Psy 311: What is Development?1 What is Development ? l When does development start ? end ? l How does development proceed ? l What direction does development go ? l How open to change is development ? l How universal is development ? l What causes development ? l What discipline studies development?

Psy 311: What is Development?2 Traditional View of Development l When does development start ? –CONCEPTION l When does development end ? –PHYSICAL MATURITY

Psy 311: What is Development?3 Traditional View of Development (Cont) l How does development proceed? –NORMATIVE l What direction does development go? –PROGRESSIVE

Psy 311: What is Development?4 Traditional View of Development (Cont) l How open to change is development? –IRREVERSIBLE l How universal is development ? –UNIVERSAL

Psy 311: What is Development?5 Traditional View of Development (Cont) l What causes development ? –GENES OR ENVIRONMENT –MATURATION OR LEARNING l What discipline studies development? –PSYCHOLOGY

Psy 311: What is Development?6 Life-span View of Development l When does development start ? –CONCEPTION l When does development end ? –DEATH l 1. Development is a lifelong process.

Psy 311: What is Development?7 Life-span View of Development (Cont) l How does development proceed ? –INDIVIDUAL l 2. Development is multidirectional.

Psy 311: What is Development?8 Life-span View of Development (Cont) l What direction does development go? –GAINS AND LOSSES l 3. Development involves both gains and losses.

Psy 311: What is Development?9 Life-span View of Development (Cont) l How open to change is development? –PLASTIC l 4. There is much plasticity in human development.

Psy 311: What is Development?10 Life-span View of Development (Cont) l How universal is development ? –CONTEXT SPECIFIC l 5. Development is shaped by historical and cultural context.

Psy 311: What is Development?11 What Causes Development? l Nature –Biology, genes, heredity AND l Nurture –Environment, society, context AND l Active Individual

Psy 311: What is Development?12 Assumptions of a Life-span Perspective (Cont) l 6. Development is multiply influenced. l 7. Development is influenced by an active individual.

Psy 311: What is Development?13 Life-span View of Development (Cont) l What disciplines study development ? –PSYCHOLOGY –BIOLOGY, GENETICS, SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, ECONOMICS, EDUCATION, MEDICINE l 8. Understanding development requires multiple disciplines.

Psy 311: What is Development?15 Different Views of Development l Growth vs. Change l Birth to maturity vs. Lifespan l Normative vs. Individual l Progressive vs. Gains and Losses l Irreversible vs. Plastic l Universal vs. Context Specific

Psy 311: What is Development?16 CHALLENGE TO LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT l CONCEPTION OF DEVELOPMENT –What is the domain of study? –Can anything and everything be development?

Psy 311: What is Development?17 Textbook Definition l Systematic changes and continuities in the individual that occur between conception and death.

Psy 311: What is Development?18 Textbook Definition (Cont) l Systematic –Orderly patterned and relatively enduring; not temporary or unpredictable. l Continuities –Ways we remain the same or continue to reflect the past.

Psy 311: What is Development?19 Textbook Definition (Cont) l Development involves gains, losses, and just plain changes in each phase of the life span.

Psy 311: What is Development?20 Definitions of Development l Development is a relative concept. l There is no one single correct definition of development.

Psy 311: What is Development?21 What are WORLD VIEWS? Assumptions about humans and how they develop

Psy 311: What is Development?22 WORLD VIEWS: ASSUMPTIONS l 1. HUMAN NATURE –Inherently good or bad –“blank slate”.

Psy 311: What is Development?23 WORLD VIEWS: ASSUMPTIONS (Cont) l 2. NATURE VS. NURTURE: Heredity Environment Genes Experience Maturation Learning Physiology Society Biology

Psy 311: What is Development?24 WORLD VIEWS: ASSUMPTIONS (Cont) l 3. ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE PERSON

Psy 311: What is Development?25 WORLD VIEWS (Cont) l 4. CONTINUITY VS. DISCONTINUITY quantitative, gradualqualitative, abrupt

Psy 311: What is Development?26 DIFFERENT WORLD VIEWS l Mechanistic l Organismic l Contextual

Psy 311: What is Development?27 MECHANISTIC VIEW l MODEL: Machine l HUMAN NATURE: Blank slate l NATURE VS. NURTURE: Nurture l ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE: Passive l CONTINUOUS VS. DISCONTINUOUS: Quantitative (Continuous)

Psy 311: What is Development?29 ORGANISMIC VIEW l MODEL: Plant l HUMAN NATURE: Good l NATURE VS. NURTURE: Nature l ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE: Active l CONTINUOUS VS. DISCONTINUOUS: Stages (Discontinuous)

Psy 311: What is Development?31 CONTEXTUAL VIEW l MODEL: Tennis Match l HUMAN NATURE: Both l NATURE VS. NURTURE: Both l ACTIVE VS. PASSIVE: Active Person and Context l CONTINUOUS VS. DISCONTINUOUS: Both

Psy 311: What is Development?32 LAST NAME, first name l 1. Define “meta-theory” or “world view” of development. l 2. A scientist’s world view of development influences his/her (check as many as apply): a) theory b) the questions they ask c) research d) how they raise their children

Psy 311: What is Development?33 END