HDFS 201 LECTURE 2 Understanding Key Concepts of Human Development and How They Are Studied Quantitative Qualitative Lenses The Developmental Manifesto Basic Developmental Research Methods Building an Understanding of Development So You Can Describe Explain HOW you are in professional terms your developmental status abilities and challenges development WHY you are the way you are in professional terms Theories explain data Predict Control development WHAT you may become given what and where you are now shape development within reason If I treat you this way you are more likely to act that way Know and Understand the stuff that matters Apply facilitate development your knowledge as parents teachers nurses social workers friends family etc LIVE well Different Aspects of Development Multifaceted The physical changes that occur from conception to maturity e g height weight etc The deterioration of organisms that leads inevitably to death functional capacity Developmental changes that are programmed primarily by genes rather than caused Maturation Growth Biological Aging primarily by learning injury illness or some other life experience Learning person s experiences or practice A relatively permanent change in behavior or behavioral potential that results from a Qualities of Development Quantitative Easily counted or numericized e g age height weight active vocab IQ income Qualitative Having to do with quality of functioning e g personality traits how good your handwriting is MJ s two points over the shoulder dunk is better than a regular two points quality of where degree is from Realistically all development entails both to some degree it s a matter of focus or emphasis Example Michael Jordan scored 60 points quantitative but the way he did it is qualitative The Life Span Perspective Some elaborations on Paul Baltes page 6 7 Development is a lifelong process Multidimensional Bio psycho social spiritual Multidirectional There are both gains and losses Not getting a desired job but gained perspective of what it s life to help a new person come into the community and be successful Kids realize people think differently than they do lose egocentrism gain allocentrism We continue to learn and develop Neurological plasticity parts of brain take on other function More active when younger Gain child less privacy Lifelong Plasticity Historical and cultural embeddedness Contextualized or situated Locally vs extralocally Personally vs globally Development is multiply influenced genes and experiences Understanding development requires different disciplines Growth Maintenance and Regulation of Loss Biology Culture and Individual factors working together Recurring Issues in Human Development Characteristics of the Life Span Perspective Plasticity Lifelong development Multi dimensionality Multi directionality Historical embeddedness Multi disciplinarity Contextualism Nature Nurture Universal Context Specific Norms or a certain culture Stability Change Characteristics persist over time change Continuity Discontinuity Gradual or abrupt Incremental or stage like are there stages or is it more continuous Stage theorists emphasize discontinuity Discontinuities OFTEN environmentally event introduced Compensation growth environment changes have the most impact when the most rapid changes are taking place normal vs full compensation vs stunting Developmental Principles There is VARIATION among individuals Development does follow an orderly sequence Developmental Norms for age and order Implication Other achievements skills What s next If this is where you are in your sequence then what can I do to facilitate development to get you to the next step There are significant differences between what is POSSIBLE what is NORMAL and what is DESIRABLE