CHAPTER 1 Psychology & Human Development

the mind

central role in human functioning, origin of all behavior

behavior

physical, observable actions driven by affect and cognition

What is psychology

the scientific study of the mind and behavior, focusing on understanding mental processes, emotions, and social interactions. founded in 1879 by wilhelm wundt

three core components

affect, cognition, behavior

affect

emotional experience: feelings, moods, understanding others emotional states

cognition

thinking abilities: memory, computation, imagination, language

behavior

observable actions: riding a bike, cooking, texting

big questions psychology explores

Are humans fundamentally good or bad?

Do early life experiences dictate our destiny?

What is the nature of love?

Do humans have free will?

lifespan development defined

womb to tomb

Scientific study of growth, change, and stability from conception until death

Biological maturation, psychological characteristics, non-linear change patterns, stability across time

understanding maturation

physical growth, psychological growth, stability

physical growth

height, weight, physical characteristics

psychological growth

vocabulary expansion, social skills development

stability

characteristics remaining consistent across lifespan

stability across the lifespan

A young child who is shy in social situations may also show signs of social inhibition as a teenager and an adult

lifespan development

subfield of psychology focusing on growth and chnage patterns

human development

multidisciplinary approach incorporating anthropology, medicine, law, and economics

historical roots: 400 BCE

Ancient Greek philosophers: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle explore developmental questions

Historical Roots: 1802

Jean-Marc Gaspard Itard studies Victor, “Wild Boy of A veyron“

historical roots: 1879

Wilhelm Wundt established psychology as a scientific field

historical roots: 1890s

child study movement unites education, social work, and public policy

The Wild Boy of Aveyron

Victor’s case study: French physician Jean Marc Gaspard Itard documented a body raided without human contact

explored fundamental questions still relevant today

sparked interest for over two centuries

fundamental questions: what changes?

indentifying developmental patterns

fundamental questions: When?

timing across the lifespan

fundamental questions: how?

mechanisms of change

application: theory to pratice

evidence-based policy, healthcare, education

evidence-based policy

Teen driving regulations limit passengers based on peer influence research

healthcare

translating research into medical practice e

education

applying developmental science to learning

Teen Risk Assessment Example

Reasoning abilities of teenagers, including risk assessment and reward-seeking behavior, are heavily swayed by peers

research finding

Steinberg (2014) identifies peer influence on teen decision-making

policy change

States limit non-familial teen passengers in cars

real-world impact

Evidence-based intervention improves teen safety

domains of development

biological/physical, cognitive, personality, social, emotional

biological/physical

growth, maturation, genetic blueprint

personality

temperament, individual traits

cognitive

thinking skills, memory, language

social

relationships, interactions

emotional

feelings, moods, affect

complex interactions

All domains influence each other throughout development

psychosocial development

Social, personality, and emotional topics overlap with cognition and mental processes

continuous development

gradual day by day

smooth, steady change

discontinuous development

abrupt shifts in stages

sudden reorganization

stage theories

stability period, rapid change, new stability, next transition

stability period

individual maintains consistent capabilities

rapid change

brief period of dramatic development

new stability

Reorganization complete, new capabilities established

next transition

cycle repeats at the next developmental milestone

Progressive development

basic forms > forward movement > advanced forms

basic forms

early life characteristics

forward movement

development proceeds progressively

advanced forms

more sophisticated capabilities

nature

genetic blueprint, biological forces

nurture

environment, experiences, social context

Heritability estimate

extent to which genetic components explain difference in traits

reactions range

Genes set upper and lower limits for traits

Environment determines where within that range development occurs

gene-environment correlation

Passive (parents provide both genes and environment)

Evocative (genetic behaviors evoke environmental responses)

Active (genetic tendencies guide the selection of the environment)

Epigenetics

Behaviors and environment can cause changes affecting how genes work

Environmental influences modify genetic expression

Stressful environments trigger DNA chemical tagging

Childhood trauma can sensitize stress response systems

windows of opportunity

critical period and sensitive period

critical period

specific experiences required for normal developement

sensitive period

experiences creat optimal conditions for development

the case of Genie

Rescued at age 13 after severe isolation and neglect

Rarely spoken to during critical language development years

The challenge: learning language with a post-pubescent brain

The outcome: made improvements, but development differed from normative patterns

The lesson: critical periods exist, but humans show remarkable adaptability

resilience

Humans are highly adaptable across a wide range of conditions

Normative outcomes occur even in suboptimal circumstances

Extreme deprivation is required to severely restrict potential

development principles can increase the likelihood of resilience

Statistical averages

research findings represent patterns across thousands of individuals

unique life histories

every individual shows varying degrees of similarity to normative findingsc

cultural differences

Parenting approaches vary across cultures, influencing developmental outcomes

Key takeaways

Development shows both continuous and discontinuous patterns

Nature and nurture work together in complex ways

Critical and sensitive periods create windows of opportunity

Resilience is common; humans are remarkably adaptable

Individual and cultural variability enriches our understanding