Developmental Psychology Reviewer

Human Development refers to the systematic changes and continuities that occur in individuals
from conception to death. (from womb to tomb)
- These changes encompass physical growth, cognitive abilities, emotional responses,
and social interactions.
- Human development is crucial because it provides insights into how people grow, adapt,
and change over time.

Key Domains of Development (PCSE)

- Physical Development: This domain involves changes in the body, brain, sensory
capacities, and motor skills. It includes growth patterns, physical health, and the
development of the nervous system and brain, which underlie the ability to perform
motor tasks and perceive the world
- Cognitive Development: This domain encompasses the development of mental
processes, including thinking, learning, problem-solving, memory, language, and
intelligence. It involves how individuals perceive, reason, and understand the world
around them.
- Social Development: Social development refers to how individuals interact with others,
form relationships, and develop social skills. It includes the evolution of social behaviors,
the ability to empathize, cooperate, and establish connections with peers, family, and
society.
- Emotional Development: Emotional development involves the understanding and
regulation of emotions, the development of self-awareness, and the formation of
emotional bonds. It includes how individuals experience, express, and manage emotions
throughout their lives.

STAGE-BASED THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT

- propose that human growth and development occur in distinct stages that follow a
specific sequence. Each stage is characterized by unique challenges and tasks that
must be mastered before moving on to the next stage.

● Sequential Stages:
○ Development progresses through a series of stages that occur in a fixed order.
Each stage builds on the previous one, and individuals must successfully
complete the tasks of one stage before advancing to the next.
● Qualitative Differences:
○ The stages represent qualitative changes in thinking, behavior, or abilities. For
example, the transition from concrete thinking in childhood to abstract thinking in
adolescence is a qualitative change
● Critical Periods:
○ Certain stages are associated with critical periods during which specific types of
development must occur. Missing these periods can lead to developmental
challenges.
 ● Universal Stages:
○ These stages are believed to be universal, meaning they apply to all individuals
regardless of culture, although the specific content or experiences within each
stage may vary.

LIMITATIONS AND CRITICISMS OF TRADITIONAL DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES

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➔ Overemphasis on Stages: Critics argue that stage-based theories often oversimplify
human development by rigidly categorizing it into stages. Development can be more fluid
and continuous, with individuals displaying characteristics of multiple stages
simultaneously.

➔ Cultural Bias: Many traditional theories are based on studies of Western populations
and may not account for cultural differences in development. The assumption that all
individuals progress through the same stages in the same order may not hold true
across diverse cultural contexts

➔ Neglect of Individual Differences: Stage-based theories may not adequately account

for individual differences in development. Not all individuals develop at the same rate or
follow the same path, and these theories may overlook the variability in developmental
trajectories

➔ Limited Focus on Environmental Influences: Traditional theories often emphasize

internal processes or biologically driven stages and may underplay the role of
environmental factors, such as social context, culture, and life experiences, in shaping
development.

➔ Determinism: Some critics argue that stage-based theories are too deterministic,
implying that early experiences or stages have a fixed impact on later development. This
perspective may underestimate the capacity for change and resilience in individuals
throughout life.

APPLICATIONS OF LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS IN VARIOUS SETTINGS

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➢ Life-span development concepts are integral to various settings, including education,

healthcare, and social services, offering valuable insights into how individuals grow and
change throughout their lives.
○ Education: Understanding cognitive development helps educators design age-
appropriate curricula, teaching strategies, and assessments. For example,
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development inform how teachers approach
 concepts like abstract reasoning in adolescents versus concrete operations in
younger children. Social and emotional development knowledge aids in fostering
a supportive classroom environment and addressing students' behavioral and
emotional needs

○ Healthcare: Life-span development concepts guide healthcare professionals in

providing age-appropriate care. For instance, pediatricians use developmental
milestones to monitor children's growth, while geriatric care focuses on the
physical and cognitive challenges of aging. Understanding psychosocial stages
can help mental health professionals support patients in navigating life
transitions, such as adolescence or retirement.

