"Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives."
The study of how individuals develop from infancy through adulthood and how experiences during childhood can affect mental health and well-being.
Nature vs. Nurture: Discusses the debate between genetics and environmental factors in shaping the development of an individual.
Prenatal Development: Examines the process of a fetus developing in the womb, including the stages of embryonic and fetal development.
Cognitive Development: Studies the development of thinking, language, and problem-solving abilities in children.
Social Development: Explores how infants and children learn to interact with others, form relationships, and navigate social situations.
Emotional Development: Focuses on the emotional milestones and growth that occurs throughout childhood and into adolescence.
Attachment Theory: Explores the emotional bond between a child and his or her caregiver, which can shape the child's future relationships.
Moral Development: Examines how children develop an understanding of right and wrong, and how this affects their behavior.
Adolescent Development: Explores the physical, cognitive, and emotional changes that occur during adolescence, and how this affects identity development.
Aging and Development: Discusses how individuals continue to develop and grow throughout adulthood and into old age.
Cultural Influences on Development: Explores how cultural norms and values shape the experiences, behaviors, and development of individuals across the world.
Prenatal development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a fetus in the womb, including physical, emotional, and cognitive changes.
Infancy and toddlerhood development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a child from birth to the age of 3, including cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development.
Preschool development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a child from the age of 3 to 5, including language development, socialization, and cognitive skills.
Middle childhood development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a child from the age of 6 to 11, including the development of abstract thinking, social skills, and self-esteem.
Adolescence development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a child from the age of 12 to 18, including physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes.
Adulthood development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a person from the age of 18 to death, including career development, family relationships, and midlife adjustments.
Aging and gerontology development: This type of development focuses on the growth and development of a person in the later stages of life, including physical, cognitive, and emotional changes, as well as issues related to retirement and caregiving.
Psychopathology and abnormal development: This type of development focuses on the development of mental health disorders, including the factors that contribute to these disorders and the treatment options available.
Cross-cultural and multicultural development: This type of development focuses on the impact of culture and ethnicity on human development, including the role of cultural beliefs and practices in shaping behavior and values.
Neuropsychology and brain development: This type of development focuses on the biological processes that underlie human behavior and development, including the role of genetics, neurotransmitters, and brain structures in shaping human thought and behavior.
"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."