HUMAN
DEVELOPMENT:
MEANING,
CONCEPTS AND
APPROACHES
ABUBAKAR J. RADJUNI
TWO APPROACHES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Traditional. Believe that Life-Span Approach.
extensive Change from Believe that even in
birth to adolescence, adulthood
little or no change in developmental change
adulthood and decline in takes place as it does
late old age. during childhood
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
FROM A LIFE-SPAN PERSPECTIVE
- PAUL BALTES IN SANTROCK (2002).
1. Development is lifelong. It does not end in
adulthood.
2. Development is plastic. Plasticity refers to the
potential for change.
3. Development is multidimensional.
Development consists of biological, cognitive,
and socio-emotional dimensions. Development
as a process is complex because it is the product
of biological, cognitive and socioemotional
processes(Santrock, 2002).
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
FROM A LIFE-SPAN PERSPECTIVE
- PAUL BALTES IN SANTROCK (2002).
Biological processes involve changes in the individual's physical
nature.
- Common biological processes in development.
• Development is relatively orderly.*
- proximodistal pattern. The muscular control of the trunk and the
arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers.
- Cephalo-Caudal Pattern During infancy, the greatest growth always
occurs at the top -- the head -- with physical growth in size, weight and
future differentiation gradually working its way down from top to
bottom
• Development takes place gradually. Cognitive processes involve
changes in the individual's thought, intelligence, and language.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
FROM A LIFE-SPAN PERSPECTIVE
- PAUL BALTES IN SANTROCK (2002).
Biological processes involve changes in the individual's physical
nature.
- common biological processes in development.
• Development is relatively orderly.*
• - proximodistal pattern. The muscular control of the trunk and the
arms comes earlier as compared to the hands and fingers. This is the
*proximodistal pattern*.
• - Cephalo-Caudal Pattern During infancy, the greatest growth
always occurs at the top -- the head -- with physical growth in size,
weight and future differentiation gradually working its way down
from top to bottom
• Development takes place gradually. Cognitive processes involve
changes in the individual's thought, intelligence, and language.
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
FROM A LIFE-SPAN PERSPECTIVE
- PAUL BALTES IN SANTROCK (2002).
4. Development is contextual. Individuals are
influenced by the contexts include the individual's
biological make up, physical environment,
cognitive processes, historical, social and cultural
contexts.
5. Development involves growth, maintenance
and regulation. Growth, maintenance and
regulation are three (3) goals of human
development. The goals of individuals vary
among developmental stages.