"Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives."
Deals with the study of the behavior of children and how it changes over time.
Child Development: Study of the physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional growth and changes that occur in children from conception to adolescence.
Attachment Theory: Theory that discusses the social and emotional bonds between children and their caregivers and the impact it has on a child's development and future relationships.
Parenting Styles: Classification of ways that parents interact with their children and the effect it has on their development. Includes authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and uninvolved styles.
Cognitive Development: Study of the mental processes that occur in childhood, including attention, memory, problem-solving, and language development.
Emotional Development: Study of the ways in which children develop and express emotions over time.
Social Development: Study of how children develop their social skills and interact with others over time, including concepts like empathy and friendship.
Neuroscience and Brain Development: Study of the biological processes behind brain development in children and the implications for learning, behavior, and mental health.
Behavioral Psychology: Study of behavior and how it is shaped by a child's environment and experiences.
Personality Development: Study of the ways in which children develop their unique personality traits and how these traits affect their future development and relationships.
Abnormal Child Psychology: Study of mental health conditions that affect children, including diagnoses, treatment options, and interventions.
Developmental Disabilities: Study of conditions that affect a child's development and limit their daily functioning, including intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and learning disorders.
Play Therapy: Technique that uses play as a means of communication and expression for children, particularly those experiencing emotional or behavioral difficulties.
"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."