Introduction to Developmental Psychology
must be met and certain tasks mastered for typical
Human Development
 Refers to the physical, cognitive and psychosocial
development of a person throughout his/her lifespan.
 Research findings often have applications to education
and social policy.
Life Span Development
 It is a concept of human development as a life-long
process which can be studied scientifically.
 From “womb to tomb” comprising the entire life span
from conception to death.
 Events such as the timing of parenthood, maternal
employment and marital satisfaction are now also
studied as part of developmental psychology.
Goals of Studying Human Development
 To describe, explain, predict and intervene
 Describe the typical pattern of development
 Explain why a child has a delayed language acquisition
 Predict the likelihood that the child will develop
speech problems
 Intervene by giving speech therapy
Domains of Development
 Physical Development – growth of the body and brain,
sensory capacities, motor skills, and health.
 Cognitive Development – learning, attention, memory,
language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity.
 Psychosocial Development – emotions, personality
and social relationships.
These domains are intricately interconnected
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
BASIC CONCEPTS
PERIODS OF THE LIFE SPAN
Division of the life span into periods is a social construction.
 A concept of or practice that is an invention of a
particular culture or society
 Social clock
Developmentalists suggest that certain basic needs
development to occur.
LIFE SPAN DEVELOPMENTALIST
Life-span developmentalists who focus on adult
development and aging increasingly describe life-span
development in terms of four “ages”
 First Age – Childhood to adolescence
 Second Age – Prime adulthood, 20s through 50s
 Third Age – 60s to 79 years old
 Fourth Age – 80 years old up to death
A key aspect in the study of life-span development is
how development in one period is connected to
development in another period.
INFLUENCES IN DEVELOPMENT
NATURE VS NURTURE
Heredity - can be conceptualized as the genetic roll of
the dice. It consists of the inborn traits and
characteristics provided by a child’s biological parents.
Environment – influences stem from outside the body,
starting at conception with the prenatal environment in
the womb and continuing throughout life.
Epigenetics – the tendency of our genes to “change”
as we develop or due to the influence of the
environment.
STABILITY VS CHANGE
Stability-change issue – involves the degree to which
early traits and characteristics persist through life or
change.
Is the most active kid who sings and dances in all family
reunions will become an actor/actress someday?
Many developmentalists argue that stability in
development is the result of heredity and possibly early
experiences in life
CONTINUITY VS DISCONTINUITY
Continuity-discontinuity issue – focuses on the degree
to which development involves either gradual,
cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages
(discontinuity).
Continuity – gradual, continues
Discontinuity – distinct stages

EVALUATING DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES
 Although most developmentalists do not take extreme
positions on these important issues, there’s spirited
debate regarding how strongly development is
influenced by each of these factors.
 Nature and nurture, stability and change, continuity
and discontinuity characterize development
throughout the human life span.
MATURATION
 The unfolding of a natural sequence of physical
changes and behavior patterns.
 As children grow into adolescents and then into adults,
individual differences in innate characteristics and life
experiences play a greater role.
 Throughout life, however, maturation continues to
influence certain biological processes such as brain
development.
 All people undergo rates and timing of development
vary.
CHAPTER 2
THEORY AND RESEARCH
THEORY - A set of logical ideas or concepts that can be use
to explain, predict and describe behaviors under certain
conditions
HYPOTHESIS - Assumptions on a research
IS DEVELOPMENT ACTIVE OR REACTIVE?
 Active Development – argue that humans create
experiences for themselves and motivated to learn
about the world around them.
 Reactive Development – we, as humans, act as sponge
absorbing all the life experiences and molds this over
time.
Ex. Driving
John Locke is an English philosopher and the proponent of
TABULA RASA
: A blank slate or canvass
He believed that a person’s mind is a blank slate (tabula
rasa) and how a child developed is entirely depended on
society or environment
Jean Jacques Rosseau is a Genevan philosopher who
believes that children are born ‘noble savages’
meaning we are born with innate goodness
He believes that all humans are born with innate
kindness not until civilization makes him bad.
 Mechanistic Model – identify and explain factors
that made people behave people behave as they
do. Answers the question ‘why ‘
Ex. Drinking (Physical, Cognitive, Psychosocial)
 Organismic Model – include approaches such as
humanistic psychology, which emphasizes the
importance of personal growth and self-
actualization.
Ex. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Organismic theorists see development as series
of stages that cannot be skipped.
IS DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS OR
DISCONTINUOUS?
 Continuos Development is Quantitative Change
- the observed development is the same thing over time
 Discontinuous Development is Qualitative Change
- the observed development changes over time
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
PSYCHOANALYTIC PERSPECTIVE
 Originator: Sigmund Freud
 Proposed that humans were born with a series of
innate , biologically based drives and people were
motivated to satisfy their urges
 Early experiences shaped later functioning
 Childhood as an important predecessor in adult
behavior
 unconscious
Psychosexual Development (Sigmund Freud)
Structures of the Mind
ID
 the “pleasure principle”
 seek immediate gratification
 hunger, thirst, elimination and sex
EGO Latent Fixation – immature, inability to form fulfilling
 the “reality principle” relationships as an adult
 prevents you from acting immediately to those urges
 find realistic ways to gratify the id that are acceptable 5. Genital Stage (12 years old - onwards)
to the superego  focuses on gratification through the sex organs
 gratification in the form of sex
SUPEREGO  if not satisfied, can lead to sexual fixation in
 the “moral principle” adulthood
 controls our sense of right and wrong
 the “conscience” and “moral judge” of one’s conduct Sexual Fixation – sexually pervert, sexual fantasies

