DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY REVIEWER

DEVELOPMENT- the pattern of movement or difficulties understanding people

change that begins from conception and around her
continues through the human life span
▪ MULTIDIRECTIONAL- throughout life,
some dimensions and components of
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE LIFE SPAN a dimension expand and some shrink

LIFE EXPECTANCY- the average number of e.g. In childhood, we give importance

years that a person born in a particular year to our school achievements. As we
can expect to live. reach adolescence, our focus is on our
-based on the oldest documented data found, social relationships. Then in
the upper boundary of the human life span is adulthood, we focus on our career and
at 122 years. our intent to build our family

LIFE SPAN PERSPECTIVE- according to Paul ▪ PLASTIC- plasticity means the

Baltes, development is lifelong, capacity for change. The different
multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, dimensions of development are
multidisciplinary, and contextual as a process plastic. However, it differs at different
that involves growth, maintenance, and points in time
regulation of loss. For him, it is also important
to understand that development is e.g. Someone who is born does not
constructed through biological, sociocultural, mean he/she will always be shy.
and individual factors and that these factors His/her exposure to different
work together. communities can help him/her gain
▪ LIFE LONG- early adulthood is not the confidence
end point of development, and no age
period dominates the other. ▪ MULTIDISCIPLINARY- disciplines like
psychology, sociology anthropology,
▪ MULTIDIMENSIONAL- development neuroscience and medicine show
has biological, cognitive, and particular interest in the study of
socioemotional dimensions that even development throughout the life span
within these dimensions, there are still
components to it—they are changing ▪ CONTEXTUAL- all kinds of
and are affecting each other development occur within a context or
setting—families, schools, peer
e.g. a child has been diagnosed of groups, churches, cities,
asthma. Her frequent attacks made neighborhood, etc.
her parents prohibit her from going
outside to play with other children. -like individuals, context also change.
Since she was always home when she Thus, it exerts three types of
was younger, she gets easily shy influences:
around people and caused her to have
 a) NORMATIVE-AGE GRADED our high school friends had been
INFLUENCES- similar to limited given the different programs we
individuals in a particular age chose to take. Somehow, we manage
group to see some of our high school friends,
but we also noticed that our
e.g. puberty, menopause, relationships to some of them whom
formal education, retirement we used to be closed to has naturally
drifted over the course. Although we
b) NORMATIVE HISTORY- feel sad about it, we’ve also learned to
GRADED INFLUENCES- accept that life is a series of hellos and
common to people of a goodbyes, and that life still goes on
particular generation because
of historical circumstances ▪ DEVELOPMENT IS A CO-
CONSTRUCTION OF BIOLOGY,
e.g. economic, social, and CULTURE, AND THE INDIVIDUAL- the
political upheavals such as the manifestation of our biological/
Great Depression; the COVID- genetic predispositions depends on
19 pandemic the environment we live in/ engage to

c) NONNORMATIVE OR HIGHLY
CONTEMPORARY CONCERNS OF
INDIVIDUALIZED LIFE
DEVELOPMENT
EVENTS-unusual occurrences
that have a major impact on ▪ HEALTH AND WELL-BEING- health
the lives of individual people professionals today recognize the
influences of lifestyle and
-these events do not happen to psychological states into our health
everyone, and when they do and well-being
occur, they influence people in
different ways ▪ PARENTING AND EDUCATION-
childcare, parenting styles, effects of
e.g. death of parents at a young divorce, child maltreatment,
age, teenage pregnancy intergenerational relationships

