CS4.

1 Developmental Area

Classic Study: Bandura

Contemporary Study: Chaney
Key Theme: External Influences on Behaviour
• Did you have any events in childhood that shaped the
person you are today:

• Have any of your characteristics changed as you have

got older:

• How do you think you will change in the future:

• Have you inherited any characteristics from your

parents:
 Area Explanations
• Biological:

• Cognitive:

• Social:
 Developmental Area
• Developmental: Behaviour is caused by the
biological stage of development and the
experiences had throughout development.
Developmental Principles and Concepts

1. People change and develop with age.

2. Human development is an interaction of
nature and nurture.

• The developmental area often focuses on

children, as this is the time period where
humans go through the most rapid
development.
Developmental Principles and Concepts

People change and develop with age

What skills do you have now, that you wouldn’t
have had at age 2, 4, 6, 8?
Developmental Principles and Concepts
People change and develop with age
• Identify a difference between:
– A new born and a 1 year old:

– A 1 year old and a 5 year old:

– A 5 year old and a 15 year old:

– A 15 year old and a 30 year old:

Developmental Principles and Concepts
People change and develop with age
• Children move through distinct stages, developing
new behaviours, thoughts and feelings as they age.
• Infants, teens, adults and the elderly all have
different characteristics.
• Characteristics in one age group will change as
they develop, we are not fixed.
• We are unable to skip a stage, or go backwards a
stage, these changes are fixed.
Developmental Principles and Concepts
People change and develop with age
• Some characteristics in development seem to be
stable, they stay fixed and the same throughout
development.
• Some characteristics do not develop through distinct
stages, but through gradual continuous improvement.
Developmental Principles and Concepts

Human development is an interaction of nature

and nurture
Developmental Principles and Concepts

Human development is an interaction of nature

and nurture
• What does it mean to be influenced by Nature:

• What does it mean to be influenced by

Nurture:
Developmental Principles and Concepts
Human development is an interaction of nature and
nurture
• Choose 1 of the 12 developmental milestones from
earlier.
– Explain why Nature is needed that milestone:

– Explain why Nurture is needed for that milestone:

Developmental Principles and Concepts
Human development is an interaction of nature and nurture
• Developmental often looks at biological maturation:
biologically developing towards a more functional self.
• Animals are rarely born with all abilities fully developed.
• As long as they have the right environmental input, will
inevitably develop towards a pre determined more
functional self.
• Many humans, unlike other animals, live past maturation and
into degeneration, becoming less functional.
• Developmental area will study complex factors like thoughts
and personality, but believed they are determined by nature
nurture.
Developmental Principles and Concepts
Human development is an interaction of nature and
nurture
• Identify a trait or characteristic you have that was
caused by your environment:

• Identify something biological that if you didn’t have,

you would not have been able to develop the
environmental trait:
Developmental Principles and Concepts

Human development is an interaction of nature

and nurture
• Humans are equally influenced by nature and
nurture.
• Characteristics require natural inherited
biological mechanisms, but also input from
the environment, we are an interaction.
 Developmental Key Theme
External Influences on Behaviour
• What is meant by:
– External:

– Internal:

• The studies will be helping us understanding

how external factors influence the way people
behave.
 Developmental Key Theme
Identify whether the following are internal or external influences on
behaviour:
1. The threat of a detention to make you hand homework in.
2. A gene that makes you gay.
3. The decision to be more kind to your friends.
4. An advert that makes you want to buy a new jacket.
5. The environment you are in making it easier to remember
information.
6. An authority figure making you more obedient.
7. Copying the behaviour of a friend in an elevator.
8. A tumour on the brain making you more aggressive.
9. Free will.
10. A pay rise to make you work harder.
 Section C Exam Questions
• Tim and Tom are identical twins. They both have the
fiery red hair that their mother has, and both are very
athletic. However their interests are not very similar. Tim
hangs around with nerdy gamer types, and spends a lot
of time playing online video games. Tom on the other
hand spends more time with his older artist sister,
Tomara, and enjoys painting paintings and sculpting
sculptures.

• Outline why this could be considered relevant to the

developmental area of psychology (4 marks).
 Developmental Key Theme
• The two external influences on behaviour we
will be looking at are:
– Bandura: effect of role models on aggressive
behaviour.

– Chaney: effect of rewards on complying with

healthy instructions.