Palestine polytechnic university – PPU

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Course Name: Behavioral science

Lecture 4: Human life cycle
Fall Semester 2022\2023
Abed AL Kareem Asherah, Clinical Psychology, PhD
 Human life cycle
• Development psychology.
• Development.
• Growth.
• Maturation.
• Learning.
• Life experience.
• Developmental theories.
• Cycle – stage – change.
Introduction
 Cont.
• Growth is the progressive increase in the size of a
child or parts of a child.
• Development is progressive acquisition of various
skills (abilities) such as head support, speaking,
learning, expressing the feelings and relating with
other people.
• Growth and Development go together ,but at
different rates.
 Major concept
 Cognitive development-social, environmental and genetic
influence.
 Maturation: the unfolding of behaviors that are genetically
programmed (nature rather than nurture).
 Learning-changes in behavior, thoughts, and feelings as a result
of experience.
 Nature: effects of Heredity ( The unfolding of behaviors under
the influence of genetic predisposition).
 Nurture: effects of the environment ( Diet, parenting styles,
culture, education).
 Growth: Orderly, gradual, adaptive genetically pre-determined
changes from conception to death. Similar across individuals and
cultures.
Cont.,
Cont.
 Domains of Human Development
These three main domains are intertwined:
each one affects the other.
• Physical:
Growth changes of the body.
• Cognitive:
Changes in mental abilities .
• Psychosocial:
Changes in personality.
Cont.
 Growing Up
Human beings are growing and changing all the time.

You are different now to how you were a year ago, and a
year from now, you will be different again!

Can you think of a

way that you have
changed as you have
got older?
 Characteristic Development
1. It is the process of functional maturation .
2. It is progressive increase in skill and capacity to
function.
3. It is related to maturation and myelination of the
nervous system.
4. It includes psychological, emotional and social
changes.
5. It is qualitative aspects.
• “Growth is an individual development in body size,
for example changes in muscles, bones, hair, skin &
glands.
• “Growth is a change that can be measured from one
stage to the other, and from time to time”
• “Growth is an increment in a person external
attributes. For examples, in terms of size, height and
body weight”
 Characteristic Development
• Growth is an increment in a person external
attributes.
• Growth is a change that can be measured .
• Growth takes place according to epigenetic
principle .
• Growth is quantitative change.
• Growth occurs by multiplication of cells.
 Maturation
• The final stages of differentiation of cells,
tissues, or organs.
• The process of achieving maximally adaptive,
completely developed mentally , emotionally ,
and physically state .
• Maturation is programmed it will happen
regardless of the environment.
 Factors Influencing the Growth and Development

• Heredity.
• Environment.
• Gender.
• Exercise and Health.
• Hormones.
• Nutrition.
• Geographical Influences.
• Socio-Economic Status.
Principle of Growth and development
Cont.