Developmental Psychology

Research Paper # 95529

An in-depth look at developmental psychology.

2,511 words () | 6 sources | MLA | 2006 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper attempts to address the topic of developmental psychology, also known as human development. This scientific area of study within the field of psychology focuses on the study of the gradual psychological changes that take place in human beings as they mature. The paper discusses how, historically, this subject area dealt primarily with the psychological development in infants and children, and later expanded its focus to other periods of psychological and physical change, such as adolescence and aging.

Outline:
Introduction
History
Categorization by Age and Stage in the Lifecycle
Some Important Theories
Stage Theory
Incremental/Continuous Theories
Social Contextualism
Ecological Systems Theory
Methods Adopted in the Field
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The thoughts of the Soviet researcher Lev Vygotsky are gradually gaining more popularity in the field of American psychology. In the field of developmental psychology, in specific, his ground-breaking work relating to the significance of social interactions and the so-called "zone of proximal development" is now recognized. Vygotsy based his theory on three premises namely: (a) humans are associated with the physical world and each other by processes of cultural mediation that utilize both psychological and technical tools of the surrounding culture, (b) cultural mediation and, therefore, human psychological functions go through uninterrupted and lifelong alterations, and (c) human psychological functions arise from practical activity in specific contexts. Thus cultural groups have a significant impact on cognition and its development and cognition is a dynamic activity in which the individual both shapes and is shaped by the environmental surroundings. (The Vygotsky Project)"

Sample of Sources Used:

Bremner, J. G. & Slater, A. (2003). An Introduction to Developmental Psychology. USA: Blackwell Publishing.
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). The ecology of human development. MA: Harvard University Press Cambridge.
Bornstein, M.H. & Lamb, M. E. (1999). Developmental Psychology: An Advanced Textbook. USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Campbell, R. L. (2006). Jean Piaget's Genetic Epistemology:Appreciation and Critique. Retrieved March 15, 2007 from http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~campber/piaget.html
MacDonald, K. (n.d). Historical Figures in Developmental Psychology. Retrieved March 15, 2007 from http://www.csulb.edu/~kmacd/361history.html