Social and Psychological
Development
Lecture 1
Hira Izhar
What is Psychology
The word “psychology” comes from the Greek words
“psyche,” = mind, and “logos,” = study of .
Psychology is the scientific study of mind and
behavior.
It can be defined as the scientific study of
behavior (action i.e. observable & measurable) and
mental processes (cognitive activities such as
thoughts, feeling, perceptions, emotions, reasoning
processors and even the biological activities that
maintain bodily functioning etc.)
Types of Psychology
BASIC PSYCHOLOGY
The study of psychological issue for the sake of
knowledge rather than for its practical application.
APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
The study of psychological issue that have direct practical
significance.
Basic psychology focuses on research, while Applied
psychology uses that research to find answers.
Psychology and Science
Psychology is the science of mind and behavior. Its
immediate goal is to understand behavior and mental
processes by researching and establishing both general
principles and specific cases.
Research psychologists use scientific methods to create
new knowledge about the causes of behavior, whereas
psychologist practitioners, such as clinical, counseling,
industrial-organizational, and school psychologists, use
Psychologists develop theories and conduct
psychological research to answer questions
about behavior and mental processes; these
answers can impact individuals and society.
The scientific method, a means to gain
knowledge, refers to the ways in which
questions are asked and the logic and
Introduction to Social and Emotional Development
Social development refers to a child’s ability to
create and sustain meaningful relationships with
adults and other children.
Emotional development is a child’s ability to
express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions,
as well as respond appropriately to others’ emotions.
Example:
• Recognizing if someone is sad, and asking if they’re
ok
• Expressing yourself with your friends in a different
way than with your parents
• Understanding your thoughts and feelings, and
Social and emotional development can also be
defined as how people learn skills to
understand and manage how they act, how
they relate to others, and how they make
responsible choices.
These skills include being able to understand
and control emotions, understand and care
about others, and make good decisions.
These skills also include behaving responsibly
and with good intentions, establishing and
maintaining positive relationships, and avoiding
Social and emotional skills
Self-awareness – The ability to identify one’s
emotions, the causes of those emotions, reflect
upon and examine the behaviors or responses to
those emotions to learn from them and make
better choices if necessary.
Identifying one’s emotions
Demonstrating honesty and integrity
Linking feelings, values, and thoughts
Examining prejudices and biases
Experiencing self-efficacy
Having a growth mindset
Developing interests and a sense of purpose
Social awareness: the ability to identify and
understand the emotions of others (empathy) in
order to choose a response or behavior that
demonstrates sensitivity to those emotions.
Managing one’s emotions
Identifying and using stress management strategies
Exhibiting self-discipline and self-motivation
Setting personal and collective goals
Using planning and organizational skills
Showing the courage to take initiative
Demonstrating personal and collective agency
Self-management – the ability to control one’s
emotions and behaviors in order to persist toward the
accomplishment of a goal and/or promote and
strengthen a relationship with another.
Taking others’ perspectives
Recognizing strengths in others
Demonstrating empathy and compassion
Showing concern for the feelings of others
Understanding and expressing gratitude
Identifying diverse social norms, including unjust ones
Recognizing situational demands and opportunities
Understanding the influences of organizations and
systems on behavior
Relationship skills – the abilities that foster the growth
of a connection with another person or group including
verbal and nonverbal communication skills, listening,
managing emotions, and constructive problem-solving.
Examples include:
Communicating effectively
Developing positive relationships
Demonstrating cultural competency
Practicing teamwork and collaborative problem-solving
Resolving conflicts constructively
Resisting negative social pressure
Showing leadership in groups
Seeking or offering support and help when needed
Standing up for the rights of others
Responsible Decision Making – the ability to make choices
that not only move a person toward a goal but also demonstrate
responsibility by consideration of the consequences to all others
who could be affected by the decision and acting according to
the best outcomes for all. After making a choice, taking
responsibility for the consequences of that choice is necessary
as well.
Demonstrating curiosity and open-mindedness
Learning how to make a reasoned judgment after analyzing
information, data, and facts
Identifying solutions for personal and social problems
Anticipating and evaluating the consequences of one’s actions
Recognizing how critical thinking skills are useful both inside
and outside of school
Reflecting on one’s role to promote personal, family, and
community well-being
