Developmental

Psychology
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why human
beings change over the course of their life. Originally concerned with
infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence,
adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan.
• Developmental psychology, also called Life-span Psychology, the branch
of psychology concerned with the changes in cognitive, motivational,
psychophysiological, and social functioning that occur throughout the
human life span. During the 19th and early 20th centuries,
developmental psychologists were concerned primarily with child
psychology.
• In the 1950s, however, they became interested in the relationship
between personality variables and child rearing, and the behavioral
theories of B.F. Skinner and the cognitive theories of Jean Piaget were
concerned with the growth and development of children through
adolescence. At the same time, the German psychologist Erik
Erikson insisted that there are meaningful stages of adult psychology
that have to be considered in addition to child development.
• Psychologists also began to consider the processes that underlie the
development of behaviour in the total person from birth to death,
including various aspects of the physical-chemical environment that can
affect the individual during the intrauterine period and at birth.
• By the latter part of the 20th century, developmental psychologists had
become interested in many broad issues dealing with the psychological
process throughout life, including the relation of heredity and
environment, continuity and discontinuity in development, and behavioral
and cognitive elements in the development of the total person
Developmental Psychologist
• Developmental psychologists study the human growth and development
that occurs throughout the entire lifespan. This includes not only physical
development but also cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality,
and emotional growth. These professionals play an important role in
adding to our understanding of how people change throughout life, help
address developmental concerns, and work to offer assistance to children
and adults facing developmental problems.
 Why the Work of Developmental
Psychologists Is Important
• The study of human development is important not only to psychology
but also to biology, anthropology, sociology, education, and history.
Developmental psychologists help us better understand how people
change and grow and then apply this knowledge to help us live up to our
full potential.
 Why is the study of development so
important?
• Developmental psychologists are able to use their knowledge to look at
how people mature and the different factors that influence this change
and growth. By understanding the typical rates at which people mature
and the specific things that typically take place at each stage,
psychologists can better identify when children and adults may need
special assistance or intervention.
• While children tend to follow certain patterns of development, all people
reach certain milestones at their own pace. Some children learn to walk
before they turn one, for example, while others may take until around 15
or 16 months. The knowledge provided by developmental psychologists
allows professionals and parents to understand what's typical, but also to
watch for potential problems that might require some type of assistance
or intervention.
 What Developmental Psychologists Do?
• The specific tasks performed by developmental psychologists may vary
somewhat based on the specialty area in which they work. Some
developmental psychologists focus on working with a specific
population such as developmentally delayed children. Others specialize in
studying a particular age range such as adolescence or old age.
Some of the tasks that a developmental psychologist might do include:
• Evaluating children to determine if they have a developmental disability
• Investigating how language skills are acquired
• Studying how moral reasoning develops in children
• Exploring ways to help elderly individuals remain independent
• Researching infant development
• Studying treatments for developmental issues associated with the aging
process
 Where Developmental Psychologists Work?

• Developmental psychologists can work in a wide range of settings. Some

work in educational settings at colleges and universities, often
conducting research on developmental topics while also teaching courses.
• Others may work in government agencies to help assess, evaluate and
treat individuals suffering from developmental disabilities. Other possible
areas of employment include assisted living homes for the elderly, teen
rehabilitation clinics, centers for the homeless, psychiatric clinics, and
hospitals.
Major Child Development Theories
• The following are just a few of the many child development theories that
have been proposed by theorists and researchers. More recent theories
outline the developmental stages of children and identify the typical ages
at which these growth milestones occur.
 Freud's Psychosexual Developmental Theory

• According to Freud, conflicts that occur during each of these stages can
have a lifelong influence on personality and behavior.
• Freud proposed one of the best-known grand theories of child
development. According to Freud’s psychosexual theory, child
development occurs in a series of stages focused on different pleasure
areas of the body. During each stage, the child encounters conflicts that
play a significant role in the course of development.
• His theory suggested that the energy of the libido was focused on
different erogenous zones at specific stages. Failure to progress through
a stage can result in a fixation at that point in development, which Freud
believed could have an influence on adult behavior.
• So what happens as children complete each stage? And what might
result if a child does poorly during a particular point in development?
Successfully completing each stage leads to the development of a healthy
adult personality. Failing to resolve the conflicts of a particular stage can
result in fixations that can then have an influence on adult behavior.
• While some other child development theories suggest that personality
continues to change and grow over the entire lifetime, Freud believed
that it was early experiences that played the greatest role in shaping
development. According to Freud, personality is largely set in stone by
the age of five.
Erik Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial
Development
• Erik Erikson was an ego psychologist who developed one of the most
popular and influential theories of development. While his theory was
impacted by psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud's work, Erikson's theory
centered on psychosocial development rather than psychosexual
development. The stages that make up his theory are as follows:
• Stage 1 - Trust vs. Mistrust
• Stage 2 - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
• Stage 3 - Initiative vs. Guilt
• Stage 4 - Industry vs. Inferiority
• Stage 5 - Identity vs. Confusion
• Stage 6 - Intimacy vs. Isolation
• Stage 7 - Generativity vs. Stagnation
• Stage 8 - Integrity vs. Despair