Overview

Developmental psychology examines how people grow and change throughout life. It covers physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development from infancy to old age. Theories of development and research methods help psychologists understand both typical and atypical developmental patterns across the lifespan.

Key Themes and Concepts

• Physical Development: Includes growth patterns, brain maturation, puberty, and physical decline with age.
• Cognitive Development (Piaget): Four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational — each reflecting new ways of thinking.
• Social and Emotional Development (Erikson): Eight psychosocial stages, each involving a developmental conflict (e.g., trust vs. mistrust).
• Moral Development (Kohlberg): Preconventional, conventional, and postconventional stages explain how reasoning about right and wrong evolves.
• Theories of Development: Include Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, which emphasizes the role of language and social interaction.
• Gender Identity and Sex Roles: Awareness of one’s gender and related social expectations — shaped by biological, social, and cultural factors.
• Nature vs. Nurture: Ongoing debate about how genetics and environment interact to shape development. Twin and adoption studies offer insight.
• Research Methods: Longitudinal studies follow the same group over time; cross-sectional studies compare different age groups at one point in time.

Quick Tip

Development doesn’t stop at childhood — it’s a lifelong process shaped by internal and external factors. Piaget and Erikson offer stage-based theories, while Vygotsky focuses on the role of social context. Whether studying language, identity, or moral growth, developmental psychology shows how experience and biology interact at every age.