...Developmental psychology Kohlberg’s Moral Development Theory: Kohlberg’sMoral judgment data from a longitudinal study of 26 undergraduates are scored by Kohlberg’s newly revised manual and replicate his original finding that a significant percentage of subjects appear to regress from adolescence to adulthood. The persistence of relativistic regression in these data suggests the need to revise the theory. The same hypothetical moral dilemmas are also scored according to an alternative coding scheme based on the hypothesis of an adult form of cognitive development. Results indicate that the Kohlberg regressors are progressors when evaluated against a standard of commitment in relativism instead of absolute principles of justice. Real-life data on the same subjects suggest that this progression is related to actual experiences of moral conflict and choice which lead to the restructuring of moral judgment to a more dialectical mode. It is suggested that this alternative notion of postconventional development is necessary for understanding (and scoring) adult moral judgment. Piaget's theory of cognitive development: Piaget's theory of cognitive development is a comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence, first developed by Jean Piaget. It is primarily known as a developmental stage theory, but in fact, it deals with the nature of knowledge itself and how humans come gradually to acquire, construct, and use it. To Piaget, cognitive development was...
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...development can be defined as “the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behaviour that occur throughout the entire life span” (Sigelman & Rider, 2011). Lifespan development takes a scientific approach in its study of growth, change and stability as researchers use scientific methods to test their assumptions (Sigelman & Rider, 2011s). Previously child development was the focus of many theorists but within the last two decades lifespan development has begun to be studied empirically. Another justification for lifespan development is that it originates in other disciplines as well such as sociology and anthropology and this suggests that this field of lifespan development did not originate solely from developmental psychologists (Baltes, 1987). There are three relevant areas in lifespan development: physical development which looks at the ways in which the body’s makeup determines behaviour, cognitive development which looks at how growth and change in intellectual capabilities influence a persons behaviour and lastly personality development which is the “study of stability and change in the enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another over the lifespan” (Sigelman & Rider, 2011). Central to lifespan...
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...Developmental Psychology There are three main theories of development that I shall discuss in this assignment, 'Cognitive', the main theorist being, 'Piaget', (1896 - 1980), The, 'Psychosocial Theory', 'Erikson', (1902 - 1994), and, The 'Psychosexual', of, 'Freud', (1856 - 1939). Cognitive Psychology draws the comparison between the human mind and a computer, suggesting that we like the computer process the information we acquire from around us and then react accordingly. Hearnshaw, (1987), claims that Cognitive Psychology is both one of the oldest and also one of the newest parts of Psychology, cited in ?T. Malim?, (1994). Information is collected through our senses i.e. vision, touch, smell etc and then processed through our brain. Cognitive Psychologists largely seek explanations of Cognitive development, memory, attention, artificial intelligence, perception and social cognition. The methods used are usually Laboratory experiments under controlled circumstances i.e. memory tests, and, Case studies. Piaget, (J), (1896-1980), carried out case studies on his own children to study the stages of cognitive development. Piaget concluded that the child was an organism which adapts to the environment, he also studied with the opinion that all children went through the same set stages of development and that there were no individual differences. Piagets? Stages of Development: - The Sensorimotor stage, (0-2): - Early in the sensorimotor stage the child is entirely egocentric...
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...DEVELOPMENT PSYCHOLOGY: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CRITICALLY LOOK AT DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORIES? . The term development is very broad and multi-dimensional that it is a topic dealt with in almost every discipline. Psychology is also a multi-dimensional discipline, and when encompassing development it constructs a field of study known as developmental psychology. The main focus of this area is on human growth throughout the lifespan. Originally, developmental psychology was concerned with infants and children, but the field has since expanded to include adolescence, adult development and aging. This is due to the fact that although childhood is obviously a time of tremendous change, people also continue to grow and develop during the early adult, middle age, and senior years. Inclusive in this field are related topics such as child development, intellectual development, cognitive development, and the aging process. In simpler terms then, developmental psychology is defined as the scientific study of age-related changes that occur in human beings cross different domains over the course of life. The direct focus of developmental psychology on human growth involves thorough observation and examination in order to be able to categorise and label a being. This marking of belonging to a certain group is another transformation underwent...
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...PSYA1 - Developmental Psychology (Attachment) Exam Questions 1. Outline individual differences in attachment. Attachment has been shown to be different to each human being. It is possible to generalise characteristics but no one has the exact same qualities. Schaffer and Emerson (1964) found out that some babies enjoyed cuddling while others preferred not to be touched. They also found that some children were only securely attached to one person whereas others had multiple attachments. There are two forms of attachment; Secure and Insecure. What determines the type of attachment is how the infant is brought up by their parents/caregivers. Secure attachments are formed when there is a positive bond between the child and caregiver, such as comfort and feeding. Insecure attachments are formed when there is a negative bond between the child and caregiver. They occur when there is neglect, lack of comfort or malnutrition. 2. Outline two behaviours that are characteristics of a securely attached child. When a child is securely attached, they will show certain characteristics and behaviour. In the company of a caregiver, a child is happy and content. They will feel safe in their presence. However, if they are separated then the infant will be distressed. Upon reunification with the caregiver, they will return to their former behaviour of happiness. The infant will also prefer their parents to strangers. 3. Identify two cultural variations in attachment. Individualist cultures...
