education pychology notes

Developmental Psychology 
• A branch of basic psychology that attempts to explore the life long process or 
changes. 
• The scientific study of growth, development and behaviour changes of beings from 
conception through to death. These changes are physical, emotional, mental, social 
etc. 
• It is synonymous with the term ‘Child psychology’ which is the study of human 
growth and development. 
• The study of human growth and development that concerns itself with the description 
and explanation of changes in human behaviour that are as a result of maturation and 
experience. 
• It studies physical, cognitive and psychosocial changes across the life-span. It looks at 
how changes occur qualitatively and quantitatively over time. 
• Research in child development attempts to answer 3 questions: 
• How does it take place? Stages, sequence, do the skills become more 
progressively different 
• Nature of changes: categogrize differences e.g between 2 and 4 years 
• What makes these changes occur? What forces are responsible for child 
development 
• Behaviour: Observable aspects or activities of an individual or organism. 
• Maturation: Describes the state of readiness; whereby the body parts and cells are 
ready for function. 
Growth: It is quantitative changes that occur from conception to death. There are different 
types of growth: 
• Hyperplastic growth – increase in the number of cells 
• Hypertrophic growth – increase or decrease in the size of cells 
• Non-cellular growth – material increase or decrease in the body e.g Urine, excretion 
etc 
Development:  
• Refers to qualitative changes that take place in a human being from conception to 
death as a result of maturation and environment 
• Emergence of capabilities over time. The changes could be social, emotional, physical 
and moral. Physically for instance, could be in terms of motor development e.g a child 
sitting -> crawling ->walking ->running. 
NB:  
2 
• Growth and development are interrelated. Growth facilitates development and vice 
versa. For instance, a child whose muscles are growing properly will easily be able to 
walk at maturation. 
• It is not possible to draw a line where growth stops and development starts. 
•  
STAGES OF HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 
• Behaviour:  
• Observable aspects or activities of an individual or organism. 
• Maturation: 
•  Describes the state of readiness; whereby the body parts and cells are ready for 
function. 
• Increase in child’s competence and adaptability. 
• It is describing the qualitative change in a structure.  
• The level of maturation depends on child’s heredity. 
• Growth 
• It refers to an increase in physical size of the whole body or any of its parts.  
• It is quantitative changes that occur from conception to death. There are different 
types of growth: 
• Hyperplastic growth – increase in the number of cells 
• Hypertrophic growth – increase or decrease in the size of cells 
•   
• Non-cellular growth – material increase or decrease in the body e.g Urine, excretion 
etc 
• Development:  
• It refers to a progressive increase in skill and capacity of function.  
• Refers to qualitative changes that take place in a human being from conception to 
death as a result of maturation and environment 
• Emergence of capabilities over time. The changes could be social, emotional, physical 
and moral. Physically for instance, could be in terms of motor development e.g a child 
sitting -> crawling ->walking ->running. 
• It can be measured through observation. 
• NB:  
• Growth and development are interrelated. Growth facilitates development and vice 
versa. For instance, a child whose muscles are growing properly will easily be able to 
walk at maturation. 
• It is not possible to draw a line where growth stops and development starts.