Lecture 1 PSYC 4220 1st Edition Outline of Current Lecture I Development II Lifespan III Goals of Developmental Research Introduction to Mutation IV History of Developmental Research V Ways to Collect Research Current Lecture Theoretical Perspectives and Research What is Development Development systematic continuities and changes in an individual from conception until death long lasting changes i e temperament as a child and how it stays the same as a lifespan Development occurs by two main processes Maturation biological unfolding of the individual due to genes Learning relatively permanent changes in our feelings thoughts and behaviors due to experience Learning and maturation work together not separate elements to bring about development The Lifespan Developmental Psychologists usually divide the lifespan into 9 stages 1 Prenatal Period conception to birth 2 Infancy Birth to 18 months 3 Toddlerhood 18 months 3 years 4 Preschool period 3 to 5 or 6 years of age Kindergarten 5 Middle childhood 6 12 puberty 6 Adolescence 12 or puberty until 20 or so independent from parents Emerging Adulthood Not clearly defined not official tentative Defined as 18 29 or as time from HS graduation until stable career relationships 7 Young adulthood 20 to 40 years 8 9 Middle adulthood 40 to 65 years old Late adulthood 65 and older Age norms unspoken societal rules based on age i e going to movies and sitting next to stranger social clocks that give us sense of timing for life transitions how we view the lifespan is socially constructed depends on where and when you live i e African tribe may just say child and then adult and age 14 Note look at page 9 10 in book Goals of Developmental Research 1 Description Normative development typical patterns of development Idiographic development differences between development of indivuduals 2 Explanation why we develop the way we do 3 Optimization History of the developmental research For a long time this wasn t studied but then parents began documenting it Baby biographies detailed description of own child s behavior Problems Subjective Only based on one child Hard to compare because focused on different aspects of development This all changed with G Stanley Hall father of developmental psych Created questionnaires to figure out how kids think Ways Developmental Researchers Collect Data Surveys self report simply ask participants about thoughts attitudes feelings or behavior Retrospective ask people about childhood Or ask parents or teachers because babies can t talk Pros Get large amount of info quickly and cheaply Cons Cannot be used with infants those who cannot read Must rely on accuracy honesty of participants
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