Human Development

Module 1:

Aspects of human

development

PSYC 283

Human development

Objectives

Explain the concept of human development and its importance in psychology.

Identify the terms growth and development, heredity and environment, maturation, and learning.

Compare and apply the terms growth and development, heredity and environment, maturation, and learning.

Human development From conception, the human being begins a process of change that continues throughout life, but these changes are related to each other (Papalia, Duskin & Martorell, 2012).

Scientific study The field of human development focuses on the scientific study of the systematic processes of change and stability in people.

Fields of study

▪ Developmental scientists study three main domains: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial.

▪ Body and brain growth, sensory abilities, motor skills, and health are all part of physical development.

▪ Learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity constitute cognitive development.

▪ Emotions, personality, and social relationships are aspects of psychosocial development (Papalia, Duskin & Martorell, 2012).

Concepts Growth Set of physical and fundamental changes that occur in humans from conception to adulthood. Some authors define it as the process of increasing the mass of a living being, produced by the increase in the number of cells or muscle mass.

Concepts

Development ▪ Dynamic process of successive organization of biological,

psychological, and social functions in complex interaction. This translates, for example, into a progressive increase in the autonomy of the child who becomes more independent, while increasing the ability to communicate with his family and society.

▪ Set of changes that occur in people, product of the influence of genetic and environmental factors. Each individual has a potential for development that will be enhanced if the environment facilitates learning or the media.

Concepts

Heredity ▪ Set of innate traits or characteristics inherited from parents. Environment ▪ Totality of influences on development that are not inherited,

but the result of experience. ▪ The world beyond the self that begins in the womb and the

learning that comes from experience.

Heredity or environment?

Which of these two factors has the most effect on development? The problem of the relative importance of nature (heredity) and culture (environmental influences before and after birth) has generated intense debate.

Adoption studies examine the similarities between adopted children and their adoptive families and between adopted children and their biological families.

When adopted children are more like their biological parents and siblings in a particular trait (say, obesity), we observe the influence of heredity.

When they are more like their adoptive family, we are faced with the influence environment (Papalia, Wendkos and Feldman, 2009).

Concepts

Maturation ▪ Many characteristic changes of infancy and early childhood, such as the

ability to walk and speak, are associated with the maturation of the body and the brain - the unfolding of the natural sequence of physical changes and behavioral patterns.

Learning ▪ Relatively permanent change in behavior generated by experience. ▪ This information is stored in memory and remains stored as a memory

that leads us to act in a certain way in particular situations.

Concepts

Phenotype ▪ Observable traits of a person: height, eye color, skin color, etc.,

through which the genotype is "expressed".

▪ The phenotype is the product of a genotype and relevant environmental influences.

Genotype ▪ Genetic makeup of a person, containing both expressed and unexpressed

characteristics. ▪ Except for monozygotic twins, no two people have

the same genotype.

Congratulations you have reviewed the theoretical summary of this week's topic!

Remember that to successfully build your learning it is important that:

Review the information contained in the modules folder as many times as required (including this presentation).

Read the reference material to clarify doubts.

Carry out all the activities according to the instructions.

Submit assignments on the indicated date through the educational platform.

Actively participate in collaborative sessions.

Module 1:

Aspects of human

development

PSYC 283

Human development

Objectives

Explain the concept of human development and its importance in psychology.

Identify the terms growth and development, heredity and environment, maturation, and learning.

Compare and apply the terms growth and development, heredity and environment, maturation, and learning.

Human development From conception, the human being begins a process of change that continues throughout life, but these changes are related to each other (Papalia, Duskin & Martorell, 2012).

Scientific study The field of human development focuses on the scientific study of the systematic processes of change and stability in people.

Fields of study

▪ Developmental scientists study three main domains: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial.

▪ Body and brain growth, sensory abilities, motor skills, and health are all part of physical development.

▪ Learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity constitute cognitive development.

▪ Emotions, personality, and social relationships are aspects of psychosocial development (Papalia, Duskin & Martorell, 2012).

Concepts Growth Set of physical and fundamental changes that occur in humans from conception to adulthood. Some authors define it as the process of increasing the mass of a living being, produced by the increase in the number of cells or muscle mass.

Concepts

Development ▪ Dynamic process of successive organization of biological,

psychological, and social functions in complex interaction. This translates, for example, into a progressive increase in the autonomy of the child who becomes more independent, while increasing the ability to communicate with his family and society.

▪ Set of changes that occur in people, product of the influence of genetic and environmental factors. Each individual has a potential for development that will be enhanced if the environment facilitates learning or the media.

Concepts

Heredity ▪ Set of innate traits or characteristics inherited from parents. Environment ▪ Totality of influences on development that are not inherited,

but the result of experience. ▪ The world beyond the self that begins in the womb and the

learning that comes from experience.

Heredity or environment?

Which of these two factors has the most effect on development? The problem of the relative importance of nature (heredity) and culture (environmental influences before and after birth) has generated intense debate.

Adoption studies examine the similarities between adopted children and their adoptive families and between adopted children and their biological families.

When adopted children are more like their biological parents and siblings in a particular trait (say, obesity), we observe the influence of heredity.

When they are more like their adoptive family, we are faced with the influence environment (Papalia, Wendkos and Feldman, 2009).

Concepts

Maturation ▪ Many characteristic changes of infancy and early childhood, such as the

ability to walk and speak, are associated with the maturation of the body and the brain - the unfolding of the natural sequence of physical changes and behavioral patterns.

Learning ▪ Relatively permanent change in behavior generated by experience. ▪ This information is stored in memory and remains stored as a memory

that leads us to act in a certain way in particular situations.

Concepts

Phenotype ▪ Observable traits of a person: height, eye color, skin color, etc.,

through which the genotype is "expressed".

▪ The phenotype is the product of a genotype and relevant environmental influences.

Genotype ▪ Genetic makeup of a person, containing both expressed and unexpressed

characteristics. ▪ Except for monozygotic twins, no two people have

the same genotype.

Congratulations you have reviewed the theoretical summary of this week's topic!

Remember that to successfully build your learning it is important that:

Review the information contained in the modules folder as many times as required (including this presentation).

Read the reference material to clarify doubts.

Carry out all the activities according to the instructions.

Submit assignments on the indicated date through the educational platform.

Actively participate in collaborative sessions.