LECTURE 1
PSYCHOLOGY 311U:
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Developmental Psychology:
The study of development: systematic
changes and continuities in individuals that occur
between conception and death
Major Goals of the
Course:
1. To familiarize you with the development of individuals from
conception to death
Phases of Human Development:
- Prenatal period
- Infancy
- Toddlerhood
- Preschool
- Middle childhood /School
age
- Adolescence
- Adulthood - Early, Middle,
Late
- Aging?
Life-Span Perspective
- Development is a lifelong process
- Develpment is multidirectional
- Develpment involves gains and losses
at every age
- Development includes lifelong plasticity
Challenging Misconceptions
of Aging
Gerontology:
Study of Aging
- Oldest-old (85+ years) is fastest
growing
2. To acquaint you with the basic concepts and research methods
of developmental psychology
3. To expose you to the major theories of human development
- Mechanistic
- Organismic
- Contextual
Mechanistic Perspectives
on Development:
- These are the learning theories
- Organism (o) is passive,
acted upon by the environment (e)
- Big E, little o
- Development comes from outside the
organism, from the environment
E ---->o
- External stimuli cause development
- Change is continuous:
Gradual rather than abrupt (i.e.,
it occurs in small steps rather than suddenly) and quantitative rather
than qualitative (i.e., the change is in degree but not in kind)
- Principles of learning apply at
all ages
- Methods: Observation, experimentation
Some "Mechanistic"
Theories:
- Pavlov & Watson: Respondent
Learning (Classical Conditioning)
(Ch. 2)
- Skinner: Operant Learning (Ch. 2)
- Bandura: Social Learning Theory
(Observational Learning) (Ch. 2) ?
- Information-Processing Theories
(Ch. 8)
Organismic Perspectives
on Development:
- Best example is Piaget's Cognitive-Developmental
Theory
- Organism (O) is active
, acting upon the environment (e)
- Development comes from within the
organism
O ---->e
- Change is discontinuous:
Abrupt rather than gradual, and qualitative (changes in kind)
rather than quantitative
- There are distinct stages of development
related to age
- Methods: Observation (with infants),
interview
Some "Organismic"
Theories:
- Piaget's Cognitive-Developmental
Theory (Ch. 2 & 7)
- Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development
(Ch. 13)
- Psychoanalytic Theory (Ch.
2)
Contextualist Perspectives
on Development:
- Organism (O) is active in
the developmental process
- Environment (E) is active
as well
- Big O, big E
- Change is continuous and
discontinuous, quantitative and qualitative
E<---->O
Some "Contextualist"
Theories:
- Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Approach
(Ch.2)
- Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
(Ch.7)
- Life-Span Perspective (Ch. 1)
Life-Span Perspective
- Development is multiply influenced
- Development is shaped by its historical/cultural
context
Cohort:
- A group of people
born at the same time (in the same year or within a specified, limited
span of years); a particular generation of people
- Cohort effect:
The effect of being born at a particular time and hence developing through
one particular historical era and not another
Major Goals of the
Course (Cont):
4. To introduce you
to some applications of developmental psychology-OPTIMIZATION
Course Format:
- Multi-media lecture
- Classroom writing-to-learn exercises
- Large and (time permitting) small
group discussions
Prior to Coming to
Class You Should:
- Read portion of text assigned for
that lecture
- Study lecture notes printed from
the web (remember to bring them with you to class)
Examinations:
- Three examinations, covering both
text and lecture
- Multiple-choice format
- Study guide for each exam specifying
all topics tested can be printed from web
- Exams not cumulative
Participation Points:
- In class writing-to-learn exercises
(short essays) and, if time permits, small group discussions
- YOU SUPPLY 3" X 5" ruled
cards
- Maximum 10 points added to your
total points accumulated. Additional points are extra credit
- Must be turned in at the time requested
Communicating With
Dr. Smith:
If you want a response:
- In person, after class
- Office hours (sign-up for time on
sheet outside office CH317U)
- E-Mail <smithc@pdx.edu>
To leave a message
that needs no response:
Classroom Manners:
- Be courteous to your neighbors
- If you need to leave early, please
sit in the back
- Students who attend class regularly get better grades, on exams
and in the course, than those who don't
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