RC

ITP - Topic 4

Chapter 4: Human Development in Psychology

1. Learning Objectives

  • Discuss human development across multiple dimensions:

    • Physical

    • Perceptual

    • Social Emotional

    • Cognitive

    • Moral

  • Distinguish between growth and development and trace the stages of the human life cycle.

  • Debate the influence of nature vs. nurture in human development.

  • Identify developmental tasks and processes at each stage of human development.

  • Determine adjustments needed to face challenges at various life stages.

2. Growth and Development

  • Quantitative Changes: Measurable alterations over time (e.g., height, weight).

  • Qualitative Changes: Transformational changes in quality (e.g., cognitive abilities, social skills).

3. Nature vs. Nurture

  • Nature: Genetic heredity influences, passing physical and emotional traits through genes.

  • Nurture: Environmental factors affecting development including caregiving, culture, and experiences.

4. Prenatal Development

  • Prenatal Period: Development from conception to birth involving massive growth and differentiation into systems and structures.

    • Starts as a single cell (zygote) and becomes an embryo, then a fetus by the end of the second month.

  • Environmental Influences:

    • Maternal Conditions: Diseases like rubella can cause defects; maternal malnutrition or drug use can impact health.

    • Emotional Impact: The mental state of the mother can influence the unborn child’s development.

5. Stages of Human Development

5.1 Infancy (Birth to 18-24 months)

  • Characterized by extreme dependence on adults. Psychological activities emerge.

5.2 Early Childhood (18 months to 5-6 years)

  • Transitional phase that culminates in the start of formal education.

5.3 Middle and Late Childhood (6-11 years)

  • Corresponds to the elementary school years, gain independence.

5.4 Adolescence (10-12 years to 18-22 years)

  • Transition from childhood to early adulthood, identity exploration.

5.5 Early Adulthood (Late teens to early thirties)

  • Focus on establishing personal and financial independence.

  • Key tasks include career development, intimate relationships, and family beginning.

5.6 Middle Adulthood (35-45 years to sixties)

  • Age of significant life assessments and adaptations.

5.7 Old Age (Sixties to death)

  • Involves reflections on life, possible health decline, and adjustments to retirement.

6. Motor Development Principles

  • Cephalo-caudal Development: Head-to-foot development; control over upper body before lower body.

  • Proximodistal Development: Center-outward; control gained over the torso before extremities.

7. Social Development

  • Refers to how individuals develop the ability to form relationships and understand social dynamics throughout their lifespan.

  • Gender Roles: Societal expectations for behavior based on sex; developed through social learning and cognitive understanding (Kohlberg's theory).

8. Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

  • Stages:

    • Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 18 months): Non-verbal intelligence and object permanence.

    • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Emergence of symbolic thought and language development.

    • Concrete Operational Stage (7-12 years): Logical thinking about concrete events.

    • Formal Operational Stage (12 years+): Abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning capability.

9. Psychosexual Development (Sigmund Freud)

  • Stages of Development:

    • Oral Stage (0-1 year) - Erogenous zone: Mouth

    • Anal Stage (1-3 years) - Erogenous zone: Buttocks

    • Phallic Stage (3-6 years) - Erogenous zone: Genitals

    • Latency Stage (6-puberty)

    • Genital Stage (puberty onward)

  • Each stage contributes to adult personality and unresolved conflicts can lead to fixation.

10. Psychosocial Stages (Erik Erikson)

  • Focus on ego development through various social crises during an individual’s lifespan:

    • Trust vs. Mistrust (Infancy)

    • Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Toddler)

    • Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool)

    • Industry vs. Inferiority (Grade School)

    • Identity vs. Role Confusion (Adolescence)

    • Intimacy vs. Isolation (Young Adulthood)

    • Generativity vs. Stagnation (Middle Adulthood)

    • Integrity vs. Despair (Late Adulthood)

11. Moral Development (Lawrence Kohlberg)

  • Stages of Moral Development:

    • Level I: Pre-Conventional Morality - individual decisions based on consequences.

    • Level II: Conventional Morality - behavior aligns with social norms and expectations.

    • Level III: Post-Conventional Morality - guided by internal principles and social contracts.

12. Building Moral Intelligence (Michelle Borba)

  • Focuses on virtues such as empathy, kindness, tolerance, and fairness to foster moral character.