DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

MODULE 1:
INTRODUCTION TO DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Instructor: Lyra M. Alunes-Tacio

Contact Information:
l.alunes-tacio@bsu.edu.ph (gmail)
Lyra M. Alunes-Tacio (FB Account)
0928 1764 061 (Mobile Number)

Department of Psychology
College of Social Sciences
Benguet State University

1
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
 2
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
 I. Introduction to Lifespan Development

Learning Objectives: Lifespan Perspective

• Identify the different periods of Development

• Differentiate periods of human development.
• Identify the historical and contemporary theories impacting lifespan development

Developmental Psychology, also known draw upon. Other issues that they deal with is the
question of whether development occurs through
as Human Development or Lifespan
the gradual accumulation of knowledge or
Development, is the scientific study of ways in
through shifts from one stage of thinking to
which people change, as well as stay the same,
another, or if children are born with innate
from conception to death. You will no doubt knowledge or figure things out through experience,
discover in the course of studying that the field and whether development is driven by the social
examines change across a broad range of context or something inside each child.
topics. These include physical and other From the above explanation, you may be
psychophysiological processes, cognition, thinking already that developmental psychology is
language, and psychosocial development, related to other applied fields. You are very right.
including the impact of family and peers. The field informs several applied fields in
psychology, including, educational psychology,
Originally concerned with infants and psychopathology, and forensic developmental
children, the field has expanded to include psychology. It also complements several other
adolescence and more recently, aging and the basic research fields in psychology including social
entire life span. Previously, the message was psychology, cognitive psychology, and
“once you are 25, your development is essentially comparative psychology. Lastly, it draws from the
completed.” Our academic knowledge of the theories and research of several scientific fields
lifespan has changed, and although there is still including biology, sociology, health care, nutrition,
less research on adulthood than on childhood, and anthropology.
adulthood is gaining increasing attention. This is
particularly true now that the large cohort known
as the “baby boomers” are beginning to enter
1.1. Periods of Development
late adulthood. The assumption that early
childhood experiences dictate our future is also
being called into question. Rather, we have come
to appreciate that growth and change continues
throughout life and experience continues to have
an impact on who we are and how we relate to
others. We now recognize thatadulthood is a
dynamic period of life marked by continued
cognitive, social, and psychological development.

You will also discover that developmental

psychologists investigate key questions, such as
whether children are qualitatively different from
adults or simply lack the experience that adults

