Module 2: Issues on Human Development

Chapter Title: BASIC CONCEPTS AND ISSUES TO HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Topic/Lesson: Issues on Human Development
Introduction:

There are number of issues that have been debated throughout the history
of human development. Furthermore, it emphasizes the involvement and relative
importance of early experiences to those that occur later at the process of life.

Moreover, influence of this childhood events can have a dominating effect

over their knowledge, behaviour, and experience which provides childhood adversity
that may or may not contribute to greater level of either stress or progress in the
later years.

Objectives:
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of human development;

2. evaluate, summarize and share their insights on the different principles of human
development; and
3. distinguish and compare the two approaches to human development.

Learning Content:

Key Issues in Human Development

There are many different theoretical

approaches regarding human development.
As we evaluate them in this course, recall
that human development focuses on how
people change, and the approaches
address the nature of change in different
ways:
 Is the change smooth or uneven
(continuous versus discontinuous)?
 Is this pattern of change the same for everyone, or are there different patterns of
change (one course of development versus many courses)?
 How do genetics and environment interact to influence development (nature
versus nurture)?
 1. IS DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOUS?

Continuous development views development as a cumulative process, gradually

improving on existing skills (Figure 2). With this type of development, there is a gradual
change. Consider, for example, a child’s physical growth: adding inches to their height
year by year.
In contrast, theorists who view development as discontinuous believe that
development takes place in unique stages and that it occurs at specific times or ages.
With this type of development, the change is more sudden, such as an infant’s ability to
demonstrate awareness of object permanence (which is a cognitive skill that
develops toward the end of infancy, according to Piaget’s cognitive theory.

Figure 2. The concept of continuous development can be visualized as a smooth slope

of progression, whereas discontinuous development sees growth in more
discrete stages.

Link:[Link]
development/

2. IS THERE ONE COURSE OF DEVELOPMENT OR MANY?

Is development essentially the same, or universal, for all children (i.e., there is one
course of development) or does development follow a different course for each child,
depending on the child’s specific genetics and environment (i.e., there are many
courses of development)? Do people across the world share more similarities or more
differences in their development? How much do culture and genetics influence a child’s
behavior?

Stage theories hold that the sequence of development is universal. For example, in
cross-cultural studies of language development, children from around the world reach
language milestones in a similar sequence (Gleitman & Newport, 1995). Infants in all
cultures coo before they babble. They begin babbling at about the same age and utter
their first word around 12 months old. Yet we live in diverse contexts that have a unique
effect on each of us.
 For example, researchers once believed that motor development followed one course
for all children regardless of culture. However, childcare practices vary by culture, and
different practices have been found to accelerate or inhibit the achievement of
developmental milestones such as sitting, crawling, and walking (Karasik, Adolph,
Tamis-LeMonda, & Bornstein, 2010).

3. HOW DO NATURE AND NURTURE INFLUENCE DEVELOPMENT?

Are we who we are because of nature (biology and genetics), or are we who we are
because of nurture (our environment and culture)?
This longstanding question is known in psychology as the nature versus nurture debate.
It seeks to understand how our personalities and traits are the product of our genetic
makeup and biological factors, and how they are shaped by our environment, including
our parents, peers, and culture.
For instance, why do biological children sometimes act like their parents—is it because
of genetics or because of early childhood environment and what the child has learned
from their parents? What about children who are adopted—are they more like their
biological families or more like their adoptive families? And how can siblings from the
same family be so different?

We are all born with specific genetic traits inherited from our parents, such as eye color,
height, and certain personality traits. Beyond our basic genotype, however, there is a
deep interaction between our genes and our environment. Our unique experiences in
our environment influence whether and how particular traits are expressed, and at the
same time, our genes influence how we interact with our environment (Diamond, 2009;
Lobo, 2008). There is a reciprocal interaction between nature and nurture as they both
shape who we become, but the debate continues as to the relative contributions of
each.

(You may open this link: [Link]

powerpoint- on nature vs. Nurture

4. CONTINUITY VS DISCONTINUITY
- Are two competing theories in developmental psychology that attempt to
explain how people change through the course of their lives,
CONTINUITY theory says that someone changes throughout their life along
a smooth course while DISCONTINUITY theory says, people change
abruptly. These changes can be described as wide variety of someone’s
social and behavioral makeup like their emotions, traditions and beliefs.
(you may open this link: [Link]
discontinuity-developmental-psychology-
5. IS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOUS?
On this issue, not all psychologists agree that development is a continuous
process. Some view development as a discontinuous process. They believe
that development involves distinct and separate stages with different kinds of
behavior occurring in each stage.
(you may open this link:
[Link]

6. STABILITY VERSUS DISCONTINUITY

- Deals with the issue whether or not personality traits present during
infancy endure, remain constant through the lifespan.
For example, does a naturally extroverted and talkative baby remain that
way for their entire life.
You may open this link : [Link]
term=Stability-

Activity 1
There are many issues concerning human development, it is expected that you need to
read the following terms and do the comparison of the two.
Based from your readings, give your additional reasons to the following:
1. Nature vs. Nurture Nature Nurture

2. Continuity vs. Discontinuity Continuity Discontinuity

3. Stability vs. Change Stability Change

 4. Heredity vs. Environment Heredity Environment

Activity 2
Interpret the following statements in relation to human development.
1. Describe the nature versus nurture controversy. Give an example of a trait and
how it might be influenced by each?
2. Compare and contrast continuous and discontinuous development?
3. Why should developmental milestones only be used as a general guideline for
normal child development?
4. How are you different today from the person you were at 6 years old?
What about 16 years old?
How are you the same as the person you were at those ages?
5. Your 3 year-old daughter is not yet potty trained. Based on what you know about
the approach, should you be concerned? Why or why not?

Activity 3 - Essay Writing

Based on the lecture that we have discussed, explain the following based on your own
perception.
1. Is development continuous or discontinuous?
2. Is there one course of development or many?
3. How do nature and nurture influence development?
4. Continuity versus discontinuity
5. Is child development continuous or discontinuous?

Self-Assessment
Link to open and read to answer these questions.
[Link]
[Link]
Directions: To finally check your understanding and to evaluate your readings from the
given links. Answer the following statement with Nature and Nurture as you analyze the
statements or situations.
I. Choices: Nature or Nurture
 ______________1. Temperament of a child.
______________2. Intrinsic maturation
______________3. Personality
______________4. Child aptitude
______________5. Self-Directedness
______________6. Cooperativeness
______________7. Self-Transcendence
______________8. Intelligence
______________9. Character
______________10. Wit

II. Choices : Continuity vs Discontinuity

________1. Children go from only being able to think in very literal terms to being able
to think abstractly. They have moved into the 'abstract thinking' phase of their lives.
_________2.changes are gradual
_________3. Changes are sudden
_________4. Development is taking place in specific steps or stages
_________5. Development vary from one child to other

References:

[1] [Link] on nature vs.

Nurture
[2] [Link]
psychology-
[3] [Link]
[4] [Link]
[5] [Link]
[6] [Link]
psychology-