Developmental Psychology Lesson 1

Study Notes

Development: a series of changes that occur in an orderly and coherent manner
Factors of development:
- Heredity/Nature: external forces that influence human development, including recessive and dominant genes
- Environment/Nurture
Developmental issues:
- Stability and Change: people may grow up shy despite being confident as children
- Continuity and Discontinuity
Principles of development:
- Development is orderly and follows a sequential pattern
- Product of interaction between maturation (natural) and learning (effort)
- Individual differences exist
- Pattern of behavior: equilibrium, adapting easily to environmental demands
- Early foundations are critical, like a "clean slate"

Theory: a set of related statements to understand human behavior
Stage theory:
- Maps out development competency in certain patterns of behaviors
- Describes typical development
- Precisely defines and describes specific abilities
- Stages are completed in a specific order
- Every child will progress through the stages described Strengthes:
  - Ability to describe development according to specific age norms
  - Identifying when a child is not developing like others
  - Knowing when children are ready to learn Weaknesses:
  - Rigid, precise statements that don't account for individual differences
  - Conceptualizes development as linear
Continuous Theory:
- A continuous, lifelong experience
- Explains individual differences and how they affect a person
- Affected by many elements, predictable and versatile
- Affected by non-normative influences

Assumptions:
- Problems are a result of early childhood experiences
- Relying on methods like hypnosis and free association
- Indications of unconscious motives
3 Components of Personality:
- ID: desires
- Ego: rational
- Superego: moral standards
Stages:
- Oral Stage (birth to 1 year): mouth, focus on oral desires
- Anal Stage (1 to 3 years): anus, focus on control and organization
- Phallic Stage (3 to 6 years): genitals, focus on sexual development
- Latent Stage (6 to 12 years): no focus on sexual urges, rechanneled to schoolwork
- Genital Stage (12 years onward): reawakens sexual urge, learning to express in acceptable ways

Assumptions:
- Heavily influenced by Freud
- Birth to death, linear and unidirectional
- Life comprised of crisis
Stages:
- Trust vs Mistrust (infancy to 1-2 years): warmth and caregiving vs mistrust
- Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt (2-4 years): assert independence vs shame and doubt
- Initiative vs Guilt (4-5 years): learning to assert oneself vs guilt
- Industry vs Inferiority (6-11 years): mastering knowledge and skills vs inferiority
- Identity vs Role Confusion (12-18 years): finding oneself vs role confusion