Freud’s Stages of Development 2. Psychosocial Development (Erik Erikson)

1. Oral Stage (0 – 1 year old)
 focuses on gratification through the mouth
 starts from infancy in the form of thumb sucking or
breastfeeding
 if not satisfied, can lead to oral fixation in adulthood

Oral Passive Personality – eating, drinking, smoking, nail

biting
Oral Aggressive Personality – vulgar, gossiping, oral sex

2. Anal Stage (1 - 3 years old)

 focuses on gratification through the anus
 gratification in the form of defecating
 if not satisfied, can lead to anal fixation in adulthood

Anal Retentive Personality – perfectionist, stingy and

organized
Anal Expulsive Personality – stubborn, careless, messy,
anal sex

3. Phallic Stage (3 - 6 years old)

 focuses on gratification through the genitalia
 gratification in the form of Electra and Oedipus
Complex
Oedipus Complex – a boy sexually desires his mother and
wants to kill his father.
Electra Complex – a girl sexually desires her father and
wants to kill her mother.

If not satisfied, can lead to aggressive and overly sexual

behavior as an adult.

Male – masturbation, unlawful sexual activity (rape)

Female – promiscuous

4. Latency Stage (6 - 12 years old)

 no sexual gratification
 kids focus their energy through friends, school, and
social relationships
 If not satisfied, can lead to social fixation in adulthood
LEARNING PERSPECTIVE
 A view of human development that holds that changes
in behavior is the result from the adaptation in the
environment.
 In this perspective, everything a person became is the
result of human and environment interaction.
BEHAVIORISM
1. Classical Conditioning (Proposed by Ivan Pavlov)
A behavioral procedure in which an unconditioned stimulus
is paired with a neutral stimulus to get conditioned
response.
2. Operant Conditioning (Proposed by BF Skinner)
 Involves punishment and reward
 A behavioral procedure in which if they did an
accepted behavior they will be rewarded and if they
exhibited unaccepted behavior they will be punished.
Example:
Giving them a piece of candy when they clean their room
Not letting them play video games if they misbehave
Behavior Modification
3. Social Learning Theory / Social Cognitive Theory
(Proposed by Albert Bandura)
States that people learn behaviors through observation,
imitation and modeling.
COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE
 Focuses on the thought processes and the behavior
that reflects those process
 In this perspective, it encompasses reasoning, thinking,
creativity, information-processing and attention.
1. Cognitive Stage Theory (Jean Piaget)
 Theory of Cognitive Development
 Proposed that children’s cognitive development
advances in a series of 4 stages
Schema – general understanding to a certain thing.
Assimilation – putting new information fit in with your
existing understanding of the world.
Accommodation – changing older ideas and concepts
into new and completely different concepts and ideas
because of experiencing new information.
2. Sociocultural Theory (Lev Vygotsky)
 According to him, people learn through social
interaction.
 Learning is largely influenced by the people around
us and we hang out with.
Ex. In order for you to become good at playing
basketball you must practice day and night together
with the best players in basketball. Or tumira kayo sa
iisang bahay
CONTEXTUAL PERSPECTIVE
 Development can only be understood in its social
context.
 See individuals not as a separate entity interacting
with the environment but as an inseparable part of
it.
Malalaman mo lang at maiintindihan mo kung bakit
ganun sya, ang pagkatao nya pag alam mo na kung san
sya nakatira at kung anong klaseng pamilya meron sya.
EVOLUTIONARY/SOCIOBIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE
 Proposed by EO Wilson
 Focuses on evolutionary and biological bases of
behavior
 Influenced by Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
RESEARCH METHODS
Quantitative Research – deals with objectively
measurable, numerical data that is amenable to
statistical analysis.
Qualitative Research – involves non-numerical
descriptions of participant’s subjective understanding,
feeling or beliefs about their experiences.
SAMPLING CHAPTER 3: FORMING A LIFE
Quantitative Research – the sample should be
FERTILIZATION or conception; the union of sperm cell
representative of the population otherwise cannot be
and egg cell (ovum)
properly generalized; random sampling
if the union is successful, zygote is formed
Qualitative Research – participants may be chosen for their
DIZYGOTIC TWINS
ability to communicate the nature of experience; focused
 also called fraternal twins;
 result of two separate eggs being fertilized by two
Data Collection Method different sperms;
 can be the same or different sex;
1. Naturalistic Observation  hereditary
Advantages: Allows the observers to directly observe the
subject in a natural setting. Ex. Cassy and Mavy Legaspi
Disadvantages: Allows the observers to directly observe
the subject in a natural setting. MONOZYGOTIC TWINS
 also called identical twins;
2. Case Study  result of one egg being fertilized by one sperm
Advantages: Allow researchers to observe and record then splitting into two;
information about rare, impractical, or unethical conditions  can be the same or different sex;
and behaviours.  hereditary
Disadvantages: Expensive and time-consuming
Ex. Joj and Jai Agpangan
3. Survey
Advantages: Less expensive and allow researchers to
collect a large amount of data in a relatively short period. TWIN TO TWIN TRANSFUSION SYNDROME (TTTS)
Disadvantages: Inaccuracy - The answer choices provided  a condition in which the blood flows unequally
in a survey may not be an accurate reflection of how the between twins that share a placenta
participants actually feel.  if they survive, the other twin is significantly larger
than the other at birth.
BASIC RESEARCH DESIGNS  monozygotic twins only

