DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

ASSIGNMENT 1

UMAR FAROOQ
191511
History of Developmental Perspective of Psychology:

Developmental psychology is a scientific approach which aims to explain growth, change and
consistency though the lifespan. Developmental psychology looks at how thinking, feeling, and

behavior change throughout a person's life.

Historical contributions:

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, developmental psychologists were concerned primarily
with child psychology. Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John B. Watson are typically cited as
providing the foundations for modern developmental psychology. In the mid-18th century, Jean
Jacques Rousseau described three stages of development: infants (infancy), puer (childhood) and
adolescence in Emile: Or, On Education. Rousseau's ideas were taken up strongly by educators at
the time.

Century/ Era Name Contribution

1844-1924 G. Stanley Hall  Taught the first
courses in child
development
 Several of his students
becoming leading
researchers in the
field.
 Established scientific
journals for the
publication of child
development research
1861-1934 James Mark Baldwin  Quantitative and
experimental research
on infant
development.
 He made important
contributions to early
psychology,
psychiatry, and the
theory of evolution.
 Baldwin wrote essays
such as “Mental
Development in the
 Child and the Race:
Methods and
Processes,
20th Century John B. Watson  Wrote the
book Psychological
Care Of Infant And
Child, in 1928,
 Founder of the field of
behaviorism.
20th Century Sigmund Freud  Sigmund Freud.
Sigmund Freud’s
model The use of
libido in stage model
of development.
20th Century Arnold Gesell  Author of several
books
 Human development
depends on biological
“maturation,”
 Developed
sophisticated
observational
techniques, that did not
disturb the child.
20th Century Jean Piaget  Revolutionized our
view of children’s
thinking and learning.
 He gave the concept of
assimilation and
accommodation.