Developmental Psychology

Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

CHAPTER 1 Applications • Lifespan

development helps
us understand how
The Study of Human Development people grow and
adapt at every
Development stage of life,
promoting well-
• The pattern of change that begins at conception and being across the
continues through the life span. lifespan.
• Involves growth.
Goals of Human Development
Human Development Description • It emphasizes the
complex interplay of
• Scientific study processes of change and stability biological,
throughout the human life span. psychological, and
• Encompasses the physical, cognitive, and social factors that
psychosocial changes that occur throughout a person’s influence
life. development
across all stages of
life.
Human Development Explanation • to uncover the
Focus • Encompasses the underlying
physical, cognitive, mechanisms and
and psychosocial processes
changes that that drive growth
happen throughout and change.
a person’s life. Prediction • to anticipate the
Scope • Refers to specific outcomes and
developmental trajectories of
stages (e.g., individuals based
infancy, on their early
adolescence) or the experiences,
entire life span. characteristics, and
environments.
Applications • It helps
professionals to Intervention • to promote positive
support people at outcomes and
different stages of mitigate negative
life. ones by
implementing
strategies and
Life-Span Development programs aimed at
• Concept of human development as a lifelong process. supporting
• Focuses on the patterns and processes of change that individuals' growth
and well-being.
occur throughout the life span.

Life-Span Development Domains of Development

Physical Development • Growth of body and
Focus • Studies the patterns brain, including
and processes of patterns of change
change across a in sensory
person’s entire capacities, motor
lifespan. skills, and health.
Scope • Emphasizes the Cognitive Development • Pattern of change in
continuity and mental abilities,
change throughout such as learning,
life, looking how attention, memory,
experiences language, thinking,
influence reasoning, and
development. creativity

Developmental Psychology | 1
Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Early Childhood (ages 3 to 6)

Psychosocial • Pattern of change in Physical Development
Development emotions, • Growth is steady; appearance becomes more
personality, and slender and proportions more adultlike.
social relationships. • Appetite diminishes and sleep problems are
• In Erikson’s eight- common.
stage theory, the • Handedness appears; fine and gross motor skills
socially and and strength improve.
culturally influenced Cognitive Development
process of • Thinking is somewhat egocentric, but understanding
development of the of other people’s perspective grows.
ego, or self. • Cognitive immaturity results in some illogical ideas
about the world.
Social Construction • Memory and language improve.
• Intelligence becomes more predictable.
• refers to the idea that aspects of reality are shaped by • Preschool experience is common, and kindergarten
social processes, rather than being inherent or natural. experience is more.
Psychosocial Development
Major Developments in 8 Periods of Human • Self-concept and understanding of emotions
become more complex; self-esteem is global.
Development
• Independence, initiative, and self-control increase.
Prenatal Period (conception to birth)
• Gender identity develops.
Physical Development • Play becomes more imaginative, more elaborate,
• Conception occurs by normal fertilization. and usually more social.
• Basic body structures and organs form; brain growth • Altruism, aggression, and fearfulness are common.
spurt begins. • Family is still the focus of social life, but other
Cognitive Development children become more important.
• Abilities to learn and remember and to respond to
sensory stimuli are developing. Middle Childhood (ages 6 to 11)
Psychosocial Development
Physical Development
• Fetus responds to mother’s voice and develops
• Growth slows.
reference for it.
• Strength and athletic skills improve.
• Respiratory illnesses are common, but health is
Infancy and Toddlerhood (birth to age 3) generally better than at any other time in the life
Physical Development span.
• All senses and body systems operate at birth to Cognitive Development
varying degrees. • Egocentrism diminishes.
• The brain grows in complexity and is highly • Children begin to think logically but concretely.
sensitive to environmental influence. • Memory and language skills increase.
• Physical growth and development of motor skills • Cognitive gains permit children to benefit from
are rapid. formal schooling.
Cognitive Development • Some children show special education needs and
• Abilities to learn and remember are present, even in strengths.
early weeks. Psychosocial Development
• Use of symbols and ability to solve problems • Self-concept becomes more complex, affecting self-
develop by end of second year. esteem.
• Comprehension and use of language develop • Coregulation reflects gradual shit in control from
rapidly. parents to child.
Psychosocial Development • Peers assume central importance.
• Attachments to parents and others form.
• Self-awareness develops.
• Shift from dependence toward autonomy occurs.
• Interest in other children increases.

