Lifespan Development Psychology (PSYC 2100) Lecture Block 1

Introduction to Lifespan Development Psychology

• Development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, malleable, and occurs in various settings.
• Involves change and constancy from conception to death.
• Contributions from multiple disciplines (psychology, sociology, neuroscience, biology, anthropology, education, medicine, public health, social work, family studies).
• Emphasizes the importance of theory, history, and research.

Basic Issues of Development

1. Continuity vs. Discontinuity

   • Continuity: Gradual, cumulative change; quantitative; predicts future traits from early development (supported by Freud).
   • Discontinuity: Development through distinct, qualitative stages; involves new behaviors and abilities.

2. Universal vs. Contextual Development

   • Universal development follows the same course for everyone.
   • Contextual development depends on individual settings and cultural diversity.
   • Influenced by Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem).

3. Nature vs. Nurture

   • Nature: Development driven by genetic inheritance.
   • Nurture: Development driven by environment and experiences.
   • Interaction of both is critical; neither can be isolated from the other.

Historical Context in Developmental Psychology

• Early scientific study in the 19th/20th centuries.
• Key figures:
  • Charles Darwin: Natural selection, evolutionary approach.
  • G. Stanley Hall: Founder of child study movement.
  • Alfred Binet: Created the first intelligence test with Theodore Simon.

Theories in Developmental Psychology

Psychoanalytic Theory

• Sigmund Freud: Emphasized unconscious processes, internal structure (id, ego, superego), and defense mechanisms.
• Eric Erikson: Emphasized the lifespan, social forces, and psychosocial stages.

Behaviorism

• Focus on behavior as a result of past and present environment.
• Classical Conditioning: Pavlov's work, associations between stimuli (US, CS, UR, CR).
• Operant Conditioning: B.F. Skinner, behavior modification through consequences (rewards/punishments).

Social Learning Theory

• Albert Bandura: Observational learning; interaction between world and mind.
• Emphasizes modeling and imitation.

Cognitive Developmental Theory

• Jean Piaget: Children actively construct knowledge; bidirectional (reciprocal determinism).
• Information Processing: Focus on mental processes in learning and memory.

Contextual Theories

• Ethology and Evolutionary Developmental Psychology: Survival value of behavior, critical/sensitive periods.
• Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory: Role of social interaction and culture in cognitive development.
• Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory: Contexts of development (microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem).

Research in Developmental Psychology

• Descriptive Research: Observation of phenomena; includes naturalistic and structured observation, case studies, ethnography.
• Correlational Research: Statistical relationship between variables; does not indicate causation.
• Experimental Research: Controlled manipulation of variables to establish cause-effect relationships; requires replication for credibility.
• Developmental Research Designs:
  • Longitudinal: Study of the same group over time.
  • Cross-sectional: Comparison of different age groups at the same time.
  • Sequential: Combination of longitudinal and cross-sectional.

Ethics in Research

• Protection against exploitation of vulnerable populations (young, elderly, cognitively impaired).
• Require informed consent, protection of privacy, and sharing of beneficial results.