Developmental Science

An interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on the changes that children undergo from conception

onward.

Five periods:

The Prenatal Period (conception) to (birth)

Infancy (birth) to (age 2)

Early Childhood (age 2-6 )

Middle Childhood (age 6-12 )

Adolescence (age 12-18)

Domains of Development

1. Social

2. Emotional

3. Cognitive

4. Physical

Developmental Science

Goals:

- To understand the basic biological and cultural processes that account for the complexities of

development.

- Explain how children develop

- Extent to which biological factors and environmental factors contribute to a child’s acquisition of

different traits and abilities

2. To devise ways of safeguarding children’s health and well-being.

Who Benefits from Development Psychology?

1. Parents

2. Teachers and educators

3. Social policymakers

a. Benefit from research

b. Concern- obtaining eye witness testimony - 1000 testify in legal cases

c. Younger children are, more susceptible to leading questions

d. 3-5-year-old give accurate testimony

A historical Perspective

Childhood in Premodern Times

● Children had few rights