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Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Adolescence (ages 11 to 20) Late Adulthood (ages 65 and over)

Physical Development Physical Development
• Physical growth and other changes are rapid and • Most people are healthy and active, although health
profound. and physical abilities generally decline.
• Reproductive maturity occurs. • Slowing of reaction time affects some aspects of
• Major health risks arise such as eating disorders functioning.
and drug abuse. Cognitive Development
Cognitive Development • Most people are mentally alert.
• Ability to think abstractly and use scientific • Although intelligence and memory may deteriorate
reasoning develops. in some areas, most people find ways to
• Immature thinking persists in some attitudes and compensate.
behaviors. Psychosocial Development
• Education focuses on preparation for college or • Retirement from workforce may occur and may offer
vocation. new options for use of time.
Psychosocial Development • People develop more flexible strategies to cope with
• Search for identity, including sexual identity, personal losses and impending death.
becomes central. • Relationships with family and close friends can
• Relationships with parents are generally good. provide important support.
• Peer group may exert positive or negative influence. • Search for meaning in life assumes central
importance.
Emerging and Young Adulthood (ages 20 to 40)
Physical Development Individual Differences
• Physical condition peaks, then declines slightly. • Differences in characteristics, influences, or
• Lifestyle choices influence health. developmental outcomes.
Cognitive Development
• Individual differences in development refer to
• Thought and moral judgements become more
variations in the trajectory and outcomes of
complex.
• Educational and occupational choices are made, development among individuals. These differences
sometimes after period of exploration. can manifest in various aspects, including cognitive,
Psychosocial Development social, emotional, and physical development.
• Personality traits and styles become relatively
stable, but changes in personality may be Influences on Development
influenced by life stages and events.
• Heredity inborn traits or characteristics inherited from
• Intimate relationships and personal lifestyles are
established but may not be lasting. the biological parents.
• Most people marry, and most become parents. • Environment totality of nonhereditary, or experiential,
influences on development.
Middle Adulthood (ages 40 to 65)
Physical Development Maturation
• Slow deterioration of sensory abilities, health, • Unfolding of a natural sequence of physical and
stamina, and strength may begin, but individual behavioral changes.
differences are wide.
• Refers to the biological process through which an
• Women experience menopause.
organism undergoes natural, predetermined changes
Cognitive Development
• Mental abilities peak: expertise and practical in its physical and behavioral characteristics over time.
problem-solving skills are high.
• Creative output may decline but improve in quality. Contexts of Development
• For some, career success and earning powers • Humans develop within various social and historical
peak; for others burnout or career change may
contexts. Infants primarily grow within families,
occur.
Psychosocial Development influenced by broader factors like neighborhood,
• Sense of identity continues to develop; midlife community, and society.
transition may occur. • Families come in diverse forms, including single,
• Dual responsibilities of caring for children and childless, unmarried, gay and lesbian, and mixed-race
parents may cause stress. households, reflecting the evolving societal landscape
• Launching o children leaves empty nest. (Krogstad, 2014).

Developmental Psychology | 3
Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

