PSYC-223 Lecture 1: Textbook Chapter 1 notes
23 Aug 2016
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Document Summary
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of changes across the human lifespan. Since developmental psychology is a science, the ideas and beliefs within this field change over time as a result of the scientific method. Scientific method can be used for description or reporting at what age children typically show particular skills and understandings. Can also be used for explanation or testing current beliefs. Since developmental psychology is a science, what we believe to be true needs to be consistent with what we know from other branches of science. Developmental psychology encompasses more than just genetic development, it includes a wide range of psychological processes, including motor development, perceptual development, conceptual development, cognitive development, social and emotional development, language development, gender and sexual development, and moral development. Development is inevitable: the death of an individual creates an available niche, and mechanisms for bringing new individuals into the world evolve.
