interact and communicate with them and inform
them about their specific needs.
ix). When assessing a patient’s condition, nurses also consider how patient’s respond to their
illness. Some patients are optimistic and easily cope with their illness, while others have a
negative reaction where they become angry and stubborn. Nurses may find it very difficult to
handle such patients and need to include them as part of their evaluation of the patient.
x). With psychological knowledge also, nurses are able to get the trust of their patients. This
makes the patients more responsive with the instructions they are given. Sometimes, they even
take a positive role in their own wellness.
Importance of Psychology in Nursing

Nurses perform critical tasks in patient care, but some nursing students do not understand the
reason to devote an hour of studying psychology yet their interest in care giving. They fail to
understand that although nursing and psychology are different fields, they have a relationship
when caring patient.

Nurses need psychology because they work in a setting that requires interaction with patients and
other professionals all to provide quality care. It helps them to understand the way other peoples
behave and act in particular situations. Psychological skills come into play because all the people
come from different backgrounds which affect the way they behave. Psychology helps nurses in
these ways:

Better interaction with Patients

Nursing involves the management of patients with different types of illnesses hence they must
try to understand the kind of pain that is hurting them to change their attitude and thoughts to
improve well-being.

Nurses who draw on psychology will make a better decision on how to interact with the patients
according to different factors such as age and gender. For instance, children and young patients
are likely to fear attention from adults. It will difficult to make them relax to listen to and
understand their illness. A nurse needs to apply psychology and knowledge of child development
to young patients to make headway in alleviating their apprehensions. Psychology helps to build
a relationship between nurse and patients. As a result, the patients can interact and communicate
openly and communicate their specific needs to the caregiver.

Proper Assessment
When evaluating the condition of a patient, nurses consider the severity of illness, level of
discomfort or pain and response of the patient. Nurses must identify the emotional and mental
status of their patients for inclusion as part of their evaluation. Psychology helps them to
determine the real behavior of the patient in reaction to the ill health. For instance, some patients
have optimism even if they are seriously sick or when the prognosis is incredibly bleak. A nurse
will know that an optimistic patient is likely to cope better with pain and other symptoms of the
disease.
Another group of patients might respond by hopelessness or anger sometimes to the extent of
lashing out at innocent hospital staff or their families while others become withdrawn. Some
skills in psychology will enable the nurse to define the best way to help such patients as they
have more difficulty in coping with their symptoms. They are likely to complain of great
discomfort than other patients suffering from similar conditions.

Creation of an efficient care plan

A nurse should consider must make a wholesome decision when deciding on the best care plan
by considering the mental and physical state. For example, a patient who is having anxiety after
diagnosis of chronic disease might lose interest in activities of daily living and even refuse to
leave the bed. It is a dangerous habit that will increase the risk of secondary infections such as
pneumonia or respiratory infections.

A nurse requires some knowledge of psychology to judge if a patient has enthusiasms about the
treatment and care plan. A suspicion that the patient will not participate in the recovery plans
should trigger the nurse into action. The patient might be complicated to engage, but nurses still
need to provide encouragement, emotional support and determine strategies to adapt the
treatment plan to his or her psychological health. For instance, a nurse might score a few short-
term goals that a patient will achieve such as getting out the bed early in the morning for a walk
around the room and walking out of the room for at least 10 minutes a day in the afternoon.

The importance of psychology in nursing is that it enables nurses to understand better why a
patient behaves in a certain way and determine the best way to interact. The patient, in turn, will
trust the nurse and become more responsive to instructions.
The Importance of Psychology in Nursing: A Vital Pillar of Patient-Centered Care

Introduction

Nursing is an art and science that goes far beyond administering medications and providing
physical care. At its core, nursing is about understanding and caring for the whole person – mind,
body, and spirit. To achieve this holistic approach to patient care, nurses must grasp the
significance of psychology in nursing. Psychology plays a fundamental role in enhancing patient
outcomes, promoting effective communication, and fostering empathy and compassion within
the nursing profession. In this blog, we will explore why psychology is crucial in nursing and
how it enriches the patient experience.

1. Understanding the Patient

Psychology provides nurses with essential insights into the human mind and behavior. By
understanding psychological principles, nurses can better comprehend the emotions, fears, and
anxieties that patients may be experiencing. This understanding allows nurses to tailor their care
to meet the unique needs of each patient, leading to improved patient satisfaction and compliance
with treatment plans.

2. Effective Communication

Communication lies at the heart of nursing practice, and psychology plays a pivotal role in
enhancing communication skills. Nurses with a background in psychology can employ active
listening, empathy, and non-verbal cues to establish a deeper connection with patients. By
fostering open and honest communication, nurses can build trust, alleviate fears, and encourage
patients to share crucial information about their health, which can ultimately lead to more
accurate diagnoses and better treatment outcomes.

