PSY 2105 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Critical Period, Vending Machine, Albert Bandura
Document Summary
Concerned with childhood and changes in behavior/abilities across the life span. Goals of developmental psychology include identifying children"s behavior at various developmental points, and determining the causes/processes that govern change. Childhood is a period of rapid change - physically, cognitively, socially, and emotionally. Early experiences may critically influence adult development, and also have real-world applications. Historical views: ancient greece and rome focused on the importance of education, but also committed infanticide and enslaved children for labor, the catholic church, who viewed children as pure and innocent, mainly influenced the medieval renaissance period. The institution of foundling homes" was used to place children with families. Thomas hobbes [materialism: said that the soul is meaningless all that exists is matter and energy, human behavior is best explained in terms of physical processes of the body. Influenced by hobbes" work: all human knowledge and thought derives from sensory experiences. Argued that children gain knowledge through experience.