Psychology
A scientific, applied, and interdisciplinary field.
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes throughout the human life span.
Human development is a field of study devoted to understanding constancy and change throughout the lifespan. The investigators who study human development have a single goal: to describe and identify those factors that influence consistencies and transformations in people from conception to death. Basic issues
A theory is an orderly (logically), integrated (combined) set of statements that describes, explains, and predict behavior.
There are three elements of a good theory:
Ex, a good theory of infant- caregiver attachment would
- Describe (the behaviorism of babies of 6 to 8 months of age as they seek the affection of comfort of a familiar adult)
- Explain ( how and why infants develop this strong desire to bond with a caregiver)
- Predict ( the consequences of this emotional bond for relationships throughout life)
Theories are important to the study of developmental science because they guide and give meaning to what we see. Once a theory helps us understand development, we better know how to improve welfare (opieke) and treatment of children and adults.
Theories of human development take a stance on three basic issues:
1. Is development continuous or discontinuous process?
- continuous A process of gradually augmenting the same types of skills that were there to begin with. ( smiling, eye contact)
- discontinuous a process in which new and different ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times.
2. Is there one course or many development courses?
3. Is development determined primarily by nature or nurture and is it stable or open to change? - Nature: we mean inborn biological givens (the heredity information we receive from our parents at the moment of conception)
- Nurture: physical
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes throughout the human life span.
Human development is a field of study devoted to understanding constancy and change throughout the lifespan. The investigators who study human development have a single goal: to describe and identify those factors that influence consistencies and transformations in people from conception to death. Basic issues
A theory is an orderly (logically), integrated (combined) set of statements that describes, explains, and predict behavior.
There are three elements of a good theory:
Ex, a good theory of infant- caregiver attachment would
- Describe (the behaviorism of babies of 6 to 8 months of age as they seek the affection of comfort of a familiar adult)
- Explain ( how and why infants develop this strong desire to bond with a caregiver)
- Predict ( the consequences of this emotional bond for relationships throughout life)
Theories are important to the study of developmental science because they guide and give meaning to what we see. Once a theory helps us understand development, we better know how to improve welfare (opieke) and treatment of children and adults.
Theories of human development take a stance on three basic issues:
1. Is development continuous or discontinuous process?
- continuous A process of gradually augmenting the same types of skills that were there to begin with. ( smiling, eye contact)
- discontinuous a process in which new and different ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times.
2. Is there one course or many development courses?
3. Is development determined primarily by nature or nurture and is it stable or open to change? - Nature: we mean inborn biological givens (the heredity information we receive from our parents at the moment of conception)
- Nurture: physical