EDUCATI ONAL PS YCH OLOGY

O F A R T S A N D S C I E NCES
COLLEGE

R S E C O D E : P S Y 1 1 5
COU
3 UNITS
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

MODULE 1
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

INTRODUCTION
• Human beings keep changing. During their lives, they change in size,
appearance and psychological makeup. The way they change differs
from individual to individual.
WHAT INFLUENCES DEVELOPMENT?
WHAT INFLUENCES DEVELOPMENT?

The changes that occur in development both have biological

and environmental origins.

Perceiving, understanding, remembering, problem-solving and

reasoning are influenced by the child’s experiences both with
objects and events in the physical world; and interaction with
peers, family teachers and others.
WHAT INFLUENCES DEVELOPMENT?

They are also influenced by their

genetic and biological make-up which
determines their mental structures
that shape their thinking patterns. All
of these factors are interacting with
one another.
WHAT INFLUENCES DEVELOPMENT?

Social interaction is important because

children can have an impression of being with
people who thinks in similar ways and
behave in like manners which stimulates
their cognitive development.

“Sociocognitive Conflict” is when the child

tries to fit together other’s views that differ
from their own; since being with peers
challenges the ideas they have for their own.
 HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

GROWTH DEVELOPMENT

QUANTITATIVE CHANGES QUALITATIVE CHANGES

1.could be objectively observed and Measured 1.cannot be measured directly

2.Growth is not directional. 2.progressive series of orderly, coherent changes.
3.Growth is one aspect of development 3.enable the individual to adapt to the environment in which he
4.Rate of growth is not uniform in all parts of the lives
organism. 4.Rate of development is not uniform throughout the life span
5.Growth does not continue throughout the life of an individual
span. It stops after maturation is obtained. 5.It is continuous. It does not stop with puberty
6.Development is of many aspects (e.g physical, emotional,
6.Growth occurs in different parts of the
intellectual, social and moral)
organism.
7.Influenced by maturation and learning. Based on, modeling
7.Individual differences exist in growth among
the parents, teachers and other elder members
Children
8.Development is possible even without growth
8.Growth is not affected very much by learning
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Nature versus Nurture

• Meaning of Heredity (Nature)
⚬ Heredity is the process by which characteristics of an individual are basically
determined by genes received from the parents.

⚬ Woodworth defines, “Heredity covers all the factors that are present in the
individual when he begins life not at birth, but at the time of conception about
nine months before birth.

• Meaning of Environment (Nurture)

⚬ Environment is the process by which characteristics of an individual are
determined by his/her surroundings and circumstances.
⚬ Boring, Langfield and Weld define,” “the environment is everything that affects
the individual except his genes.”
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Nature versus Nurture

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development

Physical growth and development

Social growth and development

Cognitive growth and development

Moral growth and development

Emotional growth and development

HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development
• Physical growth and development- refers to strengthening of body and muscles with better proficiency
and coordination of motor organs.
• physical growth refers to a process which begins about bodily a physiological changes internal as well as
external in an organism from the conception till his death. General pattern of physical growth:
⚬ Increase in height and weight.
⚬ Changes in body proportions.

Educational Implication:

“There is organic need for strenuous, physical activity. Skeletal muscles are developing and require exercise.”

Some of the important activities which facilitate physical development are:

• Free and guided play activities
• Activities involving handling of tools and materials
• Exercise and morning walk
• Preparing charts and models
• Games and sports
 HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development
• Cognitive growth and development-refers to the ability to draw out conclusion from jumbled information
and to apply the inferences to real life situations in order to make the life happy and meaningful.

Trying to teach a child that which is actual, too advanced or too difficult for him does not result in a better
educated child. In fact it is likely to harm him emotionally.
Educational Implication:

Without education, proper mental development cannot take place. In order

to bring about this development teacher should take the following activities.

• Child should be provided various opportunities for learning

• Attention should be paid to the individual differences of the children.
• For the mental development and education, language is necessary
• Learning by doing and experimental education should have proper place
in the educational setup.
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development
• Emotional growth and development- refers to the accuracy of responses that an individual will exhibit under
the influence of his emotions. Emotion is a complex and diffuses mental experience involving body and mind.
To become emotional means to get excited, activated and stirred up
⚬ Adolescence marks a period of emotional instability and in balance. Adolescents crave for recognition and
love.

Educational Implication:

There are several situations and things in the home and the school which make a
child unhappy rather than happy. It is common to note that children experience too
many unpleasant emotions like anger, fear and jealously than positive emotions of
affection, joy and pleasure.

Following suggestions are offered to help children's emotional balance.

• Children should be helped to express their emotions in a natural way.
• Develop a realistic understanding about the situations that arouse pleasant
situations
• Should be gradually directed to exercise more of internal self-control
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development
• Social growth and development- refers to improvement and refinement of behavior of an individual in
social situations. Social growth helps in improving one's personal relationship in learning and how one
gets along with people successfully.
Persons are socially mature who can make friends, who are leaders, who have good
emotional control, who cooperate with others, who become economically and socially
independent, who have wholesome recreational interests, who maintain high moral
standards, who have good manners and who get alone with members of the opposite sex

Educational Implication:

A teacher can play a vital role in the social development of the child under his charge. He
exerts a great influence upon the development of the personality of the child.

Following are the important suggestions for the social development of the child:
• Teachers and parents should respect the personality of children. They should not show any
discrimination.
• Children should be acquainted with the social events
• Common activities like camps, common needs, social service etc, should be frequently organized.
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development
• Moral growth and development-telling your children/students about socially desired behavior. By telling
such things you recognize the importance/need of rules in a society.
• The term moral is derived from the Latin word 'mores' meaning manners, customs and folk ways.
• Morality is indissolubly linked with the social system.

Educational Implication:

The school plays a very important role in the moral development of the child. In the teaching of
different subjects like languages and social studies etc. teacher may stress moral qualities like love,
sacrifice, self-control, truthfulness and uprightness, etc.

A suggestive list of some activities for the moral development of children is given below:
• Conducting daily morning school assembly.
• Screening appropriate films
• Staging dramas and plays
• Arranging community and school get-together
• Organizing a comprehensive programme of guidance and counseling for bringing about moral
changes.
HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Dimensions of Development

Language Growth and Development- Language is means of expressing,

thinking and action. Had we not been given this power, we would not
have been able interact with others and our social existence was not
possible.

Language may be verbal and nonverbal. Human being uses both types of
languages at a time to inform other about his thinking and behavior and
to the informed about their thinking and behavior.

Thus, language development refers to the ability of a person to convince

the people what he thinks right.
END OF DISCUSSION