GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

PSYCHOLOGY:
MEANING AND DEFINITION
Psychology owes its origin from Philosophy. In the year 1950, Rudolf Goeckle first
used the word „Psychology‟.
➢ The term „Psychology‟ is a combination of two Greek words „Psyche‟ and
„Logos‟ which mean „Soul‟ and „Science‟, respectively. It has a long history.
A review of the history of psychology reveals that during the Greek period
philosophers dominated the field of psychology.
➢ At that time, Psychology was not a separate discipline. It got scientific status
in the year 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychological
laboratory at Leipzig in Germany.
➢ It has been defined differently by different philosophers and psychologists.
The most appropriate definition of psychology has been advocated by R.S.
Woodworth (1910-1960). According to him, “Psychology is the scientific
study of the activities of the organism in relation to its environment”.
Psychology is a positive science which helps to understand, predict and
control human behaviour.
➢ It uses scientific methods to study different activities and experiences
systematically. The word „activities‟ includes both external behaviours and
internal mental processes.
➢ It studies behaviour of living organisms, both animals and human beings. It
acknowledges the role of environment in shaping the behaviour of
organisms. Thus, it is concluded that psychology is the scientific study of
behaviours, experiences and mental processes of the organisms in relation to
the environment.
Most people use the terms „growth‟ and „development‟ interchangeably and
accept them as synonymous. But in reality, the meanings of these two terms are
different.
GROWTH:
CONCEPT AND DEFINITION
• Growth refers to physical increase in some quantity over time. It includes
changes in terms of height, weight, body proportions and general physical
appearance.
• In Encyclopaedia Britannica, growth is defined as “an increase in size or the
amount of an entity”. It means growth involves all those structural and
physiological changes that take place within individual during the process of
maturation.
• For example, growth of a child means the increase in weight, height and
different organs of the child’s body.
• Hurlock has defined Growth as “change in size, in proportion, disappearance
of old features and acquisition of new ones”.
• Growth refers to structural and physiological changes (Crow and Crow,
1962). Thus, growth refers to an increase in physical size of whole or any of
its part and can be measured.
• Profit: Growth usually refers to an increase in size and number
• Todd: Growth refer to increase in size
• Huxley: Self manipulation of living substance
• Watson and Lowrey: Growth means an increase in the physical size of the
whole or any of its parts
• Hurlock: Growth is change in size, in proportion disappearance of old
features and acquisition of new ones
 • Frank: It is the manipulation of cells i.e., growth in height and weight or it
may be changes in the particular aspects of the body or it means increase
and enlargement of body or some part of the body.
• Goessel: Growth carries a more dynamic connotation which organically ties
the present with the past and directs it towards the future.
DEVELOPMENT:
CONCEPT AND DEFINITION
 Development refers to the qualitative changes in the organism as whole.
 Development is a continuous process through which physical, emotional and
intellectual changes occur.
 It is a wider and more comprehensive term than growth. It is also possible
without growth.
 In Webster‟s dictionary development is defined as “the series of changes
which an organism undergoes in passing from an embryonic stage to
maturity.”
 In Encyclopedia Britannica is the term development defined as “the
progressive change in size, shape and function during the life of an organism
by which its genetic potential are translated into functioning adult system.”
So, development includes all those psychological changes that take in the
functions and activities of different organs of an organism. Development is
continuous and gradual process (Skinner).
 According to Crow and Crow (1965) development is concerned with growth
as well as those changes in behaviour which results from environmental
situation.” Thus, development is a process of change in growth and capability
over time due to function of both maturation and interaction with the
environment.
 Peary: Development means the whole sequence of life from conception to
death.
 Frank: Development may imply the change in organism as a whole.
 Marlow: Development refers to progressive increase in skill and capacity.
 Profit: Development is increase in complexity.
 Todd: Development is a progress towards maturity.
 Hurlock: Progressive series of changes that occur in an orderly, predictable
pattern as a result of maturation and experience.
