Introduction To 

Developmental
Psychology

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What Is Developmental Psychology ?
• Developmental psychology is a scientific approach
which aims to explain growth, change and
consistency though the lifespan

• It is the study of YOU starting from womb to tomb

• Developmental psychologists study a wide range of

theoretical areas, such as biological, social, emotion,
and cognitive processes

• The three goals of developmental psychology are to

describe, explain, and to optimize development 

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Developmental
Issues
• Continuity vs. Discontinuity

• Nature vs. Nurture

• Stability vs. Change

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 Historical Origins 
• Developmental psychology as a discipline did not exist
until after the industrial revolution when the need for
an educated workforce led to the social construction of
childhood as a distinct stage in a person's life.

•  Initially, developmental psychologists were interested

in studying the mind of the child so that education and
learning could be more effective.

• Developmental changes during adulthood is an even

more recent area of study. This is mainly due to
advances in medical science, enabling people to live to
old age.

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 Father of Psychology is Sigmund
freud

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• Charles Darwin is credited with conducting the first systematic study of
developmental psychology. In 1877 he published a short paper detailing the
development of innate forms of communication based on scientific
observations of his infant son

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau did not believe in teaching them the correct way to
think, but believed children should be allowed to think by themselves
according to their own ways and an inner, biological timetable. This focus on
biological maturation resulted in Rousseau being considered the father of
developmental psychology.

• John Locke (1632-1704) was a philosopher whose ideas were early precursors
to many important psychological concepts. John Locke introduced the concept
of tabula rasa which is the belief that the mind is a 'blank slate' at birth and we
are formed and develop from our own experiences with the environment.

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 What is included in developmental
• psychology ?
Developmental psychologist look at the social, emotional, and cognitive
development that occurs throughout life. Some of the many issues
developmental psychologists assist with include:
• Cognitive development during childhood and throughout life
• Developmental challenges and learning disabilities
• Emotional development
• Language acquisition
• Moral reasoning
• Motor skill development
• Personality development
• Self-awareness and self-concept
• Social and cultural influences on 
child development

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 Developmental psychology
theories:
• Piaget's theory of cognitive development

• Bowlby's theory of attachment

• Freud’s psychosexual theory

• Erikson's theory of psychosocial development 

•  Vygotsky's theory of socio-cultural development

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RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENT
PSYCHOLOGY1.Methods for collecting data
• Observation
• Survey and interview
• Standardized test
• Case study
• Physiological measures

2 . Research design
• Descriptive and correlation research
• Experimental research

3. Time span of research

• Cross sectional and longitudinal approach
30-May-20 • Cohort effects
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Life span development ​
Human life span development studies how humans learns , mature and adapt
from infancy to adulthood to elderly phases of life

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Three major domains of human
development
Development is described in three domains, but growthin one
domain influences the other domains.

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Physical Development-
• Changes in the body itself and how a person uses the body.

• Neurodevelopment-brain's development of neurological pathways that influence

performance or functioning Genetic, nutritional and health factors that affect the growth
and change.

Cognitive Development-
• Changes in styles of thinking, language ability and use, and memory.

• Encompasses all mental processes that a person uses to obtain knowledge, to think about
the world around them and make decisions.

Psychosocial development-
• Change in feelings or emotions as well as relations with other people.

• The personal and interpersonal aspects of development. Family, friends, community,

culture and wider societal context are central to this domain.

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 Why is there a need
of developmental Psychology ?
• The study of developmental psychology is essential to understanding
how human learns ,mature and adapt.

• Developmental psychologists often utilize a number of theories to

think about different aspects of human development. For example, a
psychologist assessing intellectual development in a child might consider
Piaget's theory of cognitive development, which outlined the key stages
that children go through as they learn.

• Psychologists are also interested in looking at how social relationships

influence the development of both children and adults. Erikson's theory
of psychosocial development and Vygotsky's theory of
sociocultural development are two popular theoretical frameworks that
address the social influences on the developmental process.

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Some background knowledge of how people grow and
change throughout life is essential if you are majoring
in a field such as:

•Healthcare

•Education

•Medicine

•Nursing

•Social work
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While people in these fields can benefit, understanding
human development can be helpful for anyone.
 Here are five reasons you should consider studying human
development.
• Appreciate Development Through Life

• Better Understand Yourself

• Learn More About Your Children

• Learn to Interact With Kids

• Learn to Spot Problems

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THE BENEFITS OF UNDERSTANDING
DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGY
• Contemporary life gives people a lot of challenges
.complex social relations ,changeable social
surrounding and globalization make people look for
their place in life span.

• It does not cease at adulthood, yet development

continues from the time of birth through old age considering the well being of
all groups

• It studies human personality in constant development and distinguishes

characteristics peculiar to certain periods of life.it studies human life in continuum and
helps to trace different changes which occur in human psychics mental abilities and
emotions 

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• Development psychologists investigate different areas of human life,their areas
include: biological,emotional,cognitive and social processes .The main goal of
these branch of psychology is to describe ,explain and improve human
development

• Development psychology plays an important role illustrating the importance of

family networks for the successful development of an individual.

• Development psychology proves great significance of childhood memories and

childhood experiences and due to this branch of psychology childhood experience
became an important source of information about the personality

• Development psychology is not only a theory but also a collection of techniques

and instruments which can improve human life

• Knowledge in this field can get a lot of valuable knowledge about bringing up

their children and can help avoid mistakes which have negative effect on further
life
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 THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!!

-The Great end of life is not

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knowledge
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