FACTORS AFFCTING DEVELOPMENT

Development is the function of maturation (genetically governed development/ biological potential to develop) and environmental factors (external factors).

Critical period - When the development of specific aspects is at its highest/ optimal rate. If growth is hindered, not complete, or not supported during this time, even if it happens in the future, it will be incomplete/ not perfect.

Culture and development - Development occurs in different contexts- biological, family, and historical culture are shared beliefs and affect development.

Culture- The representation of shared beliefs, language, customs, knowledge, and experience of a group of people that are passed onto people within the group.

Maturity - Genetic changes during which germ cells become mature.

Maturity refers to a state of being fully developed or grown, both in terms of physical and psychological characteristics. Maturity involves a range of qualities and attributes that enable an individual to function effectively and responsibly in various aspects of life. It can be emotional, physical, social, intellectual, financial, ethical, etc.

Macque- Changes that are primarily dependent upon physiological growth to influence by learning or experience

Gessal- Maturation determines the limit of learning

Shnerla- As a person grows, their different structural aspects become differentiated. Maturity is the result of difference and growth. Environmental education is needed.

Development is an interactive function of maturation and experience-

D=M*E

Orthogenetic principles of lifespan development are ideas in psychology that suggest human development follows a clear and orderly path. They highlight:

1. Directionality: Development has a set direction, not randomness.

2. Qualitative Change: People undergo significant changes in how they think, feel, and act as they grow.

3. Hierarchy: Skills build on each other, starting with basic abilities.

4. Uniqueness: Everyone's development is unique due to genes, experiences, and environment.

5. Equifinality: Different paths can lead to similar outcomes.

6. Integration: Different aspects of development (like thinking, emotions, and social skills) are interconnected.

7. Continuity: Early experiences affect later development, but there can be big changes at times.

These principles help us understand how people grow and change throughout their lives.

Determinants of Development: In contemporary times, development is seen to be affected by two main factors: heredity and environment.

Heredity: The genetic program that is transmitted from parents to offspring at conception.

Environment: An array of experiences to which individuals are exposed from conception to death.

Heredity-environment/ nature-nurture issue: It has proven to be not very fruitful in understanding development and investigators argue that development can be better understood in terms of the interaction between genetic and experiential forces (Anastasi, 1958).

According to Baltes, Reese, and Lipsitt (1980), there are three types of influence on lifespan development.

1. Age-normative influences- biological and maturational growth.

2. History-Normative influences- includes major historical events like wars, economic depressions, epidemics, etc.

3. Nonnormative influences- events that occur at any time and can have a major impact on a person's life. example- illness, death, divorce, career changes, lucky wins, births, accidents, etc.