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...Developmental Pyschology The scientific study of human development aims to understand and explain how humans change throughout their lifetime. In the beginning this approach aimed towards infants and children to study the mind so that education and learning could be more effective but it now includes aging, adult development, adolescence, and the whole lifespan; basically early life to death. It also includes scientific inquiry which means its recognizes humans of all societies and cultures who are in a constant rate of change and growth. The branches included are all the aspects of human growth, such as emotional, physical, social, intellectual and personality development. Charles Darwin was actually the first to be credited with conducting the first systematic study dealing with developmental psychology. This study of psychology also branches into sociology, education and health care because of its association, not only with the physical aspects, but with cognitive and social forms as well. Developmental psychology also plays an important role in numerous subjects such as anthropology, education, history, sociology and psychology. Those subjects apply to many careers pertaining to the study of human development. The three goals of developmental psychology are to describe, explain, and to optimize development. With developmental psychology comes tons of research. Majority of study begins with hypothesis. The goal of the research is to analyze the interested area and collect...
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...Developmental psychology is the study of how and why humans change over the course of their lives. It studies the changes in human growth during their lifetime. Developmental psychology has significantly changed with many theorists who influenced it greatly since the early 1900s. Developmental psychologists study physical, cognitive, social, perceptual, personal, and emotional growth. Jean Piaget studied cognitive development. Piaget focused on how a child developed and how cognitive development was a process which takes place as a result of biological maturation and interaction with the environment. Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory includes four stages, the Sensorimotor Stage, the Preoperational Stage, the Concrete Stage, and the...
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...THE PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY This theory was proposed by Sigmund Freud which he believed that a child passes five major stages in which the pleasure‐seeking energies of the ‘id’ become focused on certain erogenous areas. These stages are the oral, anal, phallic, latency and genital. If psychosexual stages are completed successfully, the result is a healthy behavior or personality. If certain issues are not resolved at the appropriate stage, fixation occurs. Fixation is the tendency to stay at a particular if not properly satisfied on its appropriate period. PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY This theory was proposed by Erick Erickson. His theory states that human’s lifespan undergo the Eight (8) Stages of major crises or conflict. This theory describes the impact of social experience of a person across the whole lifespan. He believed that human beings are rational creatures whose thoughts, feelings and actions are largely controlled by the ego. Individuals must first understand the realities of the social world in order to adapt successfully. The Eight Stages across the human’s lifespan are as follows: a. Basic Trust vs. Mistrust – from 0 to 1 year old or the Infancy Stage b. Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt – from 1 to 3 years old or the Early Childhood Stage c. Initiative vs. Guilt – from 3 to 6 years old or the Middle Childhood Stage d. Industry vs. Inferiority – from 6 to 12 years old or the Late Childhood Stage ...
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...This chapter is an introduction to the ideas, people, and events that have guided scientific activity in developmental psychology over the past century. Its preparation has been facilitated by several recent publications on the history of developmental psychology. The views of the past held by active researchers are reflected in chapters of the edited volume, A Century of Developmental Psychology (Parke, Ornstein, Rieser, & Zahn-Waxler, 1994). The contributors are, with few exceptions, currently involved in contemporary research. Secondary commentaries can provide useful guides and interpretations, but there is no substitute for consulting original sources. To that end, a reprint series containing historically significant original articles and volumes has been prepared by Wozniak (e.g., 1993, 1997). Other recent volumes include the contributions of professional historians and others who are not enmeshed in current empirical debates of the discipline (e.g., Broughton & Freeman-Moir, 1982; Elder, Modell, & Parke, 1993). In addition, the social relevance and the making of the discipline in American society have been told expertly by Sears (1975) and White (1995). Any single overview—including this one—can tell only part of the story.1 Adopting the convention used in the previous Handbook of Child Psychology, 20 years must lapse before a contribution or event qualifies as historical. Two decades constitute approximately one generation in the life of our science; therefore, 1976...
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...Developmental Psychology of the Lifespan 1. Describe how the growth in the corpus callosum allows children to increase their capabilities. The human brain is made up of two separate hemispheres. The right hemisphere is generally thought of as the creative side while the left hemisphere is thought to be the logical side. Both sides must work together to create a fully functional person. The communication channel between the two halves is known as the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum is made up of 250-800 million fibers that connect the two halves of the brain together and coordinates the processing between them (Berger, 2005, p. 200). It is the building block to more complex motor skills and expression. In other words the corpus callosum is what allows the left hand to know what the right hand is doing. Maturation of the corpus callosum can be witnessed by observing the drawings of “people” produced by children of different age groups. For example, children age two to three generally produce pictures which more closely resemble a tadpole than a person. They usually draw a circle with dots for eyes and a line underneath for the body. By age five they typically expand this “tadpole” to including a torso. After age five the drawing includes arms and hands (Berger, 2005). This progression from tadpole to stick figure directly corresponds with the maturation of the corpus callosum and the improvements in motor skills that maturation...
