Developmental Psych Week 1

Taking into account all the different types of psychology, I find that developmental is one of the most interesting due to the fact that it not only considers how living organisms change over time, but also why. There are infinite possibilities in a world where you accept that there are always new things to learn. I am particularly interested in the social aspect of developmental psychology and how society as well as different cultures effect the growth of individuals. The direct correlation of the physical and mental changes has always been fascinating to me, and I hope to increase my understanding of these changes over the course of the next 15 weeks.

Week 1 Prompt

I think that studying development is important so that you can understand how and why people and or animals and such are changing. I feel that there is always something new you can learn about anything in life so yes I do think there are still things to learn. The reason that I am taking this course, or the main reason is to learn about why people change the way they do when something happens to them and the ways that they react to those kinds of things. Whether it is something life changing or something little to them.

Importance of Developmental Psychology

            Developmental psychology’s job is to explain the changes that happen in a person’s life from start to finish. Studying these changes is very important when it comes to understanding how and why these changes occur and what could be the factors for the anomalies. This knowledge creates opportunities that allow psychologists to decide what the most advantageous ways to raise our future generations are. There are always going to be new things to learn about developmental psychology because the transformations in people have a lot to do with their surrounding environment. And because environments are temporary and society is ever-changing, psychology is as well.

            Living in a small town has both its advantages and disadvantages. I knew the majority of my graduating class since I was born. I hadn’t seen them change as much in the first fourteen years of their lives as they did in the last five years. And I know that people say that a lot of what happens to you in your first few years of life has a lot of weight in who you become. But I am curious as to how experiences and society can affect adolescents. Why things such as social media and school, or more intense experiences such as divorce or death, affect teenagers so differently. And how these changes merge with ideals they used to have as they become adults.

Studying Developmental Psychology

Studying Developmental Psychology is important because it allows people to learn how humans become who they are and how they mature and adapt physically, mentally, and behaviorally. Studying the development of humans as they change and the problems that occur during these changes may help to help prevent these problems in the future. Also, learning about humans as they develop and grow could further show us how we be able to better help others. I feel like there are so many more things that there are to learn about humans. They're always changing. I enrolled in this class to just get a better understanding of how humans development overtime and why people do the the things they do, especially at certain ages.

            Studying development is important because it provides information on how we became who we are and who we will become.  Development is the study of how humans develop and change through the course of their life, which is important to know and understand. Studying development can further our understanding of each stage of life and what each stage is comprised of – physical, social, cognitive, emotional, and personality growths.  Like any topic, there is always more to learn, so I believe there is more to learn and expand on development than we already know.  I enrolled in this course to further understand development and the ideas behind it.  I want to know more about how I have become who I am today and how I will develop as I get older.  

Studying Developmental Psychology is very important. Developmental Psychology looks at how humans and other species change over time by studying their past. Evaluating the past of a species can uncover patterns that can be predicted in the future. Being able to predict the future of how a species will change can prove to be beneficial, especially in the case of endangered animal species. If scientists can predict how an endangered species will change over time, they could possible find ways to change how the species develops to prevent them from going extinct. Developmental Psychology is very important to study in humans also. There are many more things to learn in Developmental Psychology because humans and all species will continue to change. As we advance as a society, how our children are raised and how they will develop through their lives will also change. There will always be more for Developmental Psychologists to study as we change as a species.

One topic I would be interested in learning more about is how it effects children to be exposed to electronics at a younger age. It seems that children are given electronics to play with at a much younger age then previous generations. I would be interested to know how this effects their development through the rest of their lives.

The Importance of Developmental Psychology

Developmental psychology is an important area of study because it directly affects the future of humanity. Children are an incredibly important aspect of many peoples' lives, and parents strive to ensure that their children are successful and productive members of society. The information that developmental psychologists gather and the conclusions that they reach can influence the decisions that parents make when raising their children. However, the betterment of the youth is only one reason to study developmental psychology. We also study developmental psychology to gain insight on ourselves. Mental health issues that appear late in a persons life may have direct links to childhood experience. By understanding the origin of these issues, we may be able to search for remedies that are more effective than traditional standards. In this way, advancements in developmental psychology can be used to better society both proactively and retroactively. It is easy to say that there is much more to be learned in this field, simply because we are not all perfect humans yet. I, personally, would like to learn more about how and when children develop their own sense of identity.

Prompt for Week One - Due January 11th (11:59 p.m.)

Developmental Psychology is all about how humans (and non-humans) change over time. Some of these changes are fairly "normal and stereotyped," such that everyone in a species changes the same way. Other areas of development are highly diverse and influenced by factors such as nutrition, social interaction, etc. Why do you think studying development is important? Do you think there are still things to learn? Are there trends or concepts about human change that you wish you understood better? Another way of addressing this prompt is: Why did you enroll in this course (beyond some requirement)?

This Blog is for student discussion in Developmental Psychology. Each week, I will post a question or prompt that relates to some part of human or animal development. Students will have until Friday night to respond with their own ideas. Each student post (1 per week) is worth 3% of their overall grade, for a maximum of 40%. Students are also asked to comment at least five times on others' posts.
Please see the course syllabus for other details.