PSYC: Child Development 2021 chapter 1

Developmental Psychologists

interested in how children grow and develop 

child development

a field of study devoted to understanding constancy and change from conception through adolescence ( up to 12)

Developmental science

larger, interdisciplinary field that includes all changes we experience throughout the lifespan

What is the difference between child devel. And devel. Science?

child devel- understanding constancy and change from conception through adolescence (12)

devel science- all changes through the lifespan

3 goals of developmentalists

1. describe development

2. explain development

3. optimize development

   • apply findings to the real world

2 types of development

1. normative

2. ideographic

Normative development

typical/normal patterns of development

Ideographic development

individual variations

3 domains of child development ( kinda 4)

1. physical

2. cognitive

3. emotional and social

Physical domain of CD

• Body size 

• Appearance 

• Body systems 

• Perceptual and motor  

• Physical health 

Cognitive domain of CD

Intellect

Emotional and social domain of CD

• Emotional communication 

• Self-understanding 

• Knowledge of others 

• Friendships 

• Moral reasoning and behav 

• Relationships 

Periods of development

Prenatal- conception to birth 

Infancy and toddlerhood- birth to 2 

Early childhood- 2 to 6 

Middle childhood- 6 to 11 

Adolescence- 11 to 18 

Emerging adulthood- 18 to mid 20s 

Continuous development

process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were there to begin with, smooth process

Discontinuous development

process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times, different stages

Stages

qualitative changes in thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterize specific periods of devl

Stage theorist

assume everyone follows the same sequence of development

Contexts

unique combos of personal and environ circumstances that result in different paths of change

Theory

set of statements that describe, explain, and predict behav

Depends on scientific verification

A good theory is…

parsimonious, falsifiable, and heuristic value ( lead to other studies)??