Prenatal Development: Conception occurs and

3
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
Prenatal development. Conception occurs and Identity exploration and preparation for full
development begins. All of the major structures of independence from parents are demonstrated.
the body are forming, and the health of the Although at one’s physiological peak, emerging
mother is of primary concern. Understanding adults are most at risk for involvement in violent
nutrition, teratogens, or environmental factors that crimes and substance abuse.
can lead to birth defects, and labor and
delivery are primary concerns. Early Adulthood
The twenties and thirties are identified as
Infancy and Toddlerhood: The first two years of life early adulthood. Intimate relationships,
are ones of dramatic growth and change. A establishing families, and work are primary
newborn, with a keen sense of hearing but very concerns at this stage of life.
poor vision, is transformed into a walking, talking
toddler within a relatively short period of time. Middle Adulthood
Caregivers are also transformed from someone The forties through the mid-sixties is referred
who manages feeding and sleep schedules to a to as middle adulthood. This is a period in which
constantly moving guide and safety inspector for aging becomes more noticeable and when many
a mobile, energetic child. people are at their peak of productivity in love
and work.
Early Childhood: This period is also referred to as
the preschool years and consists of the years Late Adulthood
which follow toddlerhood and precede formal Late adulthood is sometimes subdivided
schooling. As a two to six-year-old, the child is busy into two categories: The young-old who are from
learning language, is gaining a sense of self and 65-84 years and the oldest-old who are 85 years
greater independence, and is beginning to learn and older. One of the primary differences
the workings of the physical world. between these groups is that the young-old are
still relatively healthy, productive, active, and the
Middle and Late Childhood: The ages of six to the majority continue to live independently. With both
onset of puberty comprise middle and late age groups the risks of diseases such as,
childhood, and much of what children experience arteriosclerosis, cancer, and cerebral vascular
at this age is connected to their involvement in disease increases substantially.
the early grades of school. Now the world
becomes one of learning and testing new
academic skills and by assessing one’s abilities
and accomplishments by making comparisons 1.2. Historical Theories on
between self and others.
Development
Adolescence: Adolescence is a period of Preformationist View: Well into the 18th century,
dramatic physical change marked by an overall children were merely thought of as little adults.
growth spurt and sexual maturation, known as Preformationism, or the belief that a tiny, fully
puberty. It is also a time of cognitive change as formed human is implanted in the sperm or egg at
the adolescent begins to think of new possibilities conception and then grows in size until birth, was
and to consider abstract concepts such as love, the predominant early theory. Children were
fear, and freedom. Ironically, adolescents have a believed to possess all their sensory capabilities,
sense of invincibility that puts them at greater emotions, and mental aptitude at birth, and as
risk of dying from accidents or contracting sexually they developed these abilities unfolded on a
transmitted infections that can have lifelong predetermined schedule (Thomas, 1979). The
consequences. environment was thought to play no role in
determining development.
Emerging Adulthood: The period of emerging
adulthood is a transitional time between the end John Locke (1632-1704): Locke, a British
of adolescence and before individuals acquire all philosopher, refuted the idea of innate knowledge
the benchmarks of adulthood. Continued and instead proposed that children are largely
shaped by their social environments, especially
their education as adults teach them important

4
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
knowledge. He believed that through education a socially acceptable behaviors. His assumptions
child learns socialization, or what is needed to be were that personality formed during the first few
an appropriate member of society. Locke years of life. The ways in which parents or other
advocated thinking of a child’s mind as a tabula caregivers interacted with children were assumed
rasa or blank slate, and whatever comes into the to have a long-lasting impact on children’s
child’s mind comes from the environment. Locke emotional states. His beliefs formed the
emphasized that the environment is especially psychodynamic perspective and his theories of
powerful in the child’s early life because he psychosexual development and psychopathology
considered the mind the most pliable then. Locke dominated the field of psychiatry until the growth
indicated that the environment exerts its effects of behaviorism in the 1950s.
through associations between thoughts and
feelings, behavioral repetition, imitation, and However, Freud’s theory has been heavily
rewards and punishments (Crain, 2005). Locke’s criticized for several reasons. One is that it is very
ideas laid the groundwork for the behavioral difficult to test scientifically (Crews, 1998). Freud
perspective and subsequent learning theories of suggested that much of what determines our
Pavlov, Skinner and Bandura. actions were unknown to us, and as scientists we
cannot measure these unconscious concepts. A
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778): Like Locke, second criticism is that Freud’s case studies were
Rousseau also believed that children were not just not validated and cannot be used as evidence
little adults. However, he did not believe they were for his theories. Many later theories, particularly
blank slates, but instead developed according to behaviorism and humanism, came about as
a natural plan which unfolded in different stages challenges to Freud’s views.
(Crain, 2005). He did not believe in teaching them
the correct way to think, but believed children
should be allowed to think by themselves
according to their own ways and an inner, 1.3. Contemporary Theories on
biological timetable. This focus on biological
maturation resulted in Rousseau being considered Development
the father of developmental psychology. Followers Erikson (1902-1994) and Psychosocial Theory: Now,
of Rousseau’s developmental perspective include let's turn to a less controversial psychodynamic
Gesell, Montessori, and Piaget. theorist, Erik Erikson. Erikson presents eight
developmental stages that encompass the entire
Arnold Gesell (1880-1961): Gesell spent 50 years at lifespan. For that reason, Erikson’s psychosocial
the Yale Clinic of Child Development, and with his theory forms the foundation for much of our
colleagues he studied the neuromotor discussion of psychosocial development. Erikson
development of children. Gesell believed that the (1950) proposed a model of lifespan development
child’s development was activated by genes and that provides a useful guideline for thinking about
he called this process maturation (Crain, 2005). the changes we experience throughout life.
Further, he believed that development unfolded in Erikson broke with Freud’s emphasis on
fixed sequences, and he opposed efforts to teach sexuality as the cornerstone of social-emotional
children ahead of schedule as he believed they development and instead suggested that social
will engage in behaviors when their nervous relationships fostered development. Erikson
systems had sufficiently matured. proposed that each period of life has a unique
challenge or crisis that the person who reaches it
Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): Freud was avery must face,referred to as psychosocial crises.
influential figure in the area of development. According to Erikson, successful development
Freud emphasized the importance of involves dealing with and resolving the goals and
earlychildhood experiences in shaping our demands of each of these psychosocial crises in a
personality and behavior. In our natural state, we positive way. These crises are usually called stages,
are biological beings and are driven primarily by although that is not the term Erikson used. If a
instincts. During childhood, however, we begin to person does not resolve a stage successfully, it
become social beings as we learn how to may hinder their ability to deal with later stages.
manage our instincts and transform them into For example, the person who does not develop a

