1 Basic Concepts and Issues On Human Development

SHAILINI G. GESTOSANI, M.ED.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
ILOILO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
• The pattern of movement or change that begins at

conception and continues through the life span
• Development includes growth and decline
TWO APPROACHES TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
• Traditional Approach → extensive change from birth to adolescence, little

or no change in adulthood and decline in late old age
• Life-span Approach → adulthood developmental change takes place as it
does during childhood; emphasizes developmental change throughout
childhood and adulthood
MAJOR PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT: TRADITIONAL APPROACH
1. Development is relatively orderly
2. While the pattern of development is likely to be similar, the outcomes
of developmental processes and the rate of development is likely to
vary among individuals
3. Development takes place gradually
4. Development as a process is complex because it is the product of
biological, cognitive and socioemotional processes
DEVELOPMENT IS RELATIVELY ORDERLY
• Proximodistal pattern → center to side

• Example: sit, crawl then walk before children can run; muscle control of
the trunk and arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers
• Cephalocaudal pattern → top to bottom

• Example: the head grows more in size, weight at first then gradually
working its way down to the neck, shoulders, middle trunk, etc.
SIMILAR PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT,VARYING
RATE OF DEVELOPMENT
• Stimulation in very important.

• Caring and loving parents can help develop warm and
responsible children, adolescents and adults
• Heredity and environment affect the growth and development
of children.
DEVELOPMENT TAKES PLACE GRADUALLY
• It takes weeks, months or years for a person to undergo changes that

result in the display of developmental characteristics.
DEVELOPMENT IS A COMPLEX PROCESS
• Biological processes involve changes in the individual’s physical nature

• Cognitive processes involve changes in the individual’s thought, intelligence
and language.
• Socioemotional processes include in the individual’s relationships with
other people, changes in emotions, and changes in personality.
• All these processes are intertwined. They are not isolated from each
other.
PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT:
LIFE – SPAN DEVELOPMENT
1. Development is lifelong
2. Development is multidimensional.
3. Development is plastic
4. Development is contextual
5. Development involves growth, maintenance and
regulation
DEVELOPMENT IS LIFELONG
• It does not end in adulthood

• No developmental stage dominates development
• Early adulthood is not the endpoint of development
DEVELOPMENT IS MULTIDIMENSIONAL
• Development consists of biological, cognitive and socio-emotional

dimensions.
• Multiple components within each dimension
• Some dimensions (or components of a dimension) expand, and others
shrink
DEVELOPMENT IS PLASTIC
• It is possible throughout the life-span of the person

• Plasticity: capacity for change; the adaptability of an organism to changes
in its environment or differences between its various habitats.
DEVELOPMENT IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY
 Development is of interest to psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists,

neuroscientists, and medical researchers
DEVELOPMENT IS CONTEXTUAL
• Individuals are changing beings in a changing world.

• All development occurs within a context (setting)
• Each setting is influenced by historical, economic, social, and cultural factors
• Contexts exert three types of influences:
• Normative age-graded influences: similar for individuals in a particular age group
• Normative history-graded influences: common to people of a particular generation
because of historical circumstances
• Non-normative life events: unusual occurrences that have a major impact on the
individual’s life
DEVELOPMENT INVOLVES GROWTH,
MAINTENANCE AND REGULATION
• 3 goals of human development: growth, maintenance and regulation
• The goals vary among developmental stages
DEVELOPMENT IS A CO-CONSTRUCTION OF
BIOLOGY, CULTURE, AND THE INDIVIDUAL
• Development is the product of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes

• Biological: changes in an individual’s physical nature
• Cognitive: changes in thought, intelligence, and language
• Socioemotional: changes in relationships with other people, changes in emotions, and changes
in personality
Developmental Changes Are a Result of Biological, Cognitive, and
Socioemotional Processes
Biological
processes
Cognitive Socioemotional
processes processes
SOME CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS
 Health and Well-Being

