Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

I . Introduction

Developmental psychology is the study of changes in physical cognitive , and social behaviors from conception to death . Two controversies have been particularly persistent in developmental psychology (a ) the nature versus nurture debate and (b ) the issue of continuity versus discontinuity in development

A . Nature versus Nurture

Have you ever wondered why some people appear to be more outgoing than others , or why some infants begin walking and talking earlier than their peers ? Is it because of differences in their genetic endowment or because of the

different circumstances in which they grew up Psychologists have argued , from the very beginnings of the disciple over the relative importance of heredity and environment in human development . If an individual was writing a composition from the perspective of this controversy , that individual might take the nature position , and argue that growth and development are genetically programmed such that human beings face similar milestones during their life cycles . Thus , all young adults may experience the increase in sexual interest and pressure implied by Shakespeare 's line , And then the lover , sighing like furnace ' In addition , the individual differences that exist among us would be attributed to genetic differences . Or the individual might take the nurture position and argue that diversity among human beings cross time and culture us so enormous that it far outweighs the similarity . Rearing conditions , experiences and historical events account for the differences among people according to this view . Thus , psychological characteristics such as personality and intelligence are a function of rearing condition - of nurture (Furman , W (1999

The nurture - nurture controversy is nowhere more apparent than in the area of intellectual ability . Although the controversy has by no means been settled , it seems clear that both nature and nurture are important factors in determining intelligence . Estimates of genetic stability in measures of intelligence from early childhood to adulthood are high Social environment also exerts its influence on intelligence . For example a substantial relationship exists between social class and school success among adopted children . The higher the social class of the adopting families , the better the school performance of adopted children (Dyne , 1999

B . Continuity versus Discontinuity

The second major controversy in the study of human development can be stated in question form : Does development proceed smoothly in a different pattern and direction for each individual , depending on particular experiences in the family and the culture ? Or does development occur in universal stages that are discontinuous - that is discrete and separate from one another ? Those who support the continuity position argue that development is very gradual and that there are few if any , dramatic and noticeable shifts in development . Each person seems to grow t an individual rate without any obvious restructurings from one day to the next . The discontinuity position , which is more or less assumed by Shakespeare 's seven ages of life , proposes stages of development in domains such as cognitive and social development . Many everyday expressions in our language suggest a discontinuity or stage position...