The field of developmental psychology focuses on how people develop and change their behaviors and thoughts. This discipline is a vast area that covers the whole life cycle. It has created fascinating case studies and debates, similar to other psychology disciplines.
Due to the increasing number of positive psychology paradigms in developmental psychology, the concept of a holistic lifespan has been brought into focus. This can help children develop their skills in school.
What is Developmental Psychology?
According to the APA, developmental psychology is a field of study that focuses on the various aspects of human development. It investigates the biological, emotional, and environmental factors that affect people’s growth. It has been influenced by multiple theories and models from different psychology disciplines.
Initially, developmental psychology was focused on the development of children. However, over the years, it has broadened its scope and studied the various stages of human development. This discipline looks into how babies develop their abilities and the changes that occur throughout their lives. It also examines the causes of the decline in mental and physical health as they age.
How Developmental Psychology Has Changed
During the 19th century and the early 20th century, developmental psychologists were mainly focused on the study of child psychology. During the 1950s, they started investigating the relationship between child rearing and personality variables. They also started looking into the development of children from infancy to adolescence.
Erik Erikson, a German psychologist, argued that there are stages in adult psychology that should be considered alongside child development. During this time, other researchers started to look into the various processes that influence the development of a person’s behavior from birth to death.
During the 20th century, the field of developmental psychology started to explore various aspects of the psychological process, including the relationship between the environment and heredity.
Developmental Psychology Theories
In addition to focusing on the development of the human mind, developmental psychologists also use various theories to analyze the different aspects of human development. For instance, they might consider children’s cognitive development based on Piaget’s theory.
Psychologists working with children might also want to look into how the child’s relationships with their caregivers influence their behavior. For instance, if a child’s relationship with their parents is strong, then a psychologist might turn to the theory of attachment by Bowlby.