 Case Study
 Ethnographic Study Influence in Multiple Births
 Correlational Study  The trend toward delayed childbearing
 Experiments  Increase use of fertility drugs
 Cross-Sectional  Increase use of reproductive techniques like IVF
 Longitudinal
Effects of Multiple Births
ETHICS OF A RESEARCH  Pregnancy complications
 Informed Consent  Premature delivery
 Deception  Low birth weight of infants
 Protection from any potential harm  Disability or even death of an infant
 Privacy and confidentiality
 Right to decline or withdraw
 Debriefing MECHANISMS OF HEREDITY

Heredity – the genetic transmission of heritable

characteristics from parents to offspring
Genetic Code – the set of rules used by living cells to
translate information encoded within genetic material
into proteins
DNA – contains the genetic code; a double helix structure
GENETIC & CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES

Achondroplasia – disproportionate dwarfism, short-

limbed dwarfism

Types of Hemophilia
Hemophilia A – internal bleeding (bruises)
Hemophilia B – bleeding from minor cuts (wisdom
tooth removal)
Hemophilia C – bleeding from major cuts or surgeries
(giving birth)

CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES
typically occur because of errors in cell division
resulting in extra or missing chromosome on 23rd pair;
Bases – the letters of the genetic code
DS; women starts with 35 years old
Chromosomes – coils of DNA

Genetic Mutations – result from the alterations in genetic

material; result when a mistake in copying the
chromosome is made.

WHAT DETERMINES SEX?

Sex Chromosomes – the 23rd pair that governs the baby’s
sex
If the 23rd pair is “XX”, then you are a female
If the 23rd pair is “XY”, then you are a male

PATTERNS OF GENETIC TRANSMISSION

Phenotype – a person’s observable traits or STUDYING HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT

characteristics
Ex. Eye color, height, skin complexion, body built
Genotype – the genetic makeup of an organism;
contains the DNA
Multifactorial Transmission – environmental experiences
modifies the expression of a genotype; illustrates the
interaction of nature & nurture and how they affect
outcomes.
Ex. Inherited athletic genes
Intelligence
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) – a genetic disease
characterized by lethargy, diminished muscle tone
(hypotonia), and feeding difficulties with poor weight gain
and growth.
Behavioral Genetics – studies how environment affects
the genetic makeup of a human.
Ex. If a child came from a musically inclined family but
grew up in a home where instruments are nowhere to
be seen, this can’t manifest his musical intelligence. On
the other hand, if a child did not come from a music
lover family but grew up surrounded by different
musical instruments it can develop his musical
intelligence.
Heretability – the quality of a characteristic
being transmissible from parent to offspring.
Ex. Intelligence
HOW HEREDITY & ENVIRONMENT WORK TOGETHER Proximodistal – “center” development; development
begins from the center part of the body and goes
Reaction Range Principle – we are born with fixed, innate outward (to the arms and legs).
and inherited characteristics but we can expand it
according to our environment.
Ex. IQ Range

Canalization Principle – our traits as a human tend to

progress or develop.
Ex. Eyes? Motor Skills

CHARACTERISTICS INFLUENCED BY HEREDITY &

ENVIRONMENT
 Obesity
 Intelligence
 Temperament & Personality
 Schizophrenia

PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES: MATERNAL

FACTORS
CHARACTERISTICS INFLUENCED BY HEREDITY &
ENVIRONMENT  Teratogen
 Nutrition & Maternal Weight
Gestation Period – period between conception and birth  Malnutrition
1 month, 2 months, 3 months, first trimester second third  Physical Activity & Work
 Drug Intake
Gestational Age – age of an unborn baby expressed  Alcohol (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
through ‘weeks’  Nicotine
 Caffeine
 Marijuana
PRINCIPLES OF DEVELOPMENT  Cocaine
 Metamphetamine Hydrochloride
Cephalocaudal – “head to tail” development; development
begins from the head down to the lower part of the body.