Reflection Paper On Developmental Psychology

Developmental Child Psychology has been defined as a field of study that examines and attempts to explain why and how human beings change and develop over time. Changes include physical change, mental change and social change.

There are three main theories of development that I shall discuss in this assignment, 'Cognitive', the main theorist being, 'Piaget', (1896 - 1980), The, 'Psychosocial Theory', 'Erikson', (1902 - 1994), and, The 'Psychosexual', of, 'Freud', (1856 - 1939).

The field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire lifespan is called lifespan development. Lifespan development takes a scientific approach in its study of growth, change, and stability. This development emphases on human development. Developmentalists study the course of development in nonhuman species, the most popular examine growth and change in people. In contrast I will focus on the ways people and myself change and grow during our lives, with the consideration of stability in our live span. Together, these findings suggest that we will go through

Developmental psychologists study changes in Lifespan Development that apply intermediately to health care. Lifespan Developmental psychology is the focus on human growth and changes across the lifespan, and how and why human beings change over the course of their life (Santrock). Nurses in particular are call upon for much more to administer a medicine or do a treatment. There is an important role in understanding the relationship between a patient's medical and psychological needs (Potter & Perry). The reason being that lifespan developmental psychology, is a critical component to the training of every nurse.

As Bernstein (2010) points out, often times people with ADHD “zone out” and miss valuable parts of conversations. This results in them bouncing back, often with a quick lie in order to continue the flow of conversation. These lies occur so quickly in order to fill voids of conversation, and so often, that they can sadly become a habit.

Developmental Psychology is the ways that people change throughout their lifespan. Studies include the psychological affects, physical and social growth, intellectual, emotional and perceptual changes that occur. Developmental Psychology focus on a wide range of behavior changes beginning with prenatal development. Developmental Psychology also focuses on developmental disabilities and the effects it might have on people’s behavior. As with many fields related to psychology, a developmental psychologist must obtain a doctorate for most positions; some positions at the university level requires a PhD.

When an infant arrives in the world they are helpless tiny humans who depend on adults for every need from love, to feeding them. It is amazing how these tiny babies grow into adults able to make decisions and become self-dependent. There are many theories about how children develop and what roles the environment plays, what people affect their lives and how events can shape their personalities. Some of these children have and easy life and some have a harder time making that journey to adulthood.

Developmental is understood as the act or process of developing; progress such as child developmental. When children go through the process of developing, they all develop the same regardless of what state or country there from. The way children develop has been studied by two psychologists’ name Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson and they both develop a theory of how children develop through their entire life starting as a newborn baby through adulthood. Jean Piaget came about four theories of children develop and Erik Erikson came about eight theories of children develop.

According to Cliff Notes, Developmental psychology is the scientific study of age-related changes throughout the human life span. A discipline of scientific inquiry, developmental psychology recognizes humans of all societies and cultures as beings who are “in process,” or constantly growing and changing. This discipline identifies the biological, psychological, and social aspects that interact to influence the growing human life-span process. Within the last 25 years, developmentalist’s researchers who study human development expanded their focus to include the study of the physical, motor, cognitive, intellectual, emotional, personality, social, and moral changes that occur throughout all stages of the life span (cliff notes).

Developmental psychology recognizes three main models of psychosocial and cognitive development. The first theory, presented by developmental psychologist and philosopher Jean Piaget, addresses cognitive development. The second theory, presented by psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg, focuses on the development of morality. The third theory, proposed by developmental psychologist and psychoanalyst Erik Erikson, outlines psychosocial development. All three theories are applicable from birth to death.

Developmental theories state that an individual's propensity to crime is an ebb and flow over the course of their lives (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). These theories, often referred to as “life theories” are based on a person’s individual development (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). Developmental theories also argue that there are other factors which influence an individual’s likelihood to commit crimes (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). These theories also assert that although there may be a significant or influential factor in an individual’s life at one point in time, that same factor may not have any significance or importance at a different stage of their life (Bohm & Vogel, 2011).

The Third concept is Developmental Psychology. Developmental Psychology is the study of how organisms change over time as a result of biological and environmental influences. Monk’s behavior has changed dramatically as he started to have events happen in his life. He has had many things happen in his life that have changed him. The thought process of Monk is very different than it was before his wife’s death. His environment of being on the force is a big influence to the way his personality has developed.

Development psychology refers to the scientific study of the systematic psychological changes that normally occur to human beings throughout their growth period from birth to old age. It was originally concerned with children and infants, but it has since expanded to include the entire life span of mankind including adolescence and adulthood. Development psychology covers the extent to which human development occurs through gradual accumulation of knowledge, and the extent to which children born with inmate mental structures learn through experience. Several psychological theories and approaches like the behavioral, humanistic, psychoanalytic, biological, and cognitive approaches have been developed to explain the

Developmental Psychology has widened my perspective and knowledge of the nature of development from humans’ infancy to adolescence and emerging adulthood. Although I have learned about biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes and periods of development, I am especially interested in socioemotional development in infancy because it is the foundation for a child’s future development. That is to say, if children have a healthy socioemotional development from infancy, they will have a healthy life later on. By understanding the developmental process in infancy, I will be fully prepared when I have children or when my family’s members do.

In this second unit of Psychology, it was fascinating to focus in on how we as humans learn behaviors, and what can cause us to each function differently in similar situations. Many scientists from the early 20th century have contributed to what we know today about the brain and how it responds to sensations, perceptions, hearing, and conditioning. Some concepts that were most applicable to my everyday life and that I enjoyed learning about were the sensory systems, associated learning, and what Pavlov did for the field of Psychology.