3. Dealing with Psychological Distress

Patients facing illness or injury often experience psychological distress, such as anxiety,
depression, or even post-traumatic stress disorder. Nurses trained in psychology can recognize
these emotional challenges and provide appropriate support or referrals for mental health
services. This integrated approach to care addresses both the physical and emotional aspects of a
patient's well-being, leading to improved coping mechanisms and a faster recovery.
4. Enhancing Coping Mechanisms

Illness and hospitalization can be overwhelming for patients and their families. Nurses skilled in
psychology can help patients develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with stress, pain, and
uncertainty. Whether it's through relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral interventions, or
emotional support, nurses can empower patients to navigate their health journey more
effectively.

5. Improving Patient Education

Patient education is a vital aspect of nursing care, and psychology plays a significant role in this
process. Understanding how patients learn and process information allows nurses to tailor their
teaching methods to individual learning styles. Additionally, knowledge of psychology helps
nurses identify potential barriers to learning and address them proactively, ensuring that patients
are well-informed and can actively participate in their care decisions.

6. Promoting Patient Adherence

Patients' willingness to adhere to treatment plans is crucial for successful outcomes. Nurses
equipped with psychological knowledge can identify factors that may impede adherence, such as
fear, lack of understanding, or socioeconomic issues. By addressing these factors, nurses can
work collaboratively with patients to develop realistic and achievable care plans, leading to
better treatment compliance and improved health outcomes.

7. Compassionate and Patient-Centered Care

At the heart of nursing is the commitment to providing compassionate, patient-centered care.

Understanding the psychological needs of patients fosters empathy, kindness, and respect in
nursing practice. It helps nurses see patients as unique individuals with their stories, fears, and
aspirations, rather than merely medical cases. This humanistic approach not only enhances
patient satisfaction but also contributes to a positive and supportive work environment for nurses.
Conclusion

Incorporating psychology into nursing practice is vital for delivering high-quality, patient-
centered care. By understanding the complexities of human behavior and emotions, nurses can
establish deeper connections with patients, provide better support during times of distress, and
enhance communication and patient education. Psychology enriches the nursing profession by
fostering empathy, compassion, and a holistic approach to patient care. As the healthcare
landscape evolves, the integration of psychology into nursing will continue to play a pivotal role
in improving patient outcomes and overall well-being.

MPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE

Introduction Psychology
means the study of people’s mind that predominantly concerns itself with
behavior features. Psychology is essential to enhancing the nursing practice because it entails
understanding nonverbal and verbal communication that patients deploy (Lox, Ginis &
Petruzzello, 2017). Psychology possesses some serious bearing on nursing since the Nurses
practice in settings where they are obliged to interrelate with rest of specialists in their endeavors
to offer excellent care to the patients. Nurses must understand fully the ways people act and
behave in set circumstances. This paper discusses the significance of psychology in nursing
practice. With psychology, the nurses can define ways of interacting with patients using different
aspects, like age and gender. For example, children are often terrified than the adults and have
problems in appreciating their sickness. Nurses can employ child-development knowledge and
psychology to communicate to such child patient in ways that will alleviate any apprehensions.
As a result, psychology helps improve patient and nurse relationship that patients communicate
openly and interact with nurses to notify them of their particular necessities (Barley, 2016). By
handling patients of different diseases, nurses labor in the appreciation of associated physical
discomfort and adjust their attitudes and thought towards improving health. When evaluating the
patient’s complaint, nurses will similarly use psychology to understand the ways the patient
responds to the illness. Certain patients remain hopeful and certain to coping with the illness
while the rest have negative reactions that they become stubborn and angry. Nurses will find it so
hard to respond to such clients and their needs or even engage them in patient evaluation (de
Vries & Timmins, 2017).
IMPORTANCE OF PSYCHOLOGY IN NURSING PRACTICE

In using psychology, the nurses have the capacity to attain the patients’ trust. The result is
patients becoming responsive to instructions the nurses give or even patients initiate positive
roles in personal wellness. Psychology knowledge
helps nurses to appreciate patient’s
background, needs, and the problems before attending to them. The nurse will appreciate what
motivates, the perceptions, personality, attitudes and patient characteristics in some much better
approach. This shall help the patients attaining fast cure and relief that is a basic slogan for any
practicing nurse (Lox, Ginis & Petruzzello, 2017). Psychology remains important for physical
and mental wellbeing care. Today, more individuals are suffering from perceptual illness with
patients possess minor difficulties as compared to those with severe illness. Nurses that work in
the mental infirmaries definitely require the full appreciation of abnormal, general, counseling
and clinical psychology as the nurses laboring in public health centers to help individuals
recognize their mental sickness in early phases and persuade them to seek suitable treatment. The
nurses can similarly help persons to avoid mental diseases through appropriate leadership to
handle anxiety, stress and such other problems. Psychology shall help the nurse to appreciate
such unusual conduct in a patient and assist the patient in cure and illness management (de Vries
& Timmins, 2017). Where nurses possess both psychological and physical abilities, they can
practice better as well control own personal feelings, emotions, personality features, and
attitudes. The nurses have personal limitations that with psychology, they are able to distinguish
personal problems and understand own weaknesses and strengths. In appreciating such features,
the nurse can endeavor to overwhelm the weaknesses affecting their practice and focus on
developing the better personality abilities and characteristics to efficiently and effectively
undertake her tasks and duties (Barley, 2016).