development 1-4

PSY 203 Developmental Psychology I

Chapter 1: Introduction

Life-Span Perspective

  • Emphasizes development throughout life.

  • Integrates biological, social, and cognitive dimensions.

Importance of Studying Life-Span Development

  • Provides insight into personal histories.

  • Prepares for child-rearing responsibilities.

  • Offers knowledge about aging.

Life Expectancy

Definitions

  • Life Span: Maximum years an individual can live (e.g. 122 years).

  • Life Expectancy: Average years an individual born in a specific year can expect to live.

  • Factors contributing to increased life expectancy:

    • Better sanitation

    • Improved nutrition

    • Advancements in medicine

Global Trends

  • Life expectancy increased globally from 66.8 years (2000) to 73.4 years (2019).

  • Healthy life expectancy (HALE) increased from 58.3 to 63.7 years.

  • Observations indicate health challenges despite increased life spans.

Contextual Influences

Types of Influences

  • Normative age-graded influences: Universal events regardless of individual differences (e.g., puberty).

  • Normative history-graded influences: Events impacting a generation (e.g., COVID-19).

  • Nonnormative events: Unique occurrences affecting individuals (e.g., winning the lottery).

Contemporary Concerns

Health and Well-being

  • Lifestyle and psychological states impact health outcomes.

  • Example: positive link between exercise and cognitive development.

Sociocultural Contexts

  • Importance of cultural factors and diversity in development.

  • Cross-cultural studies assess developmental similarities and differences.

Developmental Processes

Biological, Cognitive, and Socioemotional Processes

  • Biological: Physical changes in individual.

  • Cognitive: Changes in thought or intelligence.

  • Socioemotional: Changes in relationships and emotions.

Periods of Development

  • Prenatal: Conception to birth.

  • Infancy: Birth to 18-24 months, dependence on adults.

  • Early Childhood: 3-5 years, learning self-sufficiency.

  • Adolescence: 10-12 to 18-21 years, rapid physical changes.

  • Early Adulthood: 20-30s, personal and economic independence.

  • Middle Adulthood: 40-50s, societal responsibilities.

  • Late Adulthood: 60 years onward, life review and adjustment.

Theories of Development

Theoretical Frameworks

  • Psychoanalytic theories: Focus on unconscious aspects of development.

  • Cognitive theories: Emphasizes the role of cognition in shaping behavior.

  • Behavioral theories: Behavior is observable and learned through interactions.

  • Ethological theory: Assesses biological and evolutionary factors in development.

  • Ecological theory: Considers how various environmental systems influence development.

Methods of Research in Developmental Psychology

Data Collection Methods

  • Observation: Naturalistic or laboratory-based.

  • Surveys and Interviews: To gather attitudes or beliefs.

  • Standardized Tests: Allow comparison across individuals.

  • Case Studies: In-depth look at unique cases.

Research Designs

  • Descriptive research: Documenting behavior.

  • Correlational research: Analyzing relationships between variables.

  • Experimental research: Studying causality through manipulations.

  • Cross-Sectional: Comparing different ages at one point.

  • Longitudinal: Studying the same subjects over time.