▪ IT INVOLVES GROWTH, ▪ SOCIOCULTURAL CONTEXT AND

MAINTENANCE, AND REGULATION DIVERSITY
OF LOSS- mastery of life often involves
conflict and competition among three
goals of development: growth, a) CULTURE-encompasses the
maintenance, and regulation of growth behavior patterns, beliefs, and all
other products of a particular
e.g. we’ve always thought that high group of people that are passed on
school is forever, and then college from generation to generation
happened so we had to adapt to the
new phase of our lives. Our time with
 -results from the interaction of
people over many years ▪ COGNITIVE PROCESSES- refer to
changes in individual’s thought,
-the group’s culture influences the intelligence, and language
behavior of its members
▪ SOCIOEMOTIONAL PROCESSES-
b) ETHNICITY- is rooted in cultural refer to the changes in the individual’s
heritage, nationality, race, religion, relationship with other people,
and language changes in emotion, and changes in
personality
c) SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS-
refers to a person’s position within
Biological, cognitive, and socioemotional
a society based on occupational,
processes are inextricably intertwined, and
educational, and economic
two rapidly emerging fields focus on such
characteristics
study:
-differences in the ability to control
resources and to participate in the
society’s reward produce unequal ▪ DEVELOPMENTAL COGNITIVE
opportunities NEUROSCIENCE- explores link
between development, cognitive
d) GENDER- refers to characteristics processes, and the brain
of people s male and female
▪ DEVELOPMENTAL SOCIAL
▪ SOCIAL POLICY- a government’s NEUROSCIENCE- examines
course of action designed to promote connections between socioemotional
the welfare of its citizens processes, development, and the
brain
▪ TECHNOLOGY- our way of life has
been changed permanently by PERIODS OF DEVELOPMENT
technological advances
DEVELOPMENTAL PERIOD- refers to a time
frame in a person’s life that is characterized by
BIOLOGICAL, COGNITIVE, AND certain features
SOCIOEMOTIONAL PROCESSES
The most widely used classification of
developmental periods involves the eight-
▪ BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES- produce period sequence
changes in an individual’s physical
nature
-include genes inherited from parents, ▪ PRENATAL PERIOD- time from
brain development, height and weight conception to birth
gains, changes in motor skills, -involves tremendous growth from a
nutrition, exercise, hormonal changes single cell to an organism complete
in puberty, and cardiovascular decline with brain and behavioral capabilities.
 It takes place in approximately a 9- ▪ ADOLESCENCE- the developmental
month period period of transition from childhood to
adulthood
▪ INFANCY- from birth to 18 or 24 -from approximately between 10 to 12
months years of age and 18 to 21 years
-a time of extreme dependence upon -begins with rapid physical changes in
adults body contour, and the development of
-many psychological activities sexual characteristics (enlargement of
(language, symbolic thought, the breasts, growth of pubic and facial
sensorimotor coordination, and social hair, deepening of voice)
learning) are just beginning -the pursuit of independence and an
identity are preeminent
▪ TODDLER- used to describe a child -thought is more logical, abstract, and
from about 1 ½ to 3 years of age idealistic
-in a transitional period between -more time is spent outside the family
infancy and early childhood
▪ EMERGING ADULTHOOD- transition
▪ EARLY CHILDHOOD- the between adolescence and early
developmental period from 3 through adulthood—it can be long, depending
5 years of age on an individual’s ability to develop
-sometimes called, “the preschool more effective skills to become full
age” members of society
-young children learn to become more -the period from approximately 18 to
self-sufficient and to care for 25 years of age
themselves, develop school readiness -it is characterized by experimentation
skills, and spend many hours playing and exploration—what career path
with peers they should follow, how they want to
-first grade typically marks the end of be identified, which lifestyle they want
early childhood to adapt

▪ MIDDLE AND LATE CHILDHOOD- the ▪ EARLY ADULTHOOD- begins with the
developmental period from about 6 to early twenties and lasts through the
10 or 11 years of age thirties
-approximately corresponding to the -a time of establishing personal and
elementary school years economic independence, advancing
-children master the fundamental in a career, and for many, selecting a
skills of reading, writing, and mate, learning to live with that person
arithmetic in an intimate way, starting a family
-children are formally exposed to the and rearing children
larger world and its culture
-achievement becomes the central ▪ MIDDLE ADULTHOOD- approximately
theme of the child’s world 40 to about 60 years of age
-self-control increases -a time of expanding personal and
social involvement and responsibility
 of assisting the next generation in of how aging can encompass individual
becoming competent, mature variations:
individuals, and of reaching and
▪ NORMAL AGING- psychological
maintaining satisfaction in a career
functioning peaks in early middle age,
remains relatively stable until the late
▪ LATE ADULTHOOD- begins during the
fifties to early sixties, and then shows
sixties or seventies and lasts until
a modest decline through the early
death
eighties
-it is a time of life review, retirement,
-marked decline can occur as
and adjustment to new social roles
individuals approach death
and diminishing strength and health
-has the longest span of any period of
▪ PATHOLOGICAL AGING- they show
development
greater than average decline as they
age through the adult years
FOUR AGES- life-span developmentalists who -in early old age, they may have mild
focus on adult development and aging cognitive impairment, develop
increasingly describe lifespan development in Alzheimer’s disease later on, or have
terms of four “ages” chronic disease that impairs their daily
functioning
▪ FIRST AGE- childhood and
adolescence
▪ SUCCESSFUL AGING- characterizes
▪ SECOND AGE- prime adulthood; age
individuals whose positive physical,
20 through 59
cognitive, and socioemotional
▪ THIRD AGE- approximately 60 to 79
development is maintained longer,
years of age
declining later in old age than is the
▪ FOURTH AGE- approximately 80 years
case for most people
older

