Developemental psychology

Question 1

Describe some of the basic issues in developmental psychology

Answer 1

Developmental psychology examines the biological, physical, psychological, and behavioral changes throughout life. Five broad issues guide much of the research:

Nature and Nurture – “To what extent is our development the product of heredity (nature) and of environment (nurture)? How do nature and nurture interact?”

Sensitive and Critical Periods – “Are some experiences especially important at particular ages?” A sensitive period is an optimal window for experiences, whereas a critical period is when “certain experiences must occur for development to proceed normally” (Arshavsky, 2009).

Continuity vs. Discontinuity – “Is development continuous and gradual, as when a sapling slowly grows into a tree, or is it discontinuous, progressing through qualitatively distinct stages?”

Stability vs. Change – “How consistent are our characteristics as we age?”

Normative vs. Non-Normative Events – “How do life events change us?”

Question 2

Distinguish between 3 main types of research used by developmental psychologist

Answer 2

1- Cross sectional
2 - Longitudinal Design
3- Sequential Design

Question 3

describe physical development that occurs across the lifespan and discuss its ‘s impact on psychological functioning

Answer 3

1. Infancy & Childhood: Growth follows the cephalocaudal principle (“development proceeds in a head-to-foot direction”) and proximodistal principle (“development begins along the innermost parts of the body and continues toward the outermost parts”).
2. Adolescence: Puberty leads to “rapid maturation in which the person becomes capable of sexual reproduction.” Hormonal changes impact mood and self-perception.
3. Adulthood: “Muscles strengthen, bodily systems continue their development,” with peak functioning in the 20s and gradual decline in flexibility and metabolism after 40.
4. Late Adulthood: “By age 70, bones become more brittle and movements stiffer and slower,” but lifestyle choices significantly affect physical health and cognitive preservation.

Question 4

Describe how perceptual and cognitive development occurs in infancy, childhood and adolescence

Answer 4

Infancy: Newborns “distinguish different odours” and “prefer human voices to other sounds.” They actively scan the environment, preferring complex patterns like faces (Fantz, 1961).

Childhood: “Infants begin to acquire language at around 1 year of age.” Piaget describes key cognitive stages—sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational—where children “assimilate” new experiences and “accommodate” existing schemas.

Adolescence: Abstract reasoning emerges; teenagers often display adolescent egocentrism, believing their experiences are unique (“personal fable”) and that others are constantly observing them (“imaginary audience”).

Question 5

Describe some of the cognitive associated with ageing

Answer 5

Fluid Intelligence Decline: “Fluid intellectual abilities typically begin to decline earlier than crystallised intelligence” (Singer et al., 2003).

Memory & Processing Speed: “Memory for new factual information declines early, with recall of lists worsening a little in the late 30s and then declining steadily after age 50.”

Wisdom & Life Experience: Some research suggests wisdom “increases steadily from age 13 to 25 and then remains relatively stable through to age 75” (Baltes & Staudinger, 2000).