History of the Study of Human Development Preformation Locke, Rousseau, and Darwin Six Major Theories Current Theoretical Perspectives

History To a large extent, the study of human development is the study of child development. Most significant changes take place from infancy through adolescence.

History Life phases evaluated in this course: Infancy Childhood Adolescence Young adulthood Middle adulthood Late adulthood Childhood has been of interest for a long time. Adulthood became of interest in the late 1900’s. Childhood seen as special time of growth and change, influenced by child-rearing practices, childhood experiences, and environmental influences.

History Since 1900, the older adult population has increased dramatically: Greatest increases up to 2040 will be in the 85-and-over and 100-and-over age groups. A girl born today in the U.S. has a 1-in-3 chance of living to be 100 years old. Changes in adulthood are just as important as the changes in childhood: There are great changes in body, personality, and abilities during adulthood.

Average Human Life Expectancy (in Years) at Birth, from Prehistoric to Contemporary Times 77 70 Years 5 4 1900 USA 47 1620 Mass. Bay Colony 41 35 33 Ancient Greece 20 18 Middle Ages, England 19th Century England 1915 USA 1954 USA 2002 USA Prehistoric times Time Period

Americans over 65 (in millions) The Aging of America Female Male 40 30 Americans over 65 (in millions) 20 10 1900 1940 2000 2040 Year

History Characteristics of the life-span perspective: Development is lifelong. Biological, cognitive, and socioeconomic dimensions of experiences and psychological orientation are very important. Development is multidirectional: Some aspects of dimensions shrink and some expand. Development is plastic: It has the capacity for change Development is multidisciplinary: Psychologists Sociologists Anthropologists Neuroscientists Medical researchers

History Development is contextual: Biological processes Sociocultural and environmental experiences Historical circumstances Life events or unusual circumstances impacting on the specific individual Development involves: Growth Maintenance Regulation

History Contemporary concerns (in the media): Health and well-being: Lifestyle Drug and alcohol use Parenting: Divorce Child maltreatment Education: U.S. system Bilingual education Poverty Cooperative learning

History Social policy Contemporary Concerns (continued): Sociocultural contexts and diversity: SES Gender Context Culture Ethnicity Social policy

History Life-span psychologists focus on shared Characteristics. Not individual uniqueness. Biological processes focus on: Physical nature and genetic influences Height and weight Brain development Motor skill changes Hormonal changes of puberty Cardiovascular decline Cognitive processes focus on changes in individual thought, intelligence, and language.

History How should age be conceptualized? Chronological age Biological age Psychological age Social age

Conceptions of age Chronological age Number of years since birth Age in terms of physical health Biological age Conceptions of age Adaptive capacity compared with others of the same chronological age Psychological age Social roles and expectations relative to chronological age Social age

Main Debates Issue Details Nature/Nurture How do genetic inheritance (our nature) and experience (the nurture we receive) influence our behavior? Continuity/Stages Is developmental a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages? Stability/Change Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age.

Preformation Defined: (Previous Formation) Development involves merely an increase in size. Women were merely a housing unit designed to help the fathers fully formed child to grow. Homunculus: (Little Man) Miniature adult that inhabits the germ cell and produces a mature individual.

Locke, Rousseau, and Darwin John Locke (1632-1704) Tabula Rasa: Blank Slate Whatever comes into the mind comes from the environment. Knowledge depends on the experience of the sense organs. Environment molds the mind. Thoughts and feelings develop through associations, repetition, and imitation. Learn through rewards and punishment.

Locke, Rousseau, and Darwin Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) People are always looking for the man in the child, without considering what he is before he becomes a man. Childhood has its own way of seeing, thinking, and feeling. According to Nature’s Design. Created four stages in child development.

Locke, Rousseau, and Darwin Charles Darwin Children develop through evolution. Explains mental and psychological traits as adaptations and the functional products of natural selection. To bring the functional way of thinking about biological mechanisms into the field of psychology. Applys to all organisms as opposed to just humans. Applys to any organism with a nervous system.

Six Major Theories Psychodynamic Theory (Sigmund Freud) Epigenetic Theory (Erik Erikson) Integrated-Attachment Theory (John Bowlby/Mary Ainsworth) Social-Cognitive Learning Theory (Albert Bandura) Genetic Epistemology (Jean Piaget) Cognitive-Mediation Theory (Lev Vygotsky)

Current Theoretical Perspectives Psychodynamic Behavioral Cognitive Humanistic Biological Evolutionary Social