Development Psychology - Essay Example

Development Psychology Development Psychology Development psychology refers to the scientificstudy of changes occurring in human beings over their lifetime. The concept was initially developed to explain changes in infants and children, but it was later expanded to include adolescence and adult development (Shaffer, & Kipp, K. (2010). This field examines such areas of psychology as psycho-physiological processes, cognitive development, language development, social and emotional development and self-concept and identity development (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). There are several theories that explain development psychology. Such theories include Stage theory developed by Jean Piaget, Social constructivism by Lev Vygotsky, Social learning theory by Albert Bandura, and the information processing framework used in cognitive psychology (Hurlock, 1981). Historical theories have formed basis for further research among psychologists across the world. Several theories have already been formulated, designed and redesigned to explain human development in a way that may be accepted in human psychology. The main part of development psychology which has gained prominence among psychology researchers is child development. Child development theories may be divided into two parts namely: grand theories and mini-theories. Grand theories seek to explain all aspects of development using a stage approach in most cases. On the other hand, mini-theories tend to focus only on limited aspects of development such as social growth and cognitive development. Attachment theory of development psychology was originally developed by John Bowlby. It focuses on intimate, open and emotionally significant relationships. Attachment refers to the biological system which developed to ensure that the child maintains his/her survival. A child who is threatened will always move towards a more secure environment where he/she is guaranteed of emotional, psychological and physical safety. The concept relies on body contact and familiarity between the individual and the caring environment (Upton & Upton, 2011). Attachment theory explains three types of attachment styles which include: secure, anxious resistant and anxious avoidant. These attachments help the individual to grow in different attachment situations. A secure kind of attachment is a healthy attachment between an infant and the caregiver; a situation that is often characterized by trust between the infant and caregiver. Anxious resistant is an insecure attachment which exhibits distress at during separation and anger during reunion (Upton & Upton, 2011). On the other hand, anxious-avoidant attachment is a kind of insecure attachment that is characterized by indifference by the infant towards the caregiver. Constructivism explains learning as a process in which involves an active construction of knowledge. Individuals are often perceived to be making sense for themselves and make sense out of new information by selecting, analyzing, organizing and integrating information with some other kinds of knowledge in the context of social interactions in the society where individuals often interact. Ecological systems theory tends to explain four types of environmental systems which guide the development of individuals since childhood (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). These are: micro-system, exosytem, macrosystem and mesosystem. Each system consists of rules, norms and roles that can effectively guide and powerfully shape development. Microsystem is the immediate environment that surrounds an individual while the mesosystem is a combination of two Microsystems. The exosystem is an interaction of two or more environments while a macrosystem is a broader system which includes the culture, socio-economic status and morals of individuals in a society. Psychosexual development was developed by Sigmund Freud and explains that all human beings had a conscious, preconscious and unconscious level (Shaffer & Kipp, 2010). In the conscious level, human beings are aware of their mental processes. Preconscious entails circumstances in which we may not be thinking about them now but can be brought into consciousness somehow. Unconscious level refers to the level of mental processes which we are completely unaware of. These among other theories of development including stages of moral development and the stages of psychosocial development are part of the several theories of development psychology which guide the study of human development. These theories are the main reasons why I choose the topic of human psychology because they seem very interesting, conflicting and call for a need of further research (Upton & Upton, 2011). Since we, as human beings, have no doubt that we are undergoing rapid development since childhood until adulthood, it is important to understand how this development process occurs, why it occurs and for how long it occurs. With such knowledge, it is important for us to prepare ourselves for our development and manage our development with prepared minds and physical preparations. It is clear that none of us human beings understand ourselves fully. We all know that there are biological processes taking place in our bodies, but less do we understand about our psychological development (Upton & Upton, 2011). It is important for us to understand ourselves in all dimensions including our psychological and physiological developments so that we may appreciate and deal with the problems that we face as we grow from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, it has become important for me to understand development psychology and to study it well so as to be able to use its knowledge to explain myself and others in terms of psychological, physiological, moral and emotional development (Hurlock, 1981). That is the reason why I have chosen the topic of development psychology in this coursework. I hope to gain more development psychology knowledge and be able to apply it in all aspects of my life and the lives of those people in my life. It is not only important for me at school but also at home, work and in any other place of interaction that I may find myself. References list Hurlock, E. B. (1981). Developmental psychology: A life-span approach. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill. Shaffer, D. R., & Kipp, K. (2010). Developmental psychology: Childhood and adolescence. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Upton, D., & Upton, P. (2011). Psychology express: Development psychology. Harlow: Prentice Hall. Read More