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Developmental Psychology
In ThIs ChapTer
Summary: From the womb to the tomb, developmental psychologists are
interested in how we grow up and how we grow old. Developmental
psychology is the study of physical, intellectual, social, and moral changes
across the life span from conception to death. Developmental psychologists
attempt to describe, explain, and predict age-related behaviors.
In this chapter we look at theories proposed by developmental
psychologists in each of the four broad topic areas across the periods
of infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.Key Ideas
✪ Nature vs. nurture
✪ Continuity vs. discontinuity
✪ Stability vs. change
✪ Research designs—longitudinal, cross-sectional, cohort-sequential,
retrospective
✪ Physical development
✪ Cognitive development
✪ Moral development
✪ Social development
✪ Emotional development
✪ Gender roles and sex differencesKEY IDEAChapTer
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