Human Development Quiz

Defining Development

• Human development, also known as development science, examines how individuals change over time, encompassing childhood and adulthood.
• Development is defined as systematic changes and continuities over time, examining biological, cognitive, emotional, and social domains.
• Traditional perspectives focus on growth and decline across the lifespan, often primarily focusing on childhood.
• The lifespan perspective views development across the whole lifespan, considering multidimensionality, plasticity (flexibility), and contextual influences.
• Development is a lifelong journey, and every period is equally important.
• Development is multidirectional, not always moving forward in a straight line. Growth might occur in some areas while declining in others (e.g., increased cognitive abilities, decreased physical strength). Development encompasses multiple dimensions including physical, cognitive, and emotional/social aspects.

Multidimensional Development

• Development involves changes in multiple dimensions (e.g., brain, memory, relationships, emotions).
• These dimensions can evolve independently, but are inter-related. For example, a teenager might excel intellectually but struggle emotionally.
• Development involves both gains and losses across the lifespan; childhood and adulthood periods encompass gains and losses.

Meta-theories

• Meta-theories are broad frameworks that shape how development is understood.
• Implicit biases, feelings, attitudes, and stereotypes influence the underlying assumptions about nature versus nurture, stability versus change, and the role of the individual in development.
• Assumptions about human nature shape perspectives on individuals as blank slates or inherently good or bad.
• Assumptions about the causes of development determine if development is attributed to nature (genetics) or nurture (environment/learning).
• Individual participation in their development might be conceived as passive reaction to external forces or active shaping of their development.
• Stability versus change examines if traits, aspects, experiences from early life impact later life or are mutable.
• Continuity versus discontinuity focuses on incremental change or substantial shifts during development.
• Universality versus context specificity explores whether development follows universal pathways or specific pathways shaped by experiences.
• Types of meta-theories include: Maturational, Mechanistic, Organismic, Contextual.

Different Meta-theories

• Maturational: Focuses on predetermined paths/genes.
• Mechanistic: Views humans like machines, where external factors drive development.
• Organismic: Emphasizes internal processes and progressive development.
• Contextual: Highlights interactions between individuals and their context.

Overarching Theories

• Erikson's psychosocial theory: This theory identifies eight stages of psychosocial development centered around psychosocial conflicts.
• Other developmental theories exist, such as Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory and Kohlberg's theory of moral development.

Research Methods

• Research methods are essential for systematic investigation of developmental questions and guaranteeing reliable and valid findings.
• Methods include experimental, correlational/naturalistic designs, cross-sectional, longitudinal, and sequential designs.
• Researchers use data-driven findings to draw interpretations, although these may be subjective.
• Evidence-based practice emphasizes combining empirical evidence, clinical experience, and patient preferences in decision-making.

Additional Topics

• Important Concepts: Object permanence, language acquisition (biological, environmental, interactionist views), emotion regulation, conscience development
• Unit 3: Infancy: Includes prenatal development (periods and activities, teratogens, hazards), attachment (definition, meta-theory, types, long-term effects), temperament (definition, theories, implications), and cognition (Piaget's processes).
• Unit 4: Families: Addresses parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, uninvolved), factors influencing parenting, divorce consequences, family violence (with child maltreatment implications), and interventions.
• Unit 5: Early Childhood: Includes self-regulation, emotion regulation, and conscience development.