Foundations of Developmental Psychology

The intersection of Theories, Genes, and Environment

ENG

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SEGMENT 01

The Dynamic Nature of Development

Development is a lifelong, multidimensional process involving the Physical, Cognitive, and Psychosocial domains. It’s a "zero-sum" negotiation between growth, maintenance, and the regulation of loss.

PHYSICAL

Body & Brain

COGNITIVE

Thought & Memory

SOCIAL

Relationships

"Development isn't a finish line you cross at 18; it’s a lifelong pivot between gaining new skills and managing the ones we lose."

SEGMENT 02

Nature vs. Nurture: The Epigenetic Revolution

100%

DNA sequence remains constant, but chemical "tags" act as switches.

Lifestyle "talks" to your genes. Nutrition, stress, and teratogens (alcohol/nicotine) determine which genes are active during critical periods of development.

"Your DNA is the script, but your environment is the director—deciding which lines get spoken."

Bioecological Theory

The Five Systems of Influence

Urie Bronfenbrenner’s model shows that individual performance is tied to the health of the systems surrounding them. From the immediate family to the global time-scale.

Microsystem: Immediate environment
Exosystem: External settings (Workplace)
Macrosystem: Cultural values
Chronosystem: Dimension of time

Cognitive Evolution

Piaget: Qualitative stages of thought.
Vygotsky: Scaffolding & the Zone of Proximal Development.

Conflict-Driven

Erikson posits personality is forged through resolving crises (e.g., Trust vs. Mistrust). Unresolved stages lead to adult fixations.

The Three "Hows" of Learning

Association: Classical Conditioning

Consequences: Operant Reinforcement

Observation: Social Learning (Self-Efficacy)

Prenatal Vulnerability

Cephalocaudal

Growth from head-to-tail.

Proximodistal

Growth from center-outward.

Both maternal nutrition/stress and paternal age/toxin exposure fundamentally shape long-term health trajectories.