11 Summary
Dinesh Ramoo
Key Takeaways
- Developmental psychology was originally concerned with infants and children but has expanded to include adolescence, aging, and the entire lifespan.
- Development can be understood from physical, cognitive, and psychosocial perspectives.
- Periods of development can be analyzed using discontinuous theories that postulate qualitatively different stages. These theories contrast with continuous theories that hypothesize development as the result of incremental quantitative changes.
- Lifespan development can be studied using various research methods including descriptive, correlational, and experimental paradigms. Each paradigm can also be seen through research designs such as longitudinal, cross-sectional, and sequential data-collection methods.
Exercises in Critical Thinking
- Reflect on your own development in light of the theories we have discussed in this chapter. Which do you think is best in explaining your journey thus far?
- How do you think Indigenous perspectives on development might inform our own ideas about a lifespan perspective?
- Consider the different research methods discussed and list the advantages and disadvantages for each.
