Module 3:

Issues on Human Development

Janice C. Rodriguez
Repoter
 Three Issues on Human Development:

▧ Nature vs Nurture
▧ Continuity vs Discontinuity
▧ Stability vs Change
 I.
NATURE vs NURTURE
Nature
 All possible behaviors are said to be
present from conception.
 Genes provide the blueprint for all
behaviors; some present from birth, others
pre-programmed to emerge with age.
▧ Behavior is caused by innate
characteristics: The
physiological/ biological
characteristics we are born
with.
 Nurture
 An individual’s behavior is determined by the
environment- the things people teach them, the things
they observe, and because of the different situations they
are in.
 Born an empty vessel- waiting to be filled up by
experiences gained from environmental interaction.
 No limit to what they can achieve
 The quality of the environment is KEY
▧ Behaviorist theories
are nurture theories:
Behavior is shaped by
interactions with the
environment.
 II.
CONTINUITY
vs
DISCONTINUITY
Continuity
 Continuity theory suggests that development
follows a smooth progression from infancy to
adulthood, with a single quantitative
dimension.
Discontinuity
 On the other hand, Discontinuity theory
suggests that an individual’s
development occurs in stages, each
qualitatively different from the one
before
 Continuity
development is a
gradual process,
like learning to walk

Discontinuity development are

abrupt changes that produces
different behaviors, like new
readers suddenly discovering
the connection between
letters and sounds
 III.
STABILITY vs CHANGE
Stability
 It implies personality traits
present during infancy endure
throughout the lifespan.
Change
• In contrast, change theorists argue that
personalities are modified by interactions
with family, experiences at school, and
acculturation.
A shy kid could
either grow up
as…
Stability Change
Psychoanalysts
believe that
personality traits
developed in the first
5 years predict adult
personality.
THANK
YOU!!!