Developmental
psychology is defined as a study of human growth during its various stages of
development, beginning with childhood, adolescence, and youth, and ending with
aging.
The field of
developmental psychology was originally concerned with infants, children, and
adolescence and then expanded to youth, adult development, aging, and the
entire lifespan.
 |
| Developmental psychology is a scientific study of why and how people change throughout their lives. |
Developmental
Psychology - Characteristics, Objectives and Principles of Psychological
Development
Psychology as a Science
To define
developmental psychology, the concept of psychology must first be
clarified.
There are
many definitions of psychology that can be defined as:
The
application of a set of procedures, methods with scientific and experimental
foundations aimed at controlling human behavior, in addition, to accurately
predicting future behavior patterns.
Psychology
is divided into several applied and theoretical branches. Among these branches,
there is an applied science to study the developmental aspects of different
living organisms, including humans.
This science
is known as developmental psychology.
What is Developmental Psychology?
Developmental
psychology is defined as a study of human growth during its various stages of
development, beginning with childhood, adolescence, and youth, and ending with
aging.
Developmental
psychology is a scientific study of why and how people change throughout their
lives.
Developmental
psychology can be defined as the scientific study of the stages of growth from
childhood to adulthood, and study the manifestations, and characteristics of
each of these stages: mental, physical, emotional, social or cognitive stages.
Developmental psychology is also a science that represents a
study based on the scientific foundations of the stages of growth and tries to
explain the origin, nature of development, and results, and what disrupts the path.
Developmental psychology is also a branch of general
psychology, which examines the variables that occur during different stages of
growth in terms of behavioral and psychological, as well as the physical and
emotional characteristics of each stage.
Why is it Important to Study Developmental Psychology?
The
importance of studying developmental psychology in the following areas:
Theoretical study:
The study of
developmental psychology enables us to know human nature and its relation
to the environment in which he lives.
It also
contributes to the knowledge of the criteria of growth in all its
manifestations, such as the criteria of mental, physical, social and emotional
development.
The stages
of developmental psychology include pre-birth, childhood, adolescence,
adulthood, and eventually aging.
Empirical study:
It is
possible to develop the ability to direct individuals at different stages of
growth.
It also
enables the possibility of measuring various aspects of growth according to
scientific standards and helps to correct the abnormalities in growth, whether
educational or psychological.
For psychologists:
Psychologists
can achieve the fruits of their efforts to assist individuals in various stages
of development, especially in the areas of counseling, therapeutic psychology,
psychological assessment, vocational training, and education.
For educators:
Through the
study of developmental psychology, educators can learn the psychological
and educational characteristics of individuals at different stages of
development.
They can
also identify the factors affecting their growth, the ways in which their
behavior can be modified, the methods in which they should be taught, and the
issues that require preparation in the educational process, in addition, to
enable the teacher to know the individual differences among students.
For parents:
The study of
developmental psychology helps parents to know the characteristics of their
children, understand each stage of their growth, the conditions they live
during these stages, their treatment on the basis of data, the requirements of
the stage they live, as well as the opportunity to learn the individual
differences in the growth rates of their children.
For the community:
The
knowledge of community members about psychological development helps to
determine the best genetic conditions and correspond to each stage of growth,
and helps to solve the social problems related to the individual personality,
in terms of growth, composition, determinants, and prevention, such as problems
of sexual deviation, school delays, mental impairment, and ward.
The study of
developmental psychology also helps individuals to adjust their behavior
to reach the highest level of educational, psychological, professional and
social compatibility, as well as to enable accurate forecasting of events in the
future.
For individuals:
The
understanding of parents and teachers of the same growth is reflected in the
future of individuals; guiding individuals on a scientific basis to achieve
good performance and their prosperous future from childhood to adulthood.
It also
enables individuals to understand events according to their level of
development, abilities and the nature of the stage they live in.
The
individual should live every stage of his development in the best possible
manner.
Current Trends in Developmental Psychology
Since the
beginning of the growth, developmental psychology has progressed in
four main trends:
Descriptive
or normative trend: This aspect emphasizes that growth comes from within the child and it
appears sequentially in stages of growth that can be described in detail.
Behavioral
or environmental trend: This aspect emphasizes the pattern of behavior observed on a child
and the extent to which skills, experiences, and environmental conditions
affect the child's acquisition of behaviors.
Emerging
field service trend: It is the aspect that looks at the state of the emergence of the child
and its relationship with the dynamic forces of the surrounding environment.
