Human Development Issues Overview

Human Development Issues

• Individuals have diverse perspectives on human development.
• Paradigms of human development, while lacking in formal rigor, provide a conceptual framework for understanding self and others.
• Scholars develop models of human development supported by research.

Three Key Issues in Development

• Nature vs. Nurture: The extent to which behavior is determined by genetics/biology (nature) or learned experiences from interactions with the environment (nurture).
• Continuity vs. Discontinuity: Whether development is a smooth, gradual process (continuity) or occurs in distinct stages (discontinuity).
• Stability vs. Change: Whether personality traits present in infancy persist throughout life (stability) or change (change).

Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature: Behaviors are innate, influenced by inherent physiological/biological characteristics present at birth. A determinist view suggests all behavior is determined by hereditary factors (inherited characteristics or genetic makeup). All possible behaviors are present from conception. Genes supply the blueprint for behavior - some present at birth, others emerge with age.
• Nature is a developmental approach, exemplified by Piaget's theory where children's thought processes change in predetermined age-related stages.
• Nurture: Behavior is determined by the environment (things people teach, things observed, and situations). A determinist perspective suggests all behavior is a result of interactions with the environment. Behaviorist theories reinforce this view, suggesting behaviors are shaped by interactions with the environment, where individuals are born as "empty vessels" waiting to be filled. External factors, rather than genes, play a determining role.

Nature and Nurture Interaction

• Behavior often results from an interplay of nature and nurture.
• Individual characteristics can elicit specific responses from others (e.g., temperament, perceived gender).
• Aggression, for example, triggers particular responses from others in social contexts.

Supporting Approaches and Perspectives

• Supporting nature: Physiological factors, individual differences, developmental influences.
• Supporting nurture: Social aspects (e.g., helping behavior), behavioral influences.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

• Continuity and discontinuity compete in explaining how people change over time.
• Continuity: Implies smooth, ongoing changes.
• Discontinuity: Suggests abrupt, stage-specific changes.
• Qualitative changes in behavior characterize developmental stages.

Is Child Development Continuous or Discontinuous?

• It is not universally agreed that development is continuous. Some suggest development involves distinct stages with different behaviors at each stage.

Developmental Theory

• Developmental stage theories divide development into distinct stages characterized by qualitative behavioral differences.
• Various perspectives exist on how psychological and physical development unfold throughout a lifespan.

Stability vs. Change

• Examines if traits present in infancy persist throughout life.
• Individuals' earliest characteristics (temperament/personality) persist.
• Research often uses cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to understand developmental stability.
• Change theorists argue that personality is modified by interactions with family, experiences at school, and acculturation. Studies of children often reveal aspects of stability (e.g., attachment to parents, personality) throughout time.

Early Experiences and Adult Personality

• Freud emphasized the importance of early experiences in shaping later development and adult personality.
• Psychoanalysts believe that personality traits, developed in the first five years, predict adult personality.

Fetal Origins

• Fetal development significantly shapes a person's future health and well-being.
• Nutrition, pollutants, drugs, infections during gestation affect the individual's future.
• Research has found connections between fetal exposures and disorders, impacting health in adult life.
• Understanding fetal origins is prompting revolutionary shifts in thinking about human development.
• Potential for preventative interventions before birth.
• Research from National Institutes of Health highlights promising interventions.

Pregnant Woman and Fetal Development

• Women now understand that choices during pregnancy impact the fetus.
• This awareness is often present in doctors' office visits and pregnancy references.

Explore the diverse perspectives and paradigms surrounding human development. This quiz delves into the key issues of nature vs. nurture, continuity vs. discontinuity, and stability vs. change, providing a framework for understanding self and others. Test your knowledge on the models and theories that shape our understanding of development.