life span development
the pattern of movement or change that begins at conception and continues throughout the human life span
what are the historical approaches to raising children
1) original sin view
2) tabula rasa view
3) innate goodness view
1) original sin view
- Middle Ages (16th century)
- children are bad, evil
- goal is to remove sin
2) tabula rasa view
- 17th century
- John Locke
- children are a blank slate… experience is important
3) innate goodness view
- 18th century
- Jean Jaques Rousseau
- children are good and should be allowed to grow naturally with few parental restraints
- parents should be GUIDES
how is childhood now?
childhood is a distinct, eventful, unique period of life: it sets the foundation for adult years
what is development (8)
1) lifelong
2) multidimensional
3) multidirectional
4) plastic
5) multidisciplinary
6) contextual
7) involves growth, maintenance, and regulation
8) co-construction of biology, culture, and the individual
define multidimensional (#2)
biological, cognitive, socio-economical dimensions
define multidirectional (#3)
some dimensions or components of a dimension increase in growth, others decrease
- ex: older adults are wiser and call on their experience but perform more poorly on tasks requiring speed and processing information
define plastic (#4)
degree to which characteristics change or remain stable
- ex: intellectual skills and older aged adults
define multidisciplinary (#5)
psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, neuroscientists, and medical researchers all study development
define contextual (#6)
individuals change in a changing world, continually respond and act on concepts:
- biological make-up
- physical environment
- cognitive processes
- historical, social, and cultural contexts
explain development involves growth, maintenance, and regulation (#7)
as we age to middle and late adulthood, the goal is to maintain skills (memory, intelligence, etc.)
explain development is a co-construction of biology, culture, and the individual (#8)
example our brain shapes and interprets culture but is also shaped by culture and our experiences