5
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
sense of trust (Erikson’s first stage) may find it Social Learning Theory, or learning by watching
challenging as an adult to form a positive intimate others, was developed by Albert Bandura (1977).
relationship (Erikson’s sixth stage). Or an individual His theory calls our attention to the ways in which
who does not develop a clear sense of purpose many of our actions are not learned through
and identity (Erikson’s fifth stage) may become conditioning, as suggested by Skinner. Young
self-absorbed and stagnate rather than work children frequently learn behaviors through
toward the betterment of others (Erikson’s seventh imitation. Especially when children do not know
stage). what else to do, they learn by modeling or
copying the behavior of others. Bandura (1986)
suggests that there is interplay between the
environment and the individual. We are not just
the product of our surroundings, rather we
influence our surroundings.
There is interplay between our personality
and the way we interpret events and how they
influence us. This concept is called reciprocal
determinism. An example of this might be the
interplay between parents and children. Parents
not only influence their child's environment,
perhaps intentionally through the use of
reinforcement, etc., but children influence parents
as well. Parents may respond differently with their
first child than with their fourth. Perhaps they try to
be the perfect parents with their firstborn, but by
the time their last child comes along they have
very different expectations, both of themselves
Learning Theory: Also known as Behaviorism, is and their child. Our environment creates us and
based on the premise that it is not possible to we create our environment.
objectively study the mind, and therefore Other social influences: TV or not TV?
psychologists should limit their attention to the Bandura, Ross and Ross (1963) began a series of
study of behavior itself. The most famous studies to look at the impact of television on the
behaviorist was Burrhus Frederick (B. F.) Skinner behavior of children. Bandura began by
(1904– 1990), who expanded the principles of conducting an experiment in which he showed
behaviorism and also brought them to the children a film of a woman hitting an inflatable
attention of the public at large. Skinner used the clown or “bobo” doll. Then the children were
ideas of stimulus and response, along with the allowed in the room, where they found the doll
application of rewards or reinforcements, to train and during their play they began to hit it. The
pigeons and other animals. In addition, he used children also demonstrated novel ways of being
the general principles of behaviorism to develop aggressive toward the doll that were not
theories about how best to teach children and demonstrated by those children who did not see
how to create societies that were peaceful and the aggressive model. Bandura’s research raised
productive (Skinner, 1957, 1968, 1972). The concerns about the impact of violence on young
behaviorists made substantial contributions to children. Since then, considerable research has
psychology by identifying the principles of learning. been conducted on the impact of violent media
Although the behaviorists were incorrect in their on children’s aggression including playing
beliefs that it was not possible to measure videogames.
thoughts and feelings, their ideas provided new
insights that helped further our understanding
regarding the nature-nurture debate as well as the Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was one of the most
question of free will. The ideas of behaviorism are influential cognitive theorists in development. He
fundamental to psychology and have been was inspired to explore children’s ability to think
developed to help us better understand the role and reason by watching his own children’s
of prior experiences in a variety of areas of development. He was one of the first to recognize
psychology. and map out the ways in which children's

