Definition - The Developmental Psychologist does the following Examines past experiences and influences in order to understand current behavior Uses

Definition: Developmental Psychology is the study of how individuals become more advanced and effective as they age, and focuses on the process of BECOMING (how people become who and what they are) as opposed to BEING (the current state of who and what people are) What is Development? sequence of age-related changes that occur as a person progresses from conception to death. We go through different types of changes: physical development - motor skills, bone structure, weight, etc. cognitive development - thought patterns and skills, problem solving, etc. social development - emotional changes, personality, etc.

This is the end of the preview. Sign up to access the rest of the document.

Unformatted text preview: The Developmental Psychologist does the following: Examines past experiences and influences in order to understand current behavior. Uses current behavior to predict future behavior. Who we are is assumed to be a function of past experiences. Development begins long before the child is born. From conception, there are changes happening all of the time. In addition, many factors influence how the child develops before birth - in fact, I am often find myself thinking how amazing it is that ANY child is born healthy. One major influence, is MATERNAL HEALTH....
View Full Document