Module 3: Issues on Human Development

Overview/Introduction

Learning Outcome/Objective

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

1. elaborately explain the meaning of human development

2. evaluate, summarize and share their insights on the different principles of human
development.

3. distinguish and compare the two approaches to human development

IV- LEARNING CONTENT/TOPICS

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)?

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.

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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.

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).

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

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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 : http://www.slideshare.net/ruthhewitt125/nature-

nurture-powerpoint- on nature vs. Nurture

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: https://www.reference.com/education/continuity-

versus-discontinuity-developmental-psychology-

IS CHILD DEVELOPMENT CONTINUOUS OR DISCONTINUOS?

On this issue, not all psychologists agree that development is c 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:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_stage_theori

STABILITY VERSUS DISCONTINUITY

- Deals with the issue whether or not personality traits present during
infancy endure, remain constant through the lifespan.

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 For example, does a naturally extroverted and talkative baby remain
that way for their entire life.

You may open this link : http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?

term=Stability-

III-Teaching and Learning Activities

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.

Are you pro nature or pro nurture? Based from your readings, give your additional
reasons

Nature (Give your ideas and insights) VS NURTURE (give your ideas and
insights

1.

2.

3.

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Are you pro nature or pro nurture? Based from your readings, give your additional reasons

Continuity VS DISCONTINUITY

1.

2.

3.

Stability VS Change

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2.

3.

HEREDITY VS ENVIRONMENT

1.

2.

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3.

References:

[1] http://www.slideshare.net/ruthhewitt125/nature-nurture-powerpoint- on nature

vs. Nurture

[2] https://www.reference.com/education/continuity-versus-discontinuity-
developmental-psychology-
[3] https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.78.1.173
[4] https://www.google.com/search?q=continuity+vs+discontinuity+examples
[5] http://www.alleydog.com/glossary/definition.php?term=Stability-
[6] https://www.reference.com/education/continuity-versus-discontinuity-
developmental-psychology-

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