6
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
intelligence differs from that of adults (Piaget, environment also aid in our development of more
1929). He became interested in this area when he effective strategies for processing information.
was asked to test the IQ of children and began to Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the
notice that there was a pattern in their wrong Ecological Systems Theory, which provides a
answers. He believed that children's intellectual framework for understanding and studying the
skills change over time and that maturation, rather many influences on human development
than training, brings about that change. Children (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). Bronfenbrenner
of differing ages interpret the world differently. recognized that human interaction is influenced
Piaget theorized that children progressed through by larger social forces and that an understanding
four stages of cognitive development of these forces is essential for understanding an
individual. The individual is impacted by several
systems including:

 Microsystem includes the individual’s setting

and those who have direct, significant
contact with the person, such as parents or
siblings. The input of those is modified by the
cognitive and biological state of the
individual as well. These influence the person’s
actions, which in turn influence systems
operating on him or her.
 Mesosystem includes the larger organizational
structures, such as school, the family, or
religion. These institutions impact the micro
systems just described. The philosophy of the
school system, daily routine, assessment
Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Russian methods, and other characteristics can affect
psychologist who wrote in the early 1900s, but the child’s self-image, growth, sense of
whose work was not discovered by researchers in accomplishment, and schedule thereby
the United States until the 1960s and became impacting the child, physically, cognitively,
more widely known in the 1980s (Crain, 2005). His and emotionally.
sociocultural theory emphasizes the importance of  Exosystem includes the larger contexts of
culture and interaction in the development of community. A community’s values, history,
cognitive abilities. Vygotsky differed with Piaget in and economy can impact the organizational
that he believed that a person not only has a set structures it houses. Mesosystems both
of abilities, but also a set of potential abilities that influence and are influenced by the
can be realized if given the proper guidance from exosystem.
others. Vygotsky developed theories on teaching  Macrosystem includes the cultural elements,
that have been adopted by educators today. such as global economic conditions, war,
Information Processing is not the work of a single technological trends, values, philosophies,
theorist, but based on the ideas and research and a society’s responses to the global
of several cognitive scientists studying how community.
individuals perceive, analyze, manipulate, use,  Chronosystem is the historical context in which
and remember information. This approach these experiences occur. This relates to the
assumes that humans gradually improve in their different generational time periods previously
processing skills; that is, cognitive development is discussed, such as the baby boomers and
continuous rather than stage-like. The more millennials.
complex mental skills of adults are built from the In sum, a child’s experiences are shaped
primitive abilities of children. We are born with the by larger forces, such as the family, schools,
ability to notice stimuli, store, and retrieve religion, culture, and time period.
information. Brain maturation enables Bronfenbrenner’s model helps us understand
advancements in our information processing all of the different environments that impact
system. At the same time, interactions with the each one of us simultaneously.

7
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024
 ACTIVITY:

Complete Name: _____________________________________

Course and Year: ____________________________________
Date: _______________________

ACTIVITY: Compare and contrast all the different

developmental theories in terms of title of the theory,
proponent, main idea/s. Follow the tabular format
below.

Short bond paper

Font: 12
Font style: Century Gothic

Title of the Proponent Main idea/s

theory

References:

Gines, A. et al (1998). Developmental Psychology.

Rex Bookstore. Manila, Philippines

Evangelista, L (2007). Developmental psychology

(growth and development with filipino values).
Booklore, Sta. Cruz, Manila

Lally & Valentine-French (2019). Lifespan

development: a psychological Perspective.
Second Edition. San Francisco, California

Santrock, J. (2011). Life-span development, 13th

edition. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.,
New York.

8
Developmental Psychology
Benguet State University . 1st Semester SY 2023-2024