  Liebert, Poulos and Marmora: Development refers to a process of change in
growth and capability over time, as function of both maturation and
interaction with the environment.
 J. E. Anderson: Development is concerned with growth as well as those
changes in behaviour which results from environmental situations.
GROWTH DEVELOPMENT
Growth refers to physiological Development refers to overall
changes. changes in the individual. It involves
changes in an orderly and coherent
type towards the goal of maturity.
Changes in the quantitative respect Development changes in the quality
is termed as growth along with quantitative aspect.
Growth does not continue Development continues throughout
throughout life. life.
Growth occurs due to the Development occurs due to both
multiplication of cells. maturation and interaction with the
environment.
Growth is cellular. Development is organizational.
Growth is one of the part of the Development is a wider and
developmental process. comprehensive term
Growth may be referred to describe Development describes the changes
the changes in particular aspects of in the organism as a whole.
the body and behaviour of the
organism
The changes produced by growth are Development brings qualitative
subjects of measurements. They changes which are difficult to
may be quantified and observable in measure directly. They are assessed
nature. through keen observation of
behaviour in different situations.
Growth may or may not bring Development is possible without
development. growth.

Maturation
Maturation in psychology is the process of growing and developing mentally,
physically, and emotionally throughout life. It's a natural process that's influenced
by both heredity and environment. Maturation is important for successful
adjustment and can be observed in fatal development, developmental biology, and
psychological development.
PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
➢ Developmental psychologists believe that knowledge of an accurate pattern
of development is fundamental to an understanding of children.
➢ There are several basic principles that characterizes the pattern and process
of growth and development.
➢ These principles describe typical development as a predictable and orderly
process. Even though there are individual differences in children’s
personalities, attitudes, behaviour and timing of development, the principles
and characteristics of development are universal patterns.
1. Development involves change: - The human being is undergoing changes
from the moment of conception to the time of death. There are different types
of change occur such as, changes in size, proportions, disappearance of old
features and acquisition of new features etc. The goal of these developmental
changes is self-realization, which Abraham Maslow has labeled as self-
actualization. Each individual is equipped with certain abilities and potentialities
at birth. By utilizing the innate or inborn abilities one tries to realize and strive
for self actualization during the total life period. Children‟s attitude toward
change are generally determined by his knowledge about these changes, social
attitudes toward this change and the way people of society treats to children
when these changes take place. possible
2. Development is a continuous process:- Development continues throughout
the life of an individual. This process takes place in interaction with the
environment in which a person lives. One stage of development is the basic
framework for the next stage of development. A child has limited knowledge
and experiences about his environment. But as he develops, he acquires more
information through explorations and adds to the skills already acquired and the
new skills become the basis for further achievement and mastery of skills. For
example, the child is able to write and draw, he must have developed a hand
control to hold a pencil and crayon. Thus, a person has vast experiences and
knowledge as he grows up.
3. Development follows a direction and uniform pattern in an orderly
manner:-
i) Development proceeds from the center of the body outward. This is the
principle of proximodistal development that describes the direction of
development (from nearer to far apart). It means that the spinal cord develops
before outer parts of the body. The child‟s arms develop before the hands and
the hands and feet develop before the fingers and toes.
(ii) Development proceeds from the head downwards. This is called the
cephalocaudal principle. According to this principle, development occurs from
head to tail. The child gains control of the head first, then the arms and then the
legs.
4. Individual Differences in the Development Process:- Even though the pattern
of development is similar for all children but the rate of development varies
among children. Each child develops as per his abilities and perception of his
environment. Children differ from each other both genetically and
environmentally. So, both biological factor and environmental situations have
their impact on individual’s development which leads to individual differences in
development. Understanding this fact of individual differences in rates of
development should aware us to be careful about using and relying on age and
stage characteristics to label children.
5. Development depends on maturation and learning: - Maturation refers to
the sequential characteristic of biological growth and development. The
biological changes occur in sequential order and give children new abilities.
Changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation. These
changes in the brain and nervous system account largely for maturation. The
child‟s environment and the learning that occurs as a result of the child’s
experiences largely determine whether the child will reach optimal
development. An enriched environment and varied experiences help the child
to develop his/her potential.
6. Development is predictable: - Human development is predictable during the
life span. Although this development is influenced by both genetic and
environmental factors, however, it takes place in a pre-defined manner. Specific
areas of development, such as: different aspects of motor development,
emotional behaviour, speech, social behaviour, concept development, goals,
intellectual development etc. follow predictable patterns. For example, the
growth of the child in height and weight etc. continue up to a certain age. In
general, it is also found that all children follow a commonality in the
development periods of life. All children generally grow following the periods
like prenatal period and postnatal period. The postnatal period includes infancy,
babyhood, childhood, puberty and so on.
7. Early development is more critical than later development:- Milton writes “
The childhood shows the man, as morning shows the day.” Similarly, Erikson
views “childhood is the scene of man‟s beginning as man.” He explains that if
parents gratify the needs of the child for food, attention and love etc. , his
perception towards people and situation remains positive throughout his life.
He develops positive attitudes, feels secure, emotionally stable and adjust well
with the environment. If negative experiences occur during early life of the
child, maladjustments may take place. Glueck concludes that delinquents can
be identified as early as 2-3 years of age. Different researchers view that the
preschool years age are most important years of development as basic
foundation is laid down during this period which is difficult to change.
8. Development involves Social expectations: - In every society there are
certain rules, standards and traditions which everyone is expected to follow.
Development is determined by social norms and expectations of behaviors form
the individuals. Children learn customs, traditions and values of the society and
also what behaviors are expected from them. They realize from the approval or
disapproval of their behavior. Social expectations are otherwise known as
“developmental tasks”. Havinghurst defines developmental task as a “task which
arises at or about a certain period in the life of an individual. Developmental
tasks arise mainly
(a) as a result of physical maturation,
(b) form the cultural pressures of society,
(c) out of the personal values and aspirations of the individual. The
developmental tasks remain the same from one generation after another in a
particular culture. As societies are evolving, changing traditions and cultural
patterns of a society are learned automatically by children during their
development process. These developmental tasks help in motivating children to
learn as well as help parents to guide their children.
9. Development has potential hazards: - Development may be hampered by
various hazards. Hazards may be of physical, environmental or psychological
type. These hazards may be originated from the environment in which the child
grows or due to hereditary factors. They have negative impact on physical as
well as sociopsychological development of the child. The growth of the child
may be retarded, he may be an aggressive person or he may encounter
adjustment problems. For example, if a child is slurring or stammering and
parents neglect the child, the child may continue with this problem. 10.
Happiness varies at different periods of development: - Happiness varies at
different periods in the development process. Childhood is the happiest period
of life and puberty is the most unhappy. The patterns of happiness vary from
child to child and it is influenced by the rearing process of the child. Paul B.
Baltes stated six principles of development of life span approach. The six
principles of development are mentioned below:
1) Development is a lifelong process- Development is a process which
continues throughout life. It begins at birth and ends in death of an individual.
2) Development includes both gain and loss during life span. The child may
develop in one area and lose in another area.
3) Development is influenced by the biological factor and environmental
situations- The human development is influenced by biological and
environmental factors. For example, the body strength of the child develops in
the early period but may deteriorate during old age.
4) Development involves changing allocation of resources. It states that during
different developmental periods, resources such as; time, money, social support
etc. are used differently. For example, during old age people require more
money to maintain their proper health.
5) Development can be modified- This principle reveals that through proper
training development can be modified. For example, an individual can maintain
his proper health by doing different exercises even in old age.
 6) Development is based upon historical and cultural environment- The child
grows, develops, acquires knowledge about the traditions, rules, regulations of
society according to his historical and cultural environment.
FACTORS AFFECTING HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
• Human development is the process in which the changes occur in all the
aspects of an organism from conception to death.