-the main emphasis on this conceptualization

is on the third and fourth ages How important is age in understanding the
characteristics of an individual?
-there are increasing evidences that
individuals in the third age are healthier and ▪ AGE AND HAPPINESS- despite facing
can lead more active, productive lives than higher incidences of physical
their predecessors in earlier generations problems and losses, older adults are
more content with what they have in
-when older adults reach their eighties (fourth
their lives, have better relationships
age), health and well-being decline for most of
with the people who matter to them,
them
are less pressured to achieve, have
more time for leisurely pursuits, and
have many years of experience
THREE DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS OF resulting in wisdom that may help
AGING- K. Warner Schaie described three them adapt better to their
developmental patterns that provide a portrait circumstances than younger adults do
 (Carstensen, 2015; Sims, Hogan, & -the younger the person’s biological
Carstensen, 2015) age, the longer the person is expected
-researchers have also found that to live, regardless of chronological age
baby boomers (those born between
1946 and 1964) tend to report being ▪ PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE- an
less happy than individuals born individual’s adaptive capacities
earlier—possibly because they are not compared with those of other
lowering their aspirations and individuals of the same chronological
idealistic hopes as they age, as did age
earlier generations o Older adults who continue to
-some studies indicate that the lowest learn are engaging in more
levels of life satisfaction occur in adaptive behaviors:
middle age, especially from 45 to 54
years of age (OECD, 2014) - Flexible
-other studies have found that life - Motivated
satisfaction varies across some - Have positive
countries personality traits
-older adults in poor health, such as - Can control their
those with cardiovascular disease, emotions
chronic lung disease, and depression, - Can think clearly
tend to be less satisfied with their lives
than their healthier older adult o Older adults who do not
counterparts (Lamont & others, 2017) continue to learn are:

- Rigid
CONCEPTIONS OF AGE - Unmotivated
- Do not control their
▪ CHRONOLOGICAL AGE- the number emotions
of years that have elapsed since birth - Do not think clearly
-some developmentalists believe that
chronological age is not relevant to ▪ SOCIAL AGE- refers to connectedness
understanding a person’s with others and the social roles
psychological development individuals adopt
-although there are still some
expectations for when certain life o Individuals who have better
events occur (marriage, building a social relationships with
family, retiring, etc.), it has become a others are happier and more
less accurate predictor of these life likely to live longer than
events in our society individuals who are lonely
-it is not the only way to measure age Carstensen & others, 2015;
Reed & Carstensen, 2015)
▪ BIOLOGICAL AGE- person’s age in
terms of biological health NOTE: An overall age profile of an individual
-involves knowing the functional involves all conceptions of age
capacities of a person’s vital organs
 The roles of early and later
experience are an aspect of
DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES
the stability-change issue
▪ NATURE AND NURTURE- involves the
extent to which development is ▪ CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITY-
influenced by nature and by nurture focuses on the degree to which
development involves either a gradual
o NATURE- an organism’s cumulative change (continuous) or
biological inheritance distinct stages (discontinuous)
Proponents of the importance
of nature acknowledged that o CONTINUOUS- quantitative
extreme environments—those
that are extremely barren and o DISCONTINUOUS- qualitative
hostile—can depress
development. However, they
believe that basic growth
tendencies are genetically
programmed into humans
(Johnson, 2017)

o NURTURE- an organism’s
environmental experiences

EPIGENETIC VIEW-
development reflects an
ongoing bidirectional
interchange between genes
and the environment

▪ STABILITY AND CHANGE- involves

the degree to which early traits and
characteristics persist through life or
change

o STABILITY- is the result of

heredity and possibly early
experiences

o CHANGE- a more optimistic

view that later experiences can
produce change