CHAPTER 11

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After studying this unit, the student will be able to

CHAPTER OUTLINE

DEFINITION

Developmental psychology is a science of growth which deals with all the processes contributing to becoming an infant, a child, an adolescent and a mature adult.

PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

• Development is similar for all
• Continuous process
• Proceeds from general to specific responses
• Direction of physical development
• Each stage has characteristic traits
• Familiar and predictable pattern
• The purpose of all development is self realization

PERIODS OF THE LIFE SPAN

PSYCHOLOGY OF PEOPLE AT DIFFERENT

AGES

Prenatal Period (Conception to Birth)

• Conception occurs with the fusion of ova and sperm and zygote develops.
• There are three stages of prenatal development: germinal, embryonic and fetal periods.
• All of the major structures of the body are forming and the health of the mother is of primary concern.
• The influences of nature (e.g., genetics) and nurture (e.g., nutrition and teratogens, which can lead to birth defects) are evident.

Infant and Early Toddler (Birth to 2 Years)

During infancy, behavior is affected by internal environment and parental approach. In infancy, rapid growth encompasses physical, motor, perceptual, emotional, speech and intellectual factors.

CHARACTERISTICS OF PSYCHOLOGY OF INFANTS

SHORT LIVED EMOTION

• The young child’s emotions last only a few minutes and then end abruptly.

LABILE EMOTION

• Infant shifts rapidly from laughter to tears from rage to smile.

EXCESSIVELY REACTIVE

• Infant display emotions frequently than typical adult.

OVERT EXPRESSION OF EMOTION

• Infant’s emotion can be detected easily.

RANGE OF EMOTION

• Infants express their emotions in a wide variety of ways, they express unhappiness more obviously than happiness.

PERVASIVE IMPACT

• Babies lock their experiences into procedural memory vaults that will be inaccessible but apparent in later behavior and attitudes

• Motor Development

• There is rapid physiological, sensory, motor development and by a considerable increase in weight and height.

• At 4–5 months crawling movements
• At 6–7 months baby is able to grasp, hold, manipulate and put small objects into mouth.

• At 6 months or older, crying well often be caused by external irritation.

• At 9 months, baby becomes angered by his own actions when he/she cannot perform a task which he/she desires to accomplish.

• Cognitive Development

• Reflexive stage (0–2 months)
• Primary circular reactions (2–4 months)
• Secondary circular reactions (4–8 months)
• Coordination of secondary reactions (8–12 months)
• Tertiary circular reactions (12-18 months)
• Invention of new means through mental combination (18–24 months)

• Emotional Development

• Temperamental Differences

• Language Development

Early Childhood (2-5 Years)

Developmental Task

• Cognitive Development

• Internal manipulation of symbols
• Representational thought
• Reasoning
• Trans deductive reasoning
• Egocentrism
• Representational thoughts
• Animistic thinking
• Lack of causal understanding

• Emotional Development

In this stage child learns to express various emotions such as showing delight and affection, tension and distress, pleasure, laughter and relaxation, sympathy and compensation, joyfulness and disgust, anger and destrutiveness, envy and jealousy.

• Social Development

• Socialization
• Development of parent child relationship
• Gender role
• Peers and play
• By age of 3 years, children show cooperative play.

• Language Development

• Moral Development

Late Childhood (5–12 Years)

• Developmental Task

• Knowledge in school subjects
• Recognizing social roles
• Emotional control

• Cognitive Development

• Cognitive operations
• Conservation
• Reversibility

• Emotional Development

• This period is marked by the emergence of self-centered emotions
• Fear is one of the most common reaction
• Anger and outburst are also frequent during these years of development.
• Envy and jealousy

• Social Development

• Focus on concrete, observable characteristics of others
• Children begin to use more and more descriptive statements involving psychological characteristics.
• Friendship
• Groups
• Peer versus adult influence

• Moral Development

Adolescent (12-18 Years)

• Developmental Task

• Cognitive Development

• Abstract thinking
• Hypothetical thinking
• Deduction and induction
• Interpropositional logic
• Reflective thinking
• Personal fable
• Imaginary audience