• It is a natural process for each and every child to grow. But it is observed that
all children do not grow in the similar fashion. Some children‟s physical
growth occur earlier than others, some are physically stronger than others,
some are taller than others and so on. So far as mental development is
concerned, some children have better cognitive ability, memory, reasoning,
thinking ability etc. than others. All children also do not have same type of
intelligence. Some have more musical talents, others have more
intrapersonal intelligence, others also have more linguistic abilities etc. So,
children differ from each other because several factors influence on their
development. Some of the important factors have been enumerated below:
1) Hereditary Factors:- Heredity exerts an influence on human development.
The child carries genetic endowments from his/her parents. It is genetically
transmitted characteristics from one generation to the next. The physical
characteristics like height, weight, eye color etc. and psychological
characteristics such as intelligence, personality, creativity and so on are
innately determined and hereditary. The genetic code provides the base on
which brain and body grow and manifest in observable appearance and
behaviour.
• 2) Environmental Factors:- Another important factor of human development
is the environment where an individual lives. The child lives and grows in his
environment. Environment consists of a wide range of stimuli and it provides
the necessary input and experiential base for development of the child.
Enrichment or impoverishment of the environment would produce
differences in his abilities. For example, a child may have inherited music
talent from his parents through transmission of genes, but he may not excel
in music field if he does not get the proper environment and support to
develop his innate ability.
• 3) Home Environment:- Home environment exerts tremendous influence on
child‟s understanding of the external world. It builds self-concept and
prepares him to face the external world. The child begins to acquire
knowledge through interaction with parents and other family members.
During his early years of development, the behaviours of the child are
modulated by the home environment. The environment of the family can be
supportive or stressful for the child. If it is supportive, warm and harmonious
environment, the child develops normally. In unsupportive and stressful
home environment, broken families or uncaring parents in the family,
children may develop as maladjusted persons.
• 4) Cultural Factors:- Culture refers to a system of beliefs, attitudes and values
that are transmitted from one generation to the next. It is a product of past
human behavior and is also a shaper of future aspirations. The development
of the child is influenced by family as well as by the society. The child learns
the habits, beliefs, attitude, skills and standards of judgment through the
socialization processes. The socialization processes of the child take place
according to the culture, customs and traditions of the society. For example,
greeting someone is a familiar experience but behavioral experiences are
different in different cultures. In Indian culture, people greet others by saying
namaskar, folding hands or lying down near the feet but in Western culture,
people greet by handshake or kissing or saying hello etc.
• 5) Socioeconomic Status (SES):- Socioeconomic Status plays a pivotal role in
human development. The index of socioeconomic status is determined by
parental education, occupation and income. The children of low
socioeconomic status may develop as mal-nourished, suffer from lack of
knowledge in many aspects and their normal development may get
hampered. The parenting in high socioeconomic status families would be
different from low socio-economic status families. Children of the high
socioeconomic groups of the society get better social opportunities, are
nurtured with better nutrition, good medical treatment and are exposed to
more intellectual stimulation than low socioeconomic group.
• 6) Normative influences:- Normative influences occur in a similar way for
majority of people in a particular group. These influences may be biological
or environmental. For example, biological events like sexual maturity or
deterioration in old age. Environmental events, like entering the school at
 about 6 yrs of age, parenthood etc. have the same influences on individuals.
Most of the people of the same age, at same place and time and generation
have common biological and environmental influences such as floods,
famines and other natural disasters. Nonnormative influences include the
unusual life events in an individual‟s life. For example, death of a parent
when a child is young or birth defects etc.
• 7) Education and Training:- Each child is equipped with certain abilities which
need to be nurtured through proper education and training. Therefore, the
first and foremost step is to identify and recognize the ability of the child and
the next step is to provide adequate opportunities to develop the same. If
proper identification of the ability is not possible and adequate facilities are
not available to the child, then his innate ability may not be developed. Thus,
adequate education and training have influence on human development.