2 Types of Family Rich Earns above PHP 233,807

Nuclear Family • refers to a family per month
unit consisting of
two parents (usually Risk Factors
a heterosexual
• conditions or characteristics that increase the
couple) and their
children, living likelihood of experiencing negative developmental
together in the outcomes or adverse effects on well-being.
same household. • can encompass various aspects of an individual's life,
• Traditional family environment, or circumstances and may interact with
arrangement. each other to compound their impact.
Extended Family • refers to a family
structure that
includes not only Culture
parents and • A society’s or group’s total way of life, including
children but also customs, traditions, beliefs, values, language, and
other relatives such physical products — all learned behavior, passed on
as grandparents,
from parents to children.
aunts, uncles, and
cousins. • shapes identities, aspirations, and perceptions of self
• In this arrangement, and others.
multiple
generations often Individualistic Culture • A culture in which
live together or in people tend to
proximity and prioritize personal
provide mutual goals ahead of
support, childcare, collective goals and
and economic to view themselves
cooperation. as distinct
individuals.
Polygamy • emphasizes
personal goals and
• a marital system in which an individual is married to self-expression
multiple spouses simultaneously. over collective
• Polyandry: one wife with multiple husbands. interests.
• Polygyny: one husband with multiple wives. Collectivistic Culture • Prioritize
collaborative social
goals ahead of
Socioeconomic Status (SES) individual goals and
• determined by family income, education, and to view themselves
occupations. It influences developmental processes in the context of
through living conditions, access to resources like their social
relationships.
nutrition, healthcare, and schooling.
• Value harmony,
cooperation, and
The Philippine Income Classes loyalty to the group,
Poor Earns less than PHP fostering a strong
11,690 per month sense of
Low Income Earns between PHP 11,690 interconnectedness
and PHP 23,381 per month and mutual support
Lower Middle Class Earns between PHP 23,381 among members
and PHP 46,671 per month
Middle Class Earns between PHP 46,761
and PHP 81,832 per month
Upper Middle Class Earns between PHP 81,832
and PHP 140,284 per
month
Upper Class Earns between PHP
140,284 per month and
PHP 233,807 per month

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Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Ethnicity and Race Normative Age-Graded Influences

• Ethnicity refers to the cultural heritage, traditions, • These are events or experiences that are typical or
expected at certain ages for most people within a
customs, and practices shared by a particular group of
particular culture or society. These influences are
people. often tied to biological or developmental processes
• Race typically refers to physical characteristics such as and occur during predictable stages of the lifespan.
skin color, hair texture, and facial features, often used Normative History-Graded Influences
to categorize people into different racial groups. • Refer to events or experiences that are common to
people of a particular generation or cohort due to the
Ethnic Group historical or societal context in which they live.
These influences are not tied to specific ages but
• A group united by ancestry, race, religion, language, or rather to the time period in which individuals are
national origins, which contribute to a sense of shared born and grow up.
identity.
Historical Generation
Intersectionality • refers to a group of individuals who were born and lived
• An analytic framework focused on how a person’s during the same historical period or era. These
multiple identities combine to create differences in individuals typically share common experiences,
privilege or discrimination. events, and cultural influences that shape their
• Black Lives Matter: A political and social movement attitudes, values, and behaviors.
focused on eliminating racially based violence against
Black people through nonviolent protest and activism. Cohort
• BIPOC: Acronym standing for Black, indigenous and • refers to a group of individuals who share a particular
people of color. characteristic or experience in common, typically
based on factors such as age, birth year, or life
Ethnic Gloss experiences. Cohorts are often used to study and
• a term that refers to the practice of using simplistic analyze trends, behaviors, and attitudes within specific
labels or generalizations to describe ethnocultural groups of people.
groups. These groups include American Indians, Asian
Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and other Nonnormative Influence
indigenous or nationalistic groups. • These are influences that are unique or unexpected
• Members of an ethnic group tend to share a common and don't happen to everyone in the same way.
set of culture-related characteristics. • They can be positive or negative, but they have a
significant impact on the individual experiencing them.
Historical Context
• factors such as cultural shifts, economic changes,
technological advancements, and historical events
profoundly influence people's lives.

Normative Influence
• These are influences that most people in a particular
age group or historical period will experience. They are
often tied to biological or social expectations.
• phenomenon where certain events or behaviors occur
in a similar way for most individuals within a group or
society.

Developmental Psychology | 5
Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Timing of Influences • Example: A baby learns to walk through repeated

Imprinting conditioning of muscles and reflexes in response to
• Instinctive form of learning in which, during a critical gravity and visual cues.
period in early development, a young animal forms Organismic Model
an attachment to the first moving object it sees, • Model that views human development as internally
usually the mother.
initiated by an active organism and as occurring in a
Critical Period
sequence of qualitatively different stages.
• Specific time when a given event or its absence has
a specific impact on development. • Example: A baby learns to walk because of an intrinsic
Plasticity desire to explore and interact with the world, actively
• Range of modifiability of performance. It working on mastering coordination and balance.
encompasses the degree to which this change can
occur.
Sensitive Periods
• Times in development when a person is particularly
open to certain kinds of experiences

Theory and Research

Theory vs. Law

Scientific Law
• Describes what happens

Scientific Theory
• Explains why or how it happens Perspective on Human Development

