¡Descarga Cognitive development lesson 1 y más Apuntes en PDF de Desarrollo Cognitivo solo en Docsity! Lesson 1. Introduction to Developmental Psychology. Development. Systematic continuities and changes in the individual that occur between conception and death. By describing changes as “systematic” we imply that they are orderly, patterned, and relatively enduring, so that temporary mood swings and other transitory changes in our appearances, thoughts, and behaviors are therefore excluded. We are also interested in “continuities“ in development, or ways in which we remain the same or continue to reflect our past. What Causes us to Develop? Two important processes that underlie developmental change: Maturation: developmental changes in the body or behavior that result from the aging process (rather than from learning, injury, illness, or some other life experience). Learning: the process through which our experiences produce relatively permanent changes in our feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. Two important processes that underlie developmental change: Many of our abilities and habits don’t simply unfold as part of maturation; we often learn to feel, think, and behave in new ways from our observations of and interactions with parents, teachers, and other important people in our lives , as well as from events that we experience. This means that we change in response to our environments— particularly in response to the actions and reactions of the people around us. Of course, most developmental changes are the product of both maturation and learning. Some Basic Observations about the Character of Development. • A Continual and Cumulative Process. • A Holistic Process. • Plasticity. • Historical/Cultural Context A Continual and Cumulative Process. Human development is best described as a continual and cumulative process. The one constant is change, and the changes that occur at each major phase of life can have important implications for the future. A Holistic Process. The holistic perspective represents a unified view of the developmental process that emphasizes the important interrelationships among the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of human development. An example. What determines a person’s popularity with peers? If you were to say that social skills are important, you would be right. Social skills such as warmth, friendliness, and willingness to cooperate are characteristics that popular children typically display. Yet there is much more to popularity than meets the eye. We now have some indication that the age at which a child reaches puberty, an important milestone in physical development, has an effect on social life. For example, boys who reach puberty early enjoy better relations with their peers than do boys who reach puberty.We see, then, that popularity depends not only on the growth of social skills but also on various aspects of both cognitive and physical development. As this example illustrates, development is not piecemeal but holistic.