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...Before the use of lifespan development psychology (which studies changes that take place during each period of life) development studies were mostly done during childhood. Similarly it is generally believed that motives acquired in early childhood stay stable throughout adulthood, but studies have shown that there are age-related changes during a lifetime.”Do we seek the same fundamental things-love, power, achievment-with the same intensity throughout our whole lives? Or in other words, are implicit motives stable across the lifespan?.”(Valero, Nikitin, & Freund, 2015) One study tested the hypothesis that older adults with shorter lifetime and shorter futures are more likely to have implicit motives than younger adults with longer lifetime...
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...Developmental Psychology examination questions Extended responses questions identify how the different elements of emotion - expression, recognition, and regulation - develop across the lifespan Human psychology throughout the lifespan is exhibited through the three important elements of emotion, which include; emotional expression regulation of emotional experiences emotional recognition This essay will discuss each of the three elements in the following life developmental stages referring to biological evidence and well know developmental stages referring to biological evidence and well know developmental theorists where appropriate. The three life stages in this essay will be infancy and childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Emotional expression is a key aspect of learning in which the individuals recognizes how to apply emotions that are socially appropriate and in keeping with the emotional development of that person. During infancy, the use of facial expressions is a key means of communication to establish biological needs. For example crying when to be fed or laughing when defecating. At this stage of infancy usually about the first months of birth, key cognitive functions to express emotions such as smiling is reflexive, independent of external stimuli. With the advancement of age of 2 - 3 months this reflexive motor is replaced by social smiling, typically when the baby sees his or her caregivers face. From the ages of 4 - 5 years, emotional...
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...* Introduction to developmental psychology (history, basic issues) * Theories of development * Research methods in child development Introduction History Child development as a science Parental preoccupation with “expert” child rearing started in the early 20th century. Parents started turning to paediatricians and psychologists for advice. John Watson pushed for rigid feeding schedules for infants and an orderly approach to child rearing. Benjamin Spock’s urged parents not engage in conflicts over issues such as weaning and toilet training, and to display affection to their children. Today Watson’s views are seen as emotionally cold and excessively rigid, while Spock’s recommendations as overly indulgent. What does developmental psychology study? Developmental science seeks to identify variables that influence development and to explain how they work together to shape an individual’s life. Scientists develop theories and conduct research aimed at describing, explaining, and predicting age-related changes in behaviour, thinking, emotions and social relationships. Definition Orderly and relatively enduring changes over time in physical and neurological structures, thought processes, and behaviour. 3 broad goals in the study of 3 child development: * To understand changes that appear to be universal * To explain individual differences * To understand how children’s behaviour is influenced by the environmental context or situation. ...
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...Developmental Psychology Referencing style: APA Word Count: Student Name: Course Code: Date: 1. Find three Canadian Developmental Psychologists (CDP) who study aggression in children. For each researcher, indicate their university affiiation, describe their research in 1-2 sentences and provide the reference for one of their published articles. (6 marks). a. Victoira Talwar of McGill University has put forth a plethora of scientific evidence in the realm of child development as it pertains to aggresssion. Moreover, Talwar serves as the tier 2 research chair of psychology for the government of Canada. It appears as though much of Talwar’s research focuses on child development as it pertains to lying and aggressive behavious....
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...Developmental Psychology Student's Name: Institution Affiliation: Introduction The embryo undergoes enormous changes during the period of its development. It is transformed from a single cell to a recognizable human embryo. The process of prenatal development takes place in three main stages. The first stage is the germinal stage that occurs in the first two weeks after conception. The second stage is the embryonic period which occurs from the third week up to the eighth week. The last stage in this category is the fetal period that occurs from the ninth week until birth. The Germinal Stage The germinal stage starts at the conception time when the sperm and the egg cell unite resulting in fertilization that occurs in the fallopian tube. The fertilized egg is referred to as the zygote. The zygote then moves towards the uterus. Cell division occurs about 24 to 36 hours after conception (Giritharan, Ilic, Gormley & Krtolica, 2011). The single-celled zygote will start moving towards the uterus from the fallopian tube, this occurs just a few hours after conception the process is referred to as implantation. The process of cell division takes place in the uterus. After the process of implantation, another process called gastrulation takes place and forms three layers that are known as the germ layers. The germ layer differentiates into different structures. The ectoderm forms several outer tissues such as hair and skin and also...
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