"Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives."
Understanding human growth and development from infancy to old age.
Prenatal Development: The physical and cognitive development that occurs before birth.
Infancy and Toddlerhood: The period from birth to age two, marked by rapid physical and cognitive development.
Early Childhood: The period from age two to six, marked by the development of language and basic conceptual skills.
Middle Childhood: The period from age six to eleven, marked by the development of more complex social and cognitive abilities.
Adolescence: The period from age twelve to eighteen, marked by physical changes, social and emotional development, and the development of identity.
Adulthood: The period of life after adolescence, marked by the development of independence and social skills.
Aging: The physical, cognitive, and social changes that occur during later life.
Nature versus Nurture Debate: The debate over how much of human development is shaped by genetics versus environment.
Attachment Theory: The theory that early childhood relationships with parents or caregivers shape later relationships and social development.
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development: The theory that individuals pass through eight stages of psychosocial development throughout their lives, each with its own unique challenges.
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development: The theory that individuals progress through four stages of cognitive development, from basic sensorimotor skills to abstract reasoning.
Socioemotional Development: The development of social and emotional skills, including empathy and the ability to manage emotions.
Language Development: The development of language skills, including the ability to understand and produce language.
Moral Development: The development of ethical and moral reasoning.
Brain Development: The changes in the brain that occur throughout development, including the growth of neurons and the development of neural networks.
Neurobiological Development: The relationship between social, cognitive, and emotional development and the brain's structure and function.
"The field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan."
"Developmental psychologists aim to explain how thinking, feeling, and behaviors change throughout life."
"The three major dimensions are physical development, cognitive development, and social-emotional development."
"Within these three dimensions are a broad range of topics including motor skills, executive functions, moral understanding, language acquisition, social change, personality, emotional development, self-concept, and identity formation."
"Developmental psychology examines the influences of nature and nurture on the process of human development, as well as processes of change in context across time."
"Many researchers are interested in the interactions among personal characteristics, the individual's behavior, and environmental factors."
"Ongoing debates in regards to developmental psychology include biological essentialism vs. neuroplasticity and stages of development vs. dynamic systems of development."
"At the moment, researchers are working to understand how transitioning through stages of life and biological factors may impact our behaviors and development."
"Developmental psychology involves a range of fields, such as educational psychology, child psychopathology, forensic developmental psychology, child development, cognitive psychology, ecological psychology, and cultural psychology."
"Influential developmental psychologists from the 20th century include Urie Bronfenbrenner, Erik Erikson, Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud, Jean Piaget, Barbara Rogoff, Esther Thelen, and Lev Vygotsky."