Module 3.1 Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

The scientific study of age-related changes in behavior, thinking, emotion, and personality. Examines how people develop physically, cognitively, and socially throughout the lifespan.

Nature

The genetic inheritance and biological factors that influence development; our inherited characteristics and traits.

Nurture

The environmental influences and experiences that shape development, including family, culture, education, and other social contexts.

Nature-Nurture Interaction

The concept that development is shaped by the interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental experiences, not just one or the other.

Continuity

The view that development occurs as a gradual, cumulative process without distinct breaks, like riding an escalator.

Stages

Distinct periods of development with unique characteristics that people pass through in a fixed order, like climbing rungs on a ladder.

Stability

The persistence of certain traits or characteristics throughout the lifespan.

Change

The transformation of abilities, behaviors, or traits as individuals develop over time.

Cross-sectional Study

A research method that compares people of different ages at the same point in time. Example: Researchers studying language development by testing vocabulary size in separate groups of 3-year-olds, 5-year-olds, and 7-year-olds during the same year.

Longitudinal Study

A research method that follows the same individuals over an extended period of time to track developmental changes. Example: Researchers studying language development by testing the same children's vocabulary repeatedly at ages 3, 5, and 7 over a four-year period.

Physical Development

Changes in the body, brain, sensory capacities, and motor skills throughout the lifespan.

Cognitive Development

The development of thinking, problem-solving, memory, language, and other mental processes.

Social-Emotional Development

The development of relationships, emotional understanding, personality, and social skills.

Lifespan Development

The study of development from conception to death, including all life stages.