 Parenting and Education
 Sociocultural Contexts and Diversity
 Culture: behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a particular group of
people that are passed on from generation to generation
 Ethnicity: cultural heritage, nationality, race, religion, and language
 Socioeconomic Status: a person’s position within society based on occupational,
educational, and economic characteristics
 Gender: characteristics of people as males and females
DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES
❑ Nature vs Nurture
❑ Stability vs Plasticity
❑ Continuity vs Discontinuity
• Nature and Nurture: the extent to which development is influenced by biological

inheritance and/or environmental experiences
• To what extent is development a function of innate biological processes, environmental
conditions, or some interaction of the two
• Nature proponents argue that an evolutionary and genetic foundation produces commonalities in
growth and development
• Nurture proponents emphasize the importance of both the biological and social environment
• Stability and Plasticity/Change: the degree to which early traits and characteristics persist
through life or change
• Are the critical periods in which a child must have certain social or cognitive experiences in
order to develop normally?
• Are developmental processes highly malleable and open to change at any point in the course of
development?
• Stability: traits and characteristics are seen as the result of heredity and early life experiences
• Change: traits and characteristics can be altered by later experiences
• Role of early and later experiences is hotly debated
• Continuity and Discontinuity: focuses on whether development is either:

• A process of gradual, cumulative change (continuous)
• A set of distinct stages (discontinuous)
• Evaluating Developmental Issues:

• Most developmentalists acknowledge that development is not all-or-nothing
• There is debate regarding how strongly each of these issues influences
development
THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT
• Developmental Period: a time frame in a person’s life that is characterized by certain features
• Prenatal period: conception to birth (9 months)
• Tremendous growth
• Infancy: birth to 18-24 months
• Dependence upon adults
• Development of many psychological activities
• Early childhood: end of infancy to 5-6 years
• Preschool years
• Self-sufficiency and increased play
• Developmental Period (continued)

• Middle and late childhood: 6-11 years
• Reading, writing, and arithmetic
• Focus on achievement and self-control
• Adolescence: varying endpoints; from 10-12 to 18-22 years

• Rapid physical changes
• Pursuit of independence and identity
• Early adulthood: late teens to early 30’s
• Personal and economic independence
• Selecting a mate
• Developmental Period (continued)

• Middle adulthood: 40-60 years
• Social involvement and responsibility
• Assisting the next generation
• Late adulthood: 60’s-70’s to death
• Life review
• Adjustment to new social roles
• Longest developmental span
• “youngest old” vs. “oldest old”
FOUR “AGES” OF DEVELOPMENT
 First Age: Childhood and adolescence

 Second Age: Prime adulthood (20’s through 50’s)
 Third Age: Approximately 60 to 79 years of age
 Fourth Age: Approximately 80 years and older
CONCEPTIONS OF AGE
 How relevant is chronological age to understanding a person’s psychological

development?
 How should age be conceptualized?
 Chronological age: number of years that have elapsed since birth
 Biological age: a person’s age in terms of biological health
 Psychological age: an individual’s adaptive capacities compared with those of other
individuals of the same chronological age
 Social age: social roles and expectations related to a person’s age

1 Basic Concepts and Issues On Human Development

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1 Basic Concepts and Issues On Human Development

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

1 Basic Concepts and Issues On Human Development

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

SHAILINI G. GESTOSANI, M.ED.

• The pattern of movement or change that begins at

• Traditional Approach → extensive change from birth to adolescence, little

• Proximodistal pattern → center to side

• Cephalocaudal pattern → top to bottom

• Stimulation in very important.

• It takes weeks, months or years for a person to undergo changes that

• Biological processes involve changes in the individual’s physical nature

• It does not end in adulthood

• Development consists of biological, cognitive and socio-emotional

• It is possible throughout the life-span of the person

 Development is of interest to psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists,

• Individuals are changing beings in a changing world.

• Development is the product of biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes

 Health and Well-Being

• Nature and Nurture: the extent to which development is influenced by biological

• Continuity and Discontinuity: focuses on whether development is either:

• Evaluating Developmental Issues:

• Developmental Period (continued)

• Adolescence: varying endpoints; from 10-12 to 18-22 years

• Developmental Period (continued)

 First Age: Childhood and adolescence

 How relevant is chronological age to understanding a person’s psychological

You might also like