Development Theories Conception Through Adolescence

Chapter 10, 11

Why Study Development Theories?

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Learning Objectives

In this lesson, you will learn to:  Define human development.  Understand some of the important issues in developmental psychology.  Identify the different types of theories.

 The study of human development is a rich and varied subject. We all have personal experience with development, but it is sometimes difficult to understand how and why people grow, learn, and act as they do

For example

 Consider the following scenario:

Three-year old Sarah has started trying to dress herself each morning. She regularly wears her shoes on the wrong feet, misses buttons, and puts shirts on inside-out. When her mother tries to help her, Sarah becomes angry and shouts, "NO! ME DO IT!

Why does Sarah behave this way? Is her behavior related to her age, family relationships, or individual temperament? Developmental psychologists strive to answer such questions.

Development

 Development describes the growth of humans throughout the lifespan, from conception to death. The scientific study of human development seeks to understand and explain how and why people change throughout life. This includes all aspects of human growth, including physical, emotional, intellectual, social, perceptual, and personality development

Developmental Theories

 Models intended to account for how and why people become as they are.

 Theories explain behavior, as well as predict behavior that can be tested and observed.

 They help nurses assess and treat a person’s response to an illness.

Areas of Theory Development

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Biophysical

(Gasell’s theory) 

Psychoanalytic

(Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Robert Havighurst) 

Cognitive

(Jean Piaget’s theory) 

Moral

(Jean Piaget’s and Lawrence Kohlberg’s theories)

Intrauterine Life (40 weeks or 280 days)  Fertilization  Zygote  Mormula  Implantation  Organogenesis  Birth

Risk Factors

 Nutrition  Stress  Age

Newborn (1-st month of life) Infant (1 month – 1 year)  Physical Changes  Psychosocial Changes  Cognitive Changes

Health Risks

 Injury prevention  Child Maltreatment  Overfeeding

Toddler (12-36 months)

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Physical changes

self care activities walking cardiopulmonary system become stable -

Cognitive changes

memory language

Psychosocial Changes

independence

Health Risks

 Injury prevention

Preschooler (3-5 years)



Physical Changes

Weight Muscles New skills 

Psychosocial Changes

Meet with other children Playing 

Cognitive Changes

Artificialism Animism

Health Risks

 Injury prevention

School-age child (6-18 years)



Physical Changes

Weight Growing Independence 

Psychosocial Changes

Moral Relationships Sexual identity 

Cognitive Changes

Ability to think Classification

Health Risks

 Stress  Accidents

Adolescent (18-…years)

  

Physical Changes

Sex-specific changes (shoulders, hip) Alteration in distribution of muscle and fat Reproductive system development (estrogen, testosterone)

Psychosocial Changes

Family identity Group identity Sexual identity Vocation identity

Cognitive Changes

Depend on persons social environment

Health Risks

 Accidents  Suicide  Substance abuse  Eating disorders  Sexually Transmited Diseases

Health concerns

 Perception  Health education