Hypothesis Psychoanalytic perspective

• Possible explanations for phenomena, used to predict • The psychoanalytic perspective is a theory of
the outcome of research. personality development and psychotherapy founded
• Null Hypothesis: ex. Light color has no effect on plant by Sigmund Freud. It emphasizes the role of the
growth. unconscious mind in human behavior, motivation, and
• Alternative hypothesis: ex. Light color affects plants personality.
growth. • Sigmund Freud (1856–1939) was a Viennese
physician and the originator of the psychoanalytic
perspective. He believed in reactive development, as
Independent Variable
well as qualitative changes over time.
• Variable that is changed
• Id: Basic impulses (sex and aggression)
• Exposure variable
• Ego: rational; executive mediating between id
• Control Variable impulses and superego inhibitions
• Explanatory Variable • Superego: ideals and morals
• Manipulated Variable
Dependent Variable Freud’s Psychosexual Stages
• Variable affected by the change Oral Stage • Oral Passive:
• Outcome variable trusting,
• Controlled variable dependency.
• Explained variable • Oral Aggressive:
• Response variable aggressive,
dominating.
Anal Stage • Anal Retentive:
Is Development Active or Reactive? tidiness, stubborn.
Mechanistic Model • Anal Expulsive:
• Model that views human development as a series of untidiness,
predictable responses to stimuli. generosity.

Developmental Psychology | 6
Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Phallic Stage • Self-obsession, • Focuses on how we learn and how those learning
sexual anxiety, experiences shape who we are.
inferiority, envy
Genital Stage • Able to love and be Behaviorism
loved.
• Sexual instinct is • The theory that psychology can be objectively studied
directed to through observable action.
heterosexual
pleasure.
Classical Conditioning
Latency Stage • Libido inactive
• Based on the work of Ivan Pavlov, this theory proposes
Psychosocial Development that personality can be shaped through learned
associations.
• Refers to the way in which a person's personality
• Repeated pairings of stimuli (like a parent's disapproval
unfolds and their social skills are learned throughout
and a specific behavior) can lead to conditioned
their lifespan.
responses (like avoiding that behavior). Over time,
• Erikson believed that throughout our lives, we face
these conditioned responses can become ingrained
what he called "psychosocial crises" that shape our
personality traits.
personalities. These crises arise at specific points in
our lives and involve a conflict between two opposing
Operant Conditioning
forces we need to resolve.
• B.F. Skinner's theory suggests that personality is
shaped by the consequences of our behaviors.
• If a behavior leads to positive reinforcement (praise,
rewards), we're more likely to repeat it.
• If a behavior leads to punishment or negative
reinforcement (withdrawal of something desirable),
we're less likely to repeat it.

Social Learning Theory

• Albert Bandura's theory emphasizes observational
learning and the role of models in shaping personality.
• We learn by observing others (parents, peers, role
models) and the consequences of their actions. If we
see a behavior being rewarded, we're more likely to
adopt it ourselves.
• People can learn through observation.

Cognitive Perspective
• Explores how our thinking patterns and intellectual
development contribute to shaping who we are.
• Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, Vygotsky’s
sociocultural theory of cognitive development, and the
informationprocessing approach

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

• Suggests that children's intelligence undergoes
changes as they grow.
• Cognitive development in children is not only related to
Learning Perspective acquiring knowledge, children need to build or develop
• View of human development that holds that changes in a mental model of their surrounding world (Miller,
behavior result from experience or from adaptation to 2011).
the environment.

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Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Stages of Cognitive Development Ethology

