In a case study, developmental psychologists collect a great deal of information from one individual in order to better understand physical and psychological changes over the lifespan. While this research approach provides a glimpse into how children behave in their natural settings, researchers have very little control over the types and/or frequencies of displayed behavior. A developmental psychologist might observe how children behave on a playground, at a daycare center, or in the child’s own home. Naturalistic observations involve observing behavior in its natural context. These methods include naturalistic observations, case studies, surveys, and experiments, among others. Developmental psychologists use many of these approaches in order to better understand how individuals change mentally and physically over time. You’ve learned about a variety of research methods used by psychologists. We refer to these domains throughout the chapter.ĬONNECT THE CONCEPTS: Research Methods in Developmental Psychology Psychosocial development involves emotions, personality, and social relationships. Cognitive development involves learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity. Physical development involves growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness.
They view development as a lifelong process that can be studied scientifically across three developmental domains-physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. These are the types of questions developmental psychologists try to answer, by studying how humans change and grow from conception through childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and death. Consider the following questions: To what extent is the adult you are today influenced by the child you once were? To what extent is a child fundamentally different from the adult he grows up to be? In this poem, William Wordsworth writes, “the child is father of the man.” What does this seemingly incongruous statement mean, and what does it have to do with lifespan development? Wordsworth might be suggesting that the person he is as an adult depends largely on the experiences he had in childhood. Now consider what psychological science has to say about your physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development, from the womb to the tomb.īound each to each by natural piety. You have experienced firsthand much of what is discussed in this chapter. Who you are today and who you will be in the future depends on a blend of genetics, environment, culture, relationships, and more, as you continue through each phase of life. The process of human growth and development is more obvious in infancy and childhood, yet your development is happening this moment and will continue, minute by minute, for the rest of your life. Yours is a story of lifespan development ( Figure 9.1), from the start of life to the end. We also look at some ideas about who you will grow into tomorrow. In this chapter we explore the fascinating tale of how you have grown and developed into the person you are today. (credit: modification of work by Giles Cook) Figure 9.1 How have you changed since childhood? How are you the same? What will your life be like 25 years from now? Fifty years from now? Lifespan development studies how you change as well as how you remain the same over the course of your life.
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