○ Social Services: Social workers apply life-span development principles to

support clients facing challenges related to their developmental stage, such as
helping adolescents with identity formation or assisting older adults with life
review and acceptance. Developmental concepts also inform interventions and
policies aimed at promoting healthy development across the lifespan.

○ Parenting and Family Support: Life-span development knowledge empowers

parents and caregivers to provide appropriate guidance and support at different
stages of a child's growth, from early childhood to adolescence. Parenting
programs often incorporate these concepts to help families navigate
developmental challenges

Developmental Task

1. Infancy (birth-18 months)

- Trust and mistrust: If the caregiver gives the love and care that the infant’s need it may develop
sense of trust, but neglectful and inconsistent caregivers, the infant may develop mistrust.
2. Early childhood (18 months- 3 years)
- Autonomy vs. shame and doubt: Success in this stage leads to autonomy, where the child is
confident with abilities to handle independently, however, overly critical and controlling caregivers
may cause the child to develop shame and doubt about their abilities.
3. Preschool (3- 5 years)
- Initiative vs Guilt: when encouraged and given opportunity to explore, children may develop
sense of initiative but when the children met with criticism and excessive control, they may
develop sense of guilt about their abilities.
4. School Age (6-12 years)
- Industry vs. Inferiority: success in this stage results in strong sense of industry, where the child
feels capable of achieving goals, however, failure and negative feedback can lead to feeling of
inferiority, where the child doubt their abilities and may withdraw from challenging task
5. Adolescence (12- 18 years)
- Identity vs. role confusion: successfully navigating this stage may lead to a sense of identity,
where the adolescent understands who they are and what they want to become. Failure to
achieve this stage, may lead to role confusion, where they will struggle with insecurity and
uncertainly about their place in the world
6. Young Adulthood (19-40 years)
 - Intimacy vs. Isolation: success in this task may lead to form a strong and lasting relationship with
mutual trust and care, but failure to achieve this task may lead to isolation, where the individual
feels lonely and disconnected with others
7. Middle Adulthood (40-65 years)
- Generativity vs. stagnation: success in this stage may lead to sense of generativity, where the
individual feels the productive and accomplished, but fail to achieve this sense of generativity
may lead to stagnation that cause them feel unproductive and disconnected to the society
8. Late Adulthood (65 years and older)
- Integrity vs. despair: success to achieve the sense of integrity, where individuals feels satisfied
with their lives and accept their experiences, but failure to achieve this sense of integrity may lead
to despair, due to missed opportunities and unresolved conflicts.

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model

- Explains human development through the interaction of individuals with different
environmental systems.
- Holistic approach in understanding human behavior

 Microsystem
o the immediate environment that an individual interacts with daily.
o (direct contact; parents, teachers, peers)
o The innermost circle
 Mesosystem
o Connections and interactions between different microsystem
o It emphasizes how the different setting in a person’s life affect each other
 Exosystem
o Does not directly interact with but still influence them
o Ex. Work stress may affect how a parent interacts with the child
 Macrosystem
o Includes broader societal and cultural influences, such as beliefs, laws, and
values of the society in which the person lives.
 Chronosystem
o Reflects the dimension of time in a person’s development
o Involves the timing of life events and transition

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

- Emphasizes the fundamental role of social interaction in cognitive development.

 Social Interaction
o Individuals learn by interacting with others
 Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
o refers to the range of task that a learner can perform with the help of a more
knowledgeable individual but cannot yet accomplish independently
o the gap between someone can do on their own and what they can achieve with
help.
 Scaffolding
 o Refers to the temporary support given by a more knowledgeable person
 Cultural tools and Symbols
- It emphasizes that our culture and the language we use shape how we think and learn.
o Language and Thought
 Language is a crucial tool for cognitive development
 Private speech (kausap si self) is a key in development of self- regulation
and problem-solving skills.
o Cultural Context
 Different cultures provide different experiences, which in turn shape
cognitive development