Key words

  • Importance of understanding why people's behaviour changes.

  • Psychology is important even for non-psychology students.

Definition of Psychology

  • Study of mind, behaviour, and their relationship (Sternberg, 1988, p. 6).

Key Characteristics of Psychology

  • Scientific study of behaviour.

  • Strong theoretical underpinnings.

  • Empirical research basis.

  • Emphasis on empirical evidence.

Goals of Psychology

  • Describe behaviour: What, where, and when it happens.

  • Explain behaviour: Reasons behind behaviours.

  • Predict behaviour: Anticipate future behaviours.

  • Change behaviour: Impact on individuals, groups, and society

Domains of Human Development

  • Physical development: Includes neural development.

  • Cognitive development: Related to intellectual progress.

  • Social development: Involves emotional growth.

Cognitive Development

  • Refers to mental activities like thinking, knowing, remembering.

  • Important for understanding human behaviour.

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

  • Stage Descriptions:

    • Sensorimotor (birth to 2 years): Object permanence, stranger anxiety.

    • Preoperational (ages 2-7): Egocentrism, symbolic play, language development.

    • Concrete Operational (ages 7-11): Logical thinking, mastery of conservation.

    • Formal Operational (12 years and older): Abstract reasoning and deductive logic.

Egocentrism

  • Inability to take another's viewpoint.

  • Typically observed in children (ages 2-7).

Theory of Mind

  • Understanding one's own and others' mental states; develops around ages 4-5.

  • Associated with challenges in understanding emotions in autism.

Stage Four: Concrete Operations

  • Occurs from ages 7-11; logical thinking starts to develop.

Conservation Testing

  • Ability to recognize unchanged quantity despite visual transformation.

Stage Five: Formal Operations

  • Begins at 12 years; involves abstract thinking and problem-solving.

Assessing Piaget’s Theory

  • Noted as influential but criticized for:

    • Overestimation of stages, underestimating abilities, neglecting emotional factors.

Alternative Approach

  • Information Processing Model: Views cognitive growth as gradual rather than stage-based.