Sensorimotor (0-2 years) • scientific study of animal behavior, particularly in their
• The infant explores the world through direct sensory natural habitats. It delves into how animals act,
and motor contact. Object permanence and communicate, and interact with their environment.
separation anxiety develop during this stage.
Preoperational (2-6 years)
Evolutionary Psychology
• The child uses symbols (words and images) to
represent objects but does not reason logically. The • Application of Darwinian principles of natural selection
child also has the ability to pretend. During this and survival of the fittest to individual behavior.
stage, the child is egocentric. • studies how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors
Concrete Operational (7-12 years) were shaped by evolution.
• The child can think logically about concrete objects
and can thus add and subtract. The child also
Scientific Method
understands conservation.
Formal Operational (12 years-adult) • System of established principles and processes of
• The adolescent can reason abstractly and think in scientific inquiry, which includes identifying a problem
hypothetical terms. to be studied, formulating a hypothesis to be tested by
research, collecting data, analyzing the data, forming
Sociocultural Learning Theory tentative conclusions, and disseminating findings.
• Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural learning theory is a field
of psychology that studies how society contributes to Research
individual development.
• The theory states that learning is a social process, and Purpose
that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the Qualitative
development of cognition. • To explain and gain insight and understanding of
phenomena through intensive collection of narrative
data.
The Information Processing Approach Quantitative
• Approach to the study of cognitive development by • To explain, predict, or control phenomena through
observing and analyzing the mental processes focused collection of numerical data.
involved in perceiving and handling information.
• Approach to the study of cognitive development that Overview
analyzes processes involved in perceiving and Qualitative
handling information. • Subjective, holistic, process-oriented
• Tentative, evolving, based on a particular study
• Controlled setting not as important
Contextual Perspective Quantitative
• View of human development that sees the individual as • Objective, focused, outcome-oriented
inseparable from the social context. • Specific, testable, stated prior to a particular study
• Controlled to the degree possible
Ecological Systems Theory
• The ecological model, developed by Urie Sampling
Qualitative
Bronfenbrenner, is a theory of human development
• Purposive: Intent to select “small”, not necessarily
that proposes that a child's development is influenced
representative, sample in order to get an in-depth
by a complex system of interrelated environmental understanding.
factors. Quantitative
• These factors range from the immediate surroundings • Random: Intent to select “large” representative
of the child (the microsystem) to the broader culture in sample in order to generalize results to population.
which they live (the macrosystem).
Design and Method
Evolutionary / Sociobiological Perspective Qualitative
• Flexible, Descriptive
• View of human development that focuses on
Quantitative
evolutionary and biological bases of behavior and a
• Structured, inflexible
way of understanding human behavior by looking at
how it has been shaped by natural selection.
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Developmental Psychology
Nalangan, Bea Angela H. | PSY235

Population vs. Sample

Types of Study
Population
Cross-sectional
• Is an entire group that you want to draw conclusions
Procedure:
about. Data are collected on people of different ages at the same
Sample time.
• Is a specific group that you will collect data from.
Advantages:
• Smaller than the population Can show similarities and differences among age groups;
speedy, economical; presents no problem of attrition or
Quantitative Research Designs repeated testing.

Disadvantages:
Descriptive Cannot establish age effects; masks individual differences;
• Used to describe characteristics, averages, trends, can be confounded by cohort effects.
etc.
• Variables are measured without influencing them. Longitudinal
Experimental Procedure:
• Used to test causal relationships. Data are collected on same person or persons over a period
• Involves manipulating the independent variable and of time.
measuring its effect on a dependent variable.
Correlational Advantages:
• Used to test whether (and how strongly) variables Can show age-related change or continuity; avoids
are related. confounding age with cohort effects.
• Variables are measured without influencing them.
Disadvantages:
Quasi-Experimental Is time-consuming, expensive, presents problems of attrition,
• Used to test causal relationships. bias in sample, and effects of repeated testing; results may
• Similar to experimental design, but without random be valid only for cohort tested or sample studied.
assignment.
• Often involves comparing the outcomes of pre-
Sequential
existing groups.
Procedure:
• Often conducted in a natural environment.
Data are collected on successive cross-sectional or
longitudinal samples.

Qualitative Research Designs Advantages:

Can avoid drawbacks of both cross-sectional and longitudinal
designs.
Case Study
• Detailed study of a specific subject (e.g. a place, Disadvantages:
event, organization, etc). Requires large amount of time and effort and analysis of very
• Data can be collected using a variety of sources and complex data.
methods.
• Focuses on gaining holistic understanding of the
case.
Phenomenology
• Aims to understand a phenomenon or event by
describing participants lived experiences.
Ethnography
• Detailed study of the culture of a specific community
or group.
• Data is collected by extended immersion and close
observation.
• Focuses on describing and interpreting beliefs,
conventions, social dynamics, etc.
Grounded Theory
• Aims to develop a theory inductively by
systematically analyzing qualitative data.

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