Analytical
or psychological trend: This aspect has developed a new concept of personality based
on unconscious stimuli.
Characteristics of Human Growth
The
process of human growth is classified by a set of characteristics, the most
important of which are:
Growth
is a differentiated process: This means that what people do naturally
or moderately or what they are actually doing turns in this situation into what
needs to be done.
Growth is a regular process: growth changes occur on a regular
basis. Growth is an individual process; it means that everyone grows in his own
way.
Growth is a holistic process: the relationships between different
aspects and the stages of growth go in one direction; for development or
demolition.
Growth is a continuous process: The changes may take place in
different aspects of the individual (mental, organic) cannot stop throughout
his life.
Growth is a changing process: growth is essentially a set of
changes, including changes in human body structure, and the functions of its
members.
These
changes are called maturation, changes occur due to experience, and surrounding
environmental conditions, (Learning).
There
are non-developmental changes that do not require development or revolution.
The
theory of developmental psychology is the scientific tool on which
developmental psychology depends; the application of the
psychological curriculum to individuals in their environment.
The
theory is based on explaining and clarifying scientific terms related to
developmental psychology and studying personal, psychological growth.
Most
psychologists use developmental psychology to classify individuals into
categories, depending on many social and behavioral conditions, to make it
easier for them to study and identify individual personalities.
Goals and Objectives of Developmental
Psychology
The
knowledge of the nature of the human psyche and the nature of the stages in
order to expand the knowledge of parents, teachers, psychologists, and
social workers, and thus interact with children, adolescents and the elderly to
establish the correct understanding of the nature of their growth and
characteristics.
Access
to full knowledge regarding the nature of individuals and their components, the
influence of genetics and the environment in shaping the wishes, reasons and patterns
of behavior of that individual, in addition to other factors that contribute to
the formation of personality and modification, and thus access to a true
understanding of the nature of growth.
Explanation
of the behavior in all its different dimensions and forms, and identification
of the factors that affect it in a negative or positive way, identifying the
best methods of socialization and governance of behavior and controlling the
changes in a manner that achieve the happiness of the person and the safety of
his surroundings.
The
knowledge of growth laws that control the nature and speed of growth, and the
relationship of growth in other aspects of life in a way that leads to the
understanding of children and the mechanism of dealing with them during
different stages of their ages, and thus preparing them through the proper
development of the next stages.
Identification
of the individual differences among the members of society and the differences
between the sexes in the field of psychological growth.
The
formulation of educational objectives to build a clear and comprehensive
approach to the demands of growth, the choice of curricula and the design of
methods and mechanisms of teaching and learning experiences that will enable
the teacher to meet and meet all the demands of growth during each stage of
education.
A
successful teacher is a person who is aware of and understands the
characteristics of his students and the characteristics of the subject he is
studying.
Developmental
and educational curricula to meet the demands of growth on an ongoing basis,
adapting to the changes of the present age, and providing individuals with the
motivations that encourage them to look to the future through continuous
education that makes them live harmoniously with the rhythm of the age.
Principles of Developmental Psychology
Continuation and Sequence: This principle refers to the direction of
the growth process in a continuous and gradual manner towards a specific goal
and specific maturity.
Although
the growth process is a continuous and related process in terms of structural
and functional aspects, the connected loop goes through several stages, each
stage has certain properties and attributes.
Integration: Opinions differ on how the stages begin and end, and
the difference is not only the interests and perspectives but the dynamics of
growth; the behavior of the growth process.
Differentiation rate of growth: This principle reveals
the existence of a significant difference between the rate of physical and
motor growth over different stages of age, in addition to a difference between
a set of physical and motor components in terms of rate of growth.
Growth trend: Growth starts sequentially from the functional
formative stage, depending on two directions:
The longitudinal direction of growth: It includes the
upper parts of the human body, preceded by the growth of the lower parts of it.
The horizontal direction of growth: It refers to the
growth parts of the vertical axis towards the outer edges.
Individual Differences: The
differences are that each individual has a unique, personal, and potential path
of growth.
This is very natural because the growth process affects the individual that is related to both genetics and the environment in which he
lives.
The transition from the public to private (vice versa): The path moves
from year to year, from overall growth to detailed growth, from
indeterminate to specific.
It
is worth noting that motor growth does not stop at specialized or partial
responses by general or non-privileged behavior.
Conclusion
The
laws of developmental
psychology are
the paths and developmental aspects that a person undergoes during his lifetime.
These
laws are general because of the inclusion of all people without exception.