Lifespan Development Chapter 1 An Introduction to Lifespan

Lifespan Development Chapter 1 An Introduction to Lifespan Development, 2 nd edition By Sharleen Kato 1

Objectives After studying this chapter, you will be able to • Discuss how human development involves physical, intellectual, and socioemotional development. • Identify how development occurs in an orderly and gradual manner. • Describe how every person’s rate and timing of development is unique. • Explain how physical, intellectual, and social-emotional development are interrelated • Summarize the current issue of nature versus nurture in human development. • Compare and contrast pedagogy andragogy. 2

Guided Notes Directions: Write the questions on your paper and answer as you take notes. 1. What is human development? 2. List six skills children often learn during the first five years of life. 3. When do people often learn independence and begin to process more complex ideas? 3

Guided Notes 4. List the three major ways in which people develop over time. 5. Define gross-motor skill and fine-motor skills. Give an example of each. 6. What is cognition? 7. Define socio-emotional development. 4

What is Human Development • Of course, not all people are exactly alike, but people do go through similar stages of development. • Human development is an amazing, gradual process in which people change from birth through adulthood. • Development occurs throughout the lifespan as people grow and learn. In the first 5 years of life alone, babies learn to roll, crawl, stand, walk, run, hop, and skip. • Teens learn independence. Their minds process more complex ideas. 5

Why Study Human Development? • Studying human development gives insight into what to expect of the people in you life based on their stage of development. • This understanding may enhance relationships as you work with children, other teens, and adults at different stages of life. • You will have more insight into your own life both not and in the future. • Knowing more about your own stage of life may motivate you to consider choices you make that will affect your life. 6

Types of Development The average lifespan in the 21 st Century is 78 years. • People change and develop over their lifespan in several major ways. They change: – Physically – Cognitively – Socially – Emotionally 7

Physical Development • Physical development the • Fine-motor skills involve changes in size, body small muscle movements composition, chemical such as cutting with make-up and height that scissors, typing on a occur as humans keyboard, and writing development from birth with a pen or pencil. to adulthood. • Gross-motor skills involve large muscle movements such as crawling, walking, and jumping. 8

Cognitive Development • Actions or processes involving thinking and knowing are called cognition. • Part of cognitive development is the advance and expansion of the use of language. • The way people changes and grow in how they think over the stages of life is called cognitive development. • As people development, moral issues become more prevalent. • Moral decisions making involves problem solving and reasoning. 9

• In moral development, people are able to understand approach problems differently based on their life stage. • A teen may struggle with the decision to participate in illegal behavior. 10

Socio-emotional Development Socio-emotional development refers to change in the way a person’s social relationships, feelings, social skills, self-esteem, gender identify, and ways of coping with situation change over time. • Teens learn to identify themselves in different roles. They make decisions and choices that affect their adult life. 11

Guided Notes 1. Name the four basic guidelines about how people develop. Give an example of each. 2. How can understanding the orderly stages of development help you deal with people in a manner that is appropriate to their abilities and understanding? 3. According to Maslow, what are the five levels of human needs? 4. List two factors that cause human development to vary among individuals. 12

Principles of Human Development Human development is relatively – orderly – gradual – Interrelated – varies 13

Human Development is Orderly • Development occurs in an orderly manner. • Their abilities build on each other in an orderly way. • Understanding the orderly stages of development helps you deal with people in a manner that is appropriate to their abilities and understanding. • For example, children learn their alphabet before they can read. They learn to walk before they run. They learn to ride a bike before diving a car. 14

Human Development Takes Place Gradually • Your brain development and cognitive changes are astounding. • These changes also occur over time. • Perhaps you did notice your changing reading abilities until the books seems simplistic and immature. 15

Human Development is Interrelated • Physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development occur together. They are mutually dependent and supporting. • Example: a young child who is behind in physical coordination is often behind in cognitive and socioemotional development. If the same child is helped with physical coordination, cognitive and socioemotional development are often enhanced. 16

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Human Development Varies Among Individuals • First, genetics and heredity (traits people are born with) are different for everyone. • Next, a person’s experience and environment (all of a person’s surroundings and the people in them) are not exactly the same. 18

Guided Notes 1. Define the terms continuity and discontinuity. 2. Compare and contrast pedagogy andragogy. 19

Key Issues in Development • Human development takes a lifetime. • Many milestones along the way mark the journey from newborn to old age. 20

Nature vs Nurture • The debate between genetic versus environmental influences on development is often called the nature (genetics) versus nurture (environment) debate. • For most characteristics of a person both genetics and environment play a part. 21

Continuity vs Discontinuity Theory of Growth and Development You want to climb a mountain. At the base you notice two ways up to the top. #1 is a winding path; #2 is a series of stairs. 22

Continuity vs Discontinuity Some people that study Growth and Development see it as a series of changes that are relatively slow, but steady. This process of development is called continuity for its stable nature. This is represented by the winding path up the mountain. It is smooth and continuous. 23

Continuity vs Discontinuity Some people who study Growth and Development see it as a series of stages, discontinuity (staged). Each stage is qualitatively different from the others. It is a series or sequence to go through. This is represented by the stairs up to the peak of the mountain. 24

In my personal mind, both camps are correct. The real difference is the degree of magnification that each applies to its study. The theorists that believe development happens in stages taking a more distant but broader stance. Those who believe that development is continuous viewing things from up close. 25

Pedagogy vs Andragogy • Pedagogy is teacher or parent-directed method of learning; teacher leads the learning • Andragogy - learning and development is selfdirected from the earliest stages of infancy 26