Developmental psychology
hide'Developmental psychology', also known as human development, is the scientific study of systematic psychological changes that occur in human beings over the course of the life span. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence and adult development, aging, and the entire life span. This field examines change across a broad range of topics including motor skills and other psycho-physiological processes; cognitive development involving areas such as problem solving, moral understanding, and conceptual understanding; language acquisition; social, personality, and emotional development; and self-concept and identity formation.
Developmental psychology includes issues such as the extent to which development occurs through the gradual accumulation of knowledge versus stage-like development, or the extent to which children are born with innate mental structures versus learning through experience. Many researchers are interested in the interaction between personal characteristics, the individual's behavior, and environmental factors including social context, and their impact on development; others take a more narrowly focused approach.
Developmental psychology informs several applied fields, including: educational psychology, child psychopathology, and forensic developmental psychology. Developmental psychology complements several other basic research fields in psychology including social psychology, cognitive psychology, ecological psychology, and comparative psychology.
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News tagged with developmental psychology
'Too fat to be a princess?' Study shows young girls worry about body image
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Nov 24, 2009 |
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Even before they start school, many young girls worry that they are fat. But a new study suggests watching a movie starring a stereotypically thin and beautiful princess may not increase children's anxieties.
Behavioral nutrition is one weapon in obesity fight
Aug 20, 2009 |
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Want your children to eat less? Let them serve themselves. They probably won't dole out a supersize portion on their own.
Babies understand dogs
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jul 20, 2009 |
4.2 / 5 (16) |
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New research shows babies have a handle on the meaning of different dog barks - despite little or no previous exposure to dogs.
Tying education to future goals may boost grades more than helping with homework
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
May 19, 2009 |
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Helping middle school students with their homework may not be the best way to get them on the honor roll. But telling them how important academic performance is to their future job prospects and providing specific strategies ...
Learning a second language is good childhood mind medicine, studies find
May 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Teaching young children how to speak a second language is good for their minds, report two Cornell linguistic researchers.
Children bullied at school at high risk of developing psychotic symptoms
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
May 01, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (4) |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Children who are bullied at school over several years are up to four times more likely to develop psychotic-like symptoms by the time they reach early adolescence.
Intervention reduces children's viewing of violent TV
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Apr 07, 2009 |
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A team of Oregon State University researchers has successfully implemented a classroom-based intervention that reduces the amount of violent TV that children watch.
Girls twice as likely as boys to remain victims of bullying
Jan 12, 2009 |
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Girls targeted by bullies at primary school are two and a half times more likely to remain victims than boys, according to research from the University of Warwick and University of Hertfordshire.
