Principles of Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental psychology is concerned with the scientific understanding of age-related changes in experience and behaviour, not only in children but throughout the lifespan. The task is to discover, describe, and explain how development occurs, from its earliest origins, into childhood, adulthood, and old age. To understand human development requires one not only to make contact with human nature but also to consider the diverse effects of culture on the developing child. Development is as much a process of acquiring culture as it is of biological growth. This book reviews the history of developmental psychology with respect to both its nature and the effects of transmission of culture. The major theorists of the late 19th and early 20th century, Piaget, Vygotsky and Bowlby are introduced to provide a background to contemporary research and the modern synthesis of nature and nurture. This brief textbook is suitable as an introduction to developmental psychology, both at A level and for beginning undergraduate students. It aims to be of interest to psychologists, educationalists, social workers and others with an interest in a contemporary understanding of factors involved in human development. |
Contents
3 | 37 |
Perceptual development in infancy | 58 |
6 | 88 |
7 | 115 |
Symbolic representation in play and drawing | 139 |
9 | 163 |
Cognitive development in middle childhood | 183 |
The impact of school | 199 |
Adolescence and Adulthood | 223 |
Development in adulthood | 241 |
| 255 | |
| 269 | |
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Common terms and phrases
ability acquiring acquisition action adolescence adult adulthood aspects attachment autistic babies baby's basic become behaviour biological birth Bowlby Bruner Bryant changes chimpanzees circular reactions cognitive development complex concrete operational contemporary context coordination counting cultural developmental psychology drawing egocentrism epigenetic landscape evidence example experience fetal fetus formal operational function gender identity hidden object human important infant influence intellectual involves James Mark Baldwin Jean Piaget John Bowlby kana kanji Kanzi knowledge learning to read lexigram lifespan logical logographic look maturationist ment mental months moral morphemes mother movements newborn observed occur panel parent particular patterns perceive perception period phonemes physical Piaget's theory Piagetian pre-operational pre-school problems processes reaching and grasping reasoning relationships representation role sequence signifiers skills social societies solve sound stage transition stepping reflex strategy sub-stages suggests symbolic play task thought tion understanding verbal visual Vygotsky Vygotsky's words young children