Development and Developmental Psychology Development: orderly changes in an individual that occur between the moment of conception and death. Developmental psychology: the scientific field devoted to the study of how individuals change over time and the factors that produce these changes.

G. Stanley Hall The founder of developmental psychology Strongly influenced by Darwin’s work Along with Gessell (his student), he was the first to come up with developmental norms using an approach called a normative study. First to consider adolescence a distinct phase of development.

Sigmund Freud A neurologist who did case studies on upper-class Viennese women Developed a theory called psychosexual development that revolutionalized the field. One of the first to stress the importance of childhood experiences in determining emotional functioning in adulthood.

Three points of view about human nature Are children inherently good, bad, or neither? Are they driven by inborn instincts, or are they products of their environment? Are they actively involved in shaping their own characters, or are they simply passive creatures who have to be molded by others?

Viewpoint of Thomas Hobbes (1651) Children are inherently selfish and have to be molded by parents and society to learn acceptable behavior. Supported doctrine of original sin. Goal of child-rearing is to save child from sin.

Viewpoint of Jean Jacques Rousseau (1762) Believed in doctrine of “innate purity,” which states that children are born with an intuitive sense of right and wrong. If they get off track, it’s society’s fault for misdirecting them. Thought children were “noble savages” who should be given freedom to actively experience the world. Parents should show little monitoring or constraint.

Viewpoint of John Locke (late 17th century) Infant’s mind is like a “tabula rasa” (blank slate). Children are neither inherently good or bad but are products of their environment. Childhood experiences are important predictors of adult characteristics. Parents should spend time with children to help them become contributing members of society. Believed children develop passively, not actively.

Current views Still debate about whether people develop actively or passively whether genes or environment play a bigger role (nature vs. nurture) Whether development is continuous or more step-wise Most Americans believe in the innate goodness of children; 20th century marked the first time adults were seen “in the service of” children.

Traditional approach to life-span development Emphasizes a lot of change from birth to adolescence and very little change from adulthood to death.

More recent life-span approach In the 21st century, life-span developmentalists emphasize continued change (rather than stagnation) throughout adulthood. Recent changes in life expectancy (increased by 30 years since 1900) have forced us to consider changes changes that occur in adulthood and old age since it represents ¾ of our lives. Field of gerontology has exploded in the last couple of decades.

Processes that determine developmental changes Biological processes—changes in our physical natures as a result of maturation, genetics, hormones, etc. Cognitive processes—changes in our thought, intelligence, and language. Caregiver responsiveness plays a big role here. Socioemotional processes—changes in person’s relationships, changes in emotions, and changes in personality. These processes continually interact as we age.

Periods of development Prenatal period: conception to birth Infancy: birth to 18-24 months Early childhood—end of infancy to about 6 years Middle and late childhood—6 to 11 years; sometimes called the “elementary school years” Adolescence—10 to 12 years up to 18-22 years Continued on next slide…

Periods of development continued… Early adulthood—late teens/early 20s through 30s Middle adulthood—40 to 60 years Late adulthood—60s/70s to death Young old: 65-84 Oldest old: 85 and older