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Block 1 Unit 1 Concept of Development, Growth and Development, Life Span Perspective, Methods of Studying Development and Characteristics of Development

1. What is life span development?

Life span development is defined as the pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the life cycle. It is a methodical, intra-individual change associated with progressions corresponding to age, implying the level of functioning. It is a multidisciplinary study of how people change and remain the same over time, reflecting the complexity and uniqueness of each person and their experiences, as well as commonalities and patterns across people. It includes issues such as the extent to which development occurs through the gradual accumulation of knowledge versus stage-like development, or the extent to which children are born with innate mental structures versus learning through experience.

2. Explain characteristics of development.

• Lifelong: Development has the potential to occur across the entire lifespan, without assuming a plateau or decline during adulthood and old age, and may involve processes that emerge throughout life, not just at birth.
• Multidimensional: Development occurs in the biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains, and cannot be described by a single criterion.
• Multidirectional: Development doesn't follow a single, normal path, and can take different directions, with some abilities increasing while others decline or remain constant.
• Plastic: Individuals have the capacity for positive change in response to environmental demands, learning ways to compensate and overcome difficulties throughout life.
• Multidisciplinary: The study of development draws from various disciplines, such as sociology, linguistics, anthropology, computer science, neuroscience, and medicine.
• Involves Growth, Maintenance, and Regulation: Development involves conflict and competition among these three goals.
• Embedded in History: Development is always influenced by historical conditions.
• Normative Age-Graded Influences: Biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group impact development.
• Normative History-Graded Influences: Biological and environmental influences associated with history common to people of a particular generation also influence development.
• Non-normative Events: Unusual occurrences that have a major impact on an individual's life, not applicable to most individuals.
• Role of Maturation and Learning: Maturation (unfolding of inherent traits) and learning (development from experience) interact to influence development.
• Definite and Predictable Pattern: Development follows orderly patterns like cephalocaudal (head to foot) and proximodistal (center to extremities).
• Hazards in Each Phase: Each stage is related to certain physical, psychological, and environmental hazards.
• Aided by Stimulation: Development can be aided to reach its full potential, especially during times when abilities are normally developing.

3. What are the major issues involved in the process of development?

• Major issues include whether development is due more to genetics or the environment, whether it occurs slowly and smoothly or in stages, and whether early childhood experiences have the greatest impact or if later events are equally important.
• Continuity and Discontinuity: Whether development is continuous and smooth or marked by age-specific periods.

4. Describe significant facts about development.

• Development refers to the biological and psychological changes that occur in human beings between birth and the end of adolescence, progressing from dependency to increasing autonomy.
• Development includes biological, cognitive, and social aspects.
• It involves changes in motor skills, problem-solving, moral understanding, language acquisition, personality, and emotional development.
• Development is a continuous process, but it is not continuous in the sense that it increases constantly, but rather in a series of waves with segments of development recurring.
• Growth refers to an increase in size, while development is a progression toward maturity.
• Personality is influenced by many factors and these factors are involved in the development of the personality of a child.
• Social and emotional development includes learning to interact with others, understanding emotions, and developing self-esteem and morality.
• Life span development begins at conception and continues through the life cycle.

5. What are the different periods of development?

The main developmental periods of a human being are:

• Childhood and adolescence (birth to age 20, with early childhood transition by age 3).
• Early adulthood (age 17 to 45).
• Middle adulthood (age 40 to 65).
• Late adulthood (over 60 years of age).

Developmental periods also include: prenatal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, early adulthood, middle adulthood and late adulthood.

6. What are the various domains of human development?

The domains of development are physical, cognitive, and social.