Chapter 9 Human Development Introduction On any given day, about 384,000 babies are born worldwide.

Developmental psychology studies the biological, physical, psychological, and behavioral patterns of growth and changes that occur throughout life. Isert baby pic from “Understanding Psychology”, Feldman, 8ed, pg 396.

Exploring Human Development A change in human capabilities throughout the course of a person’s life. Physical processes involve changes in a person’s biological nature. People go through hormonal changes with puberty and menopause, they go through height and weight changes, and they go through motor skills changes. Cognitive processes involve changes in an individual’s thoughts, intelligence, and language. Socioemotional processes involve changes in an individual’s relationships with other people, changes in emotions, and changes in personality.

Development: The Affects of Age on Behavior Do early experiences rule us for life? Some psychologists believe that unless infants experience warm, nurturing care in the first year of life, they will not develop to their full potential (Sroufe & others, 2005). This early experience doctrine rests on the belief that each life is an unbroken trail on which a psychological quality can be traced back to its origin (Kagan, 1992, 2003). Resilience is a key concept that helps developmental psychologists understand the role of negative early life experiences on later development.

Development: The Affects of Age on Behavior In contrast, some psychologists emphasize the power of later experience and liken development in later years to the ebb and flow of a river. Later experience advocates argue that children are responsive to change and that sensitive caregiving is just as important later as it is earlier. Most developmentalists do not take extreme positions on the issue of early versus later experience (Tomasello, 2006).

How Do Nature and Nurture Influence Development? A person’s genotype (their genetic heritage) may not reflect their phenotype (their observable characteristics). For each genotype there are a range of phenotypes. Nature refers to an organism’s biological inheritance. Nurture refers to an organism’s environmental experiences.

Development Some psychologists believe that an individual can develop beyond what their heritage or environment predict. An individual’s development involves seeking the optimal experiences in his or her life. Optimal experiences involve developing life themes that include activities, social relationships, and life goals.

Genes or Superparents: Which Matters More to Kids? Look over your notes from the article on page 281 What are the Facts from the Article? If you have children or decide to have them in the future, how might the information in this critical controversy affect your approach to parenting? Why might today’s parents be more likely than parents in the past to try to be superparents?