Lesson 1: Basic Concepts in Human Development PDF

ESSF0024: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Semester: September 2024 Section: MCO11 Course Leader: Nurul Husna | Tutor: Nurul Husna 1 Introduction to Human Development LESSON 1 “BASIC CONCEPT IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ” Synopsis Covering basic concepts in human...

ESSF0024: INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT Semester: September 2024 Section: MCO11 Course Leader: Nurul Husna | Tutor: Nurul Husna 1 Introduction to Human Development LESSON 1 “BASIC CONCEPT IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT ” Synopsis Covering basic concepts in human development, theories of human development, prenatal and neonatal periods, infancy and toddler hood, early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood, later adulthood, death, dying, and bereavement. Human Development Definition – a study of the many stages of development in the human life span / change and continuity throughout the human life span. Developmental psychology – The scientific study of age-related changes in behavior, thinking, emotion and personality. EIGHT PERIODS OF LIFE SPAN Prenatal Period Young Adulthood Middle Adulthood (conception to (20 – 40) (40-60) birth) Infancy and Adolescence Late Adulthood Toddlerhood /Teenagers (65 ++) ( Birth to 3) (11 to 20 ) Early Childhood Middle Childhood Death (3 to 6) (6 to 11) 4 Aspects of Development There are three types of development measured in the study of Human Development: Physical Development Cognitive Development Psychosocial Development Physical Development The growth of the body, brain, sensory capacities, motor skills and health. E.g. – Height will increase during puberty (teenagers), skin wrinkles ( late adulthood),gray hair (middle adulthood), cold and flu (early and middle childhood) Problems with physical development may affect other aspects of development E.g. - a child with ear infections develops language skills(cognitive) slower than other children. Cognitive Development Consists of change and stability in mental abilities. E.g. - learning, memory, language, thinking, moral reasoning and creativity. It relates to physical growth E.g. - our learning skills improve as we grow older. In mathematics, we learn different level of mathematics during kindergarten until tertiary education. From basic +, - , x until additional mathematics to statistics. Psychosocial Development It consist of change and stability, personality and social relationship together. E.g. - relationship with peers, relationship with schoolmates, relationship with society, relationship with family. Problems in psychosocial development can affect physical and cognitive development. E.g. - negative effect of stress can affect mental and physical health. Anxiety about taking a test can impair performance. Human Development :A Science Charles Darwin – We can understand the human species by studying child development. Kept detailed records of his child’s development. Wanted to prove the evolutionary theory. Criticized – Study children for the purpose of proving a theory might lead to misinterpretation. Human Development : A Science G. Stanley Hall – Used questionnaires and interviews to study large number of children. Milestones of childhood similar to those that had taken place in the development of human species. Developmentalists should identify norms and average ages. Human Development: A Science Other famous Social Scientist in Human Development are: Sigmund Freud Erik Eriksson Jean Piaget John Watson Nature Vs Nurture Definition – The Debate about the relative contributions of biological process and experiential factors to development. Nature - Biological process – from inside, genetics, our own body system. Nurture - Experiential factors – the environment, the surrounding, family. Nature Inborn biases Children are born with tendencies to respond in certain ways. These biases are shared by almost all children. Some of the similar behaviors of babies are the hope that others will take care of them, crying, snuggling and smiling Nurture Existence of internal models of experience. Two key concepts: 1 – The effect of some experience is not on any objective properties of the experience but more towards the individuals own interpretation. E.g. – a friend says to you “Your new haircut looks great. It’s a lot nicer when its short”. Your friend is actually paying you a compliment however you considered it as an implied criticism. Nurture 2 – Interpretations of experience are not random or governed by temporary moods but are rather organized into models. A set of assumptions or expectations about oneself or others. E.g.– If you regularly hear criticism in other peoples comments, you may have an internal model whose basic assumption would likely say: “ I usually do things wrong, so other people will always criticize me”. Nurture Nurture – Not just the child’s immediate family. Must understand the ecology and context in which the child is growing. E.g. – the neighbourhood, school, parents occupations and etc. Influences on Development Individuals have their own differences Differences can be in the form of sex, weight, height, body build etc. Can also be different in the form of lifestyles. E.g. - the neighbourhood, the occupation and etc Major influences on development are heredity, maturation, family, socioeconomic status and culture. Heredity & Maturation Heredity - the inborn, genetic endowment from a person’s biological parents. E.g. - asthma is passed on through the genes in the family. Maturation - People change as they grow older. Especially of their body and brain. Differences in innate characteristics and life experience play a great role in developing maturity. Family Family influences the development and differences within individuals. The different types of family you come from may lead you to grow up as a different person. There are various definitions of the word family. How would you define family? Types of Family A) Nuclear Family The family consists of a father, mother and their children. It has been said to be the ideal form of family. B) Single Parent Family The family consists of only one parent either a father or mother. This happens through divorce, death of parent or by choice. Types of Family C) Extended Family Consist of multigenerational kinship network of parents, children and more distant relatives(uncles, aunts, grandparents) living in a household. Still exist in some parts of Asia, e.g. India. D) Gay Lesbian Family Consist of parents of the same sex and their children. Usually adopted or from an earlier marriage. How Family Affects Development? Being teased No same gender role Juvenile Delinquency model. Not performing well in school Pressured Hard working Isolated Lack of parents attention and love Sexual orientation Confuse on authoritative figure Lack of privacy Socioeconomic Status & Neighborhood It is the combination of the social and economic factor. E.g. - Income, education level, occupation and neighborhood Poor children - more emotional or behavioral problems? Rich children - speaks better? Rich parents are able to provide more to students? Thank you u n i t a r. m y