• Emotional Development

• Increase in emotional sensitivity and increase in depth of emotional response.
• In adolescence ambivalent feelings are prevalent.
• Transference of affection and love from parents to peers and especially to members of opposite gender.
• Day dreaming and hostility are self-defensive mechanisms
• Fantasies are common

• Moral Development

• Social Development

• Family relationship
• Peer relationships

Adult (18-60 Years)

• This is the longest part of the life. During their 20s, most people reach their peak of strength, agility, reaction time and manual dexterity.
• The term adult comes from the Latin word ‘adults’ to grow to full size and strength.
• Adulthood is generally divided into two different stages.

1. Early adulthood (18 years to 45 years)

2. Middle adulthood (45 years to 60 years)

• Developmental Task

• Stages of Cognitive Development

• Developmental of intelligence during Adulthood

• Allport’s seven dimensions of maturity

• Occupational Development

1.Crystallization (clarity) of one’s ideas about work.

2. Specification of a particular occupational preference and the beginning of job training.

3. Implementation of training and entry into the first job.

4. Stabilization or becoming established in a particular field.

5. Consolidation and advancement within a field or on the job

ADJUSTMENT PROBLEMS DURING ADULTHOOD

• Unemployment
• Divorce
• Physical abuse
• Substance abuse
• Broken homes

PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS

Old (60 Years and Above)

• Aging is a processes that begin with life and continue throughout the life cycle.
• It represents the closing period in the lifespan, a time when an individual looks back on life, lives on past accomplishments and begins to finish off his/ her life course.

• Development Task of Old Age

• Relationship with One’s Spouse

Greatly influenced by the common interests, health and intellectual development of spouse.

• Relationship with Offspring

• Researchers studies have also found that for the most part, elderly woman absorbed in their relationship with their children than men.
• There is usually more friction between women and their children than between men and their children.

• Relationship with Grandchildren

• This is a source of enjoyment, involvement in a conflict and tension.
• Grandfathers have fewer and more remote contacts with grandchildren than grandmothers.

• Relationship with Siblings

Siblings act as ‘Confident’, they share family occasions, holidays and recreational activities aid in decision making which provides emotional support in the times of illness.

PSYCHOLOGY OF VULNERABLE GROUPS

PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN

• PASSIVE DEPENDENCE
• FEMALES ARE LIKE WAVES
• TOLERANCE/ABUSE
• FLUCTUATION OF MOOD
• BODY IMAGE
• CARING
• BODY IMAGE

PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF WOMEN

• Gender influence
• Socio-cultural influences
• Sexualization
• Violence and sexual abuse
• Assertiveness
• Maternal psychology
• Anxiety
• Abuse

PSYCHOLOGY OF SICK PERSONS

PSYCHOLOGY OF CAREGIVER

• Denial
• Blaming
• Displacement
• Aggression
• Anxiety
• Depression

GRIEVING PROCESS (KUBLER-ROSS GRIEF CYCLE)

PSYCHOLOGY DURING LOSS AND GRIEF

TYPES OF GROUP

PSYCHOLOGY OF A GROUP

Sharing

Recognition

Group thinking

Interdepend-

ence

Strong group

loyalty

Social

interaction

ROLE OF THE NURSE

• Developing specialized programs and encourage styles of practice best suited to the problems of these populations.
• Training of all mental health practitioners to be culturally competent by recognizing and responding to the concerns of ethnic minorities and the other special populations.
• Encouraging all schools to include content pertaining to sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status and physical disability.
• Building systems that recognize, incorporate, practice and value cultural diversity.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Development refers to the physiological, behavioral, cognitive and social changes that occur throughout human life. Aspects of human development are physical development, emotional development, intellectual development, social development, self concept development, personality development. Representational thoughts are the ability to form mental symbols to represent objects or events that are not present.

ASSESS YOURSELF

• Discuss the psychological needs of elderly.
• Discuss the psychological needs of child.
• Explain psychosocial development during old age.
• Explain psychological development of school child.
• Describe psychological needs of persons with disability.
• Discuss the psychological needs of a chronically ill individual.