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The Science of Human Development
Part 1: The Beginning
Human Development• Scientific study of changes that occur over the
human lifespan• Seeks to understand how and why people
change over time
Depends on theories, data, analysis, critical thinking, sound methodology (like every other science)
Understanding How & Why
• The Scientific Method– Progressing from personal opinions to proven
facts (wishes to evidence)• The Nature-Nurture Controversy• The Three Domains
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Big Question!
How much of any characteristic, behavior, or emotion is the result of genes, and how much
is the result of experience?
BIOLOGICALCOGNITIVE
PSYCHOSOCIAL
Domains of Human Development
• Psycho-social (Socio-emotional)– Changes is relationships, feelings, self-esteem, and
coping• Cognitive– Changes in how people sense, organize,
memorize, problem solve, and imagine• Biological– Physical changes, such as bodily changes,
maturation and growth
Domains of Development
• Interaction between and among domains is essential to understanding the whole developing person
• Tapestry of many-colored threads and every aspect of growth touches on all three domains
The Life-Span Perspective
• Takes into account all phases of life – not just the first couple decades
• Development is…– Multi-Directional– Multi-Contextual– Multi-Cultural– Plastic
Continuity vs. Discontinuity
Gradual vs. Rapid & Dramatically
Critical vs. Sensitive Periods
• Critical Period– MUST happen for normal development to occur
• Sensitive Period– Most likely, although it may still happen later with
more difficulty
Multi-contextual
• Takes place within many contexts– Physical surroundings – climate, noise, population
density– Family configurations – married couple, single parent,
cohabitating couple, extended family• External events in our environment can have a
significant impact on our development• Ecological systems– Socioeconomic context– Historical context
Multi-cultural
• Various customs and shared values strongly influence who we are
• Social constructions: set of ideas people share - concepts constructed by society
• Difference-equals-deficit error
• Ethnic and racial groups
• Our brain and behavior can change throughout our life, affected by our circumstances and varied experiences
• Molded and durable (like plastic)• Hope and realism– Change is possible, development builds on what
has come before
Theories of Human Development
• Provides a framework or guide for understanding our behavior
Developmental theories are different from one
another… BUT… they all share what?
What are some of the important
milestones in your life or the lives of
others?
Which would you say are important steps in
development…
and which aren’t?
Some are clearly important… others are not… and yet others are controversial…
If you learn something,
is that development?Is any change development?
Is it different for different people?
Different theories of development consider
different milestones important
Each theory (theorist) has different takes on
what counts as development
What theory do you like best?
• A – Psychoanalytic • B – Behaviorism • C – Cognitive • D – Sociocultural • E – Evolutionary
Psychoanalytic Theory
• Human actions and thoughts are the result of childhood conflicts
• Freud believed it is our sexual impulses that have a lasting impact
• 5 stages• Fixation could be a problem
Erik Erikson
• Another psychoanalytic theorist• Psychosocial• Personality develops over the entire lifespan (not
just childhood, like Freud)• Believed it’s the resolution of childhood conflict
that determines the type of person we become• Success or failure in each stage would determine
outcome • 8 stages
Erikson’s Stages
Behaviorism
• Learning theory
• Arose in opposition to psychoanalytic emphasis on unconscious, hidden urges
Pavlov: conditioning
Behaviorism
• Proposes that we develop throughout our lives based on learning through reinforcement or punishment
• Emphasizes nurture, the specific observable responses from other people an the environment to whatever a developing person does
• Watson: argued scientists should examine only what they can observe & measure – If the focus is on behavior, they will realize that
anything can be learned
Behaviorism is also called learning theory
Skinner
Behaviorism & It’s Theorists
Social Learning Theory:extension of Behaviorism
Cognitive Theory
• It is our thoughts and beliefs that affect our attitudes, perceptions and behaviors
• Focus on changes in how people think over time
• Piaget– 4 stages
Humanism
• Focuses on human kinds unifying needs and impulses (things often ignored by Psychoanalytic & Behaviorism theories)
• Abraham Maslow– All people, no matter what their culture, gender or
background – have the same basic needs and drives
– Basic needs first
Evolutionary Theory
• Nature works to ensure that each species does two things: – Survive & reproduce
• Modern day humans inherited genetic tendencies that gave their ancestors mechanisms or advantages to survival
• Fears have not caught up to modern life– Snakes vs. cars
Using the scientific method• Research strategies
– Scientific observation• Record behavior systematically &
objectively– Experiment
• Used to determine cause & sequence of behavior
– Independent variables• What is manipulated
– Dependent variables• Whatever they are studying (that
depends on the independent variable)
– Survey• Info collected from a large number of
people
Types of Research
• Cross-sectional research– Compare people of different ages
• Longitudinal research– Examine the same people over time
• Cross-Sequential research– Combination– Allows researchers to study several groups of people of
different ages and then follow those groups over the years– Most time consuming and expensive, but yields the best
research
Correlation vs. Causation
• When two things are connected or linked• One thing directly acts on another• Proven cause for a specific change
Let’s see what you remember…
