Chapter Notes: Module 1

PSYC 200 Chapter One Notes

 

Opening thoughts:

As I read through the assigned chapter(s), I will offer some supplemental comments or points to consider.  I will attempt to make them as conversational as if we were in the classroom together.  Often, I will emphasize what I think are some of the key insights or information in the chapter.  It is important that you keep up with the required reading for each module.  I will frequently refer to specific page numbers in the textbook.

VERY IMPORTANT: ONLY USE THE 2017 EDITION; DO NOT USE THE 2019 EDITION

Lifespan Development: A Psychological Perspective

By Martha Lally and Suzanne Valentine-French (Published 2017)

This Open Education Resource (OER) textbook was funded by a grant from the

College of Lake County Foundation and supported by the Business and Social

Sciences Division.

 

This textbook can be found at: LifespanDevelopment.pdf (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.

Please note, the following link has been updated to reflect Lifespan Development, version 2 (2019) http://dept.clcillinois.edu/psy/LifespanDevelopment.pdf Link (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site.; we will continue using Lifespan Development, 2017 (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. for the semester.

Publication is under the following license:

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 unported license to view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California,  94105, USA.

 

This is a college course, so I feel no need to review everything in the chapter as if I were reading it for you.  I will simply highlight key points or important understandings.

As we begin this course together, I want to underscore a couple of philosophical leanings I hold. 

First, Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”  It seems important to me to note that this academic journey we are on this semester is, hopefully, a journey of self-examination and self-discovery.  I don’t completely agree with Socrates’ assertion—I believe every life is worth living, but he makes a good point that if we choose to never slow down and think about why we are the way we are, we miss out on a lot.  The examined life is much more meaningful.

 Second, (I don’t know who said this, so I may just take credit for it), “The past explains the present, it doesn’t excuse it.”   Everybody’s life story has ups and downs, peaks and valleys.  Likely, as we look back, we may wish some things had been different.  Our past, especially hurts or wounds, parental inadequacies or other negative factors, have certainly played a part in our development.  Our past helps us understand why we do things today, why we think or act in certain ways, but the past does not excuse inappropriate or immature choices today.  Just because you were toilet-trained too early doesn’t mean you can go through life mad at the world.  More importantly, if caregivers treated you abusively, it is not appropriate for you to treat others in the same way.  I hope we learn from our past.  I hope we do not try to hide behind it.

I encourage you to spend a bit of time thinking about these two statements and what they might mean to you. 

Now to the textbook!

 Here’s my suggestion:  I recommend that you read through the chapter assignment in the textbook, highlighting things you think are important, interesting, etc.  Then open up the Chapter Notes I have provided, so you will have a better sense of what I am referencing.  You will already be familiar with the basic parts of the chapter. If we were together in a classroom, I would not underscore every aspect of every chapter.  It is my prerogative to highlight the areas I think deserve special attention!  So, I will take the same approach in this online course.  I recommend you read the entire chapter each week, but I will only reinforce or emphasize a few points from each chapter.

In the opening paragraph on page 8, we are introduced to a general definition of Developmental Psychology (also known as Human Development or Lifespan Development): "the scientific study of ways in which people change, as well as stay the same, from conception to death."

Let me offer just a brief historical perspective of child development.  In Western civilization, three philosophical perspectives have been particularly influential.  In overly-simplistic terms, the first approach has a negative slant to it, the second is neutral, and the third is more positive. 

1.  Original Sin (children are born into the world corrupted)
2. Tabula rasa (blank tablet or blank slate)
3. Innate goodness (children are inherently good)

 I encourage you to ask yourself how you personally reflect on these three perspectives.  Did your parents or care-givers adopt one of these belief stances?  Do you know which one you align with?  Can you see how your philosophical belief will influence your parenting style?  I often see differences in parents in two areas particularly:  how they discipline their children and how they either encourage or discourage creativity and freedom in their children.  A much larger discussion about strict or lenient parental approaches connects with philosophical choices we embrace.  As with all other topics we will explore, feel free to dig deeper in these areas, even if it just means you “google” one of the three philosophical perspectives about how we view children to learn more about this important and fundamental understanding.

On pages 9-10, note the six major principles underlying the lifespan perspective. Each of these understandings adds insight and explanation to the unfolding life journey of all of us.

Various conceptions of age are presented on page 12, such as chronological, biological, psychological, and social age.  So, when someone asks you how old you are, you can ask them, (first, why do you want to know?!) and second, what aspect of aging are you inquiring about?  How old we are is a multi-faceted dimension. Some of you may be thinking specifically about a friend or family member who has many candles on their birthday cake but their behavior occasionally reflects a cake with fewer candles, a more immature approach to life.

The age periods of development are noted on pages 13-14. These stages will provide the structure and framework for this course as we proceed through the lifespan.

The next section offers a brief discussion of three ongoing developmental issues:  nature and nurture, continuity versus discontinuity, active versus passive and stability versus change.  Most of us are more familiar with the nature vs.  nurture discussion.  What influences us the most—nature or nurture? Heredity or environment?  Your genes or your childhood experiences?  These are important and intriguing questions.  What makes “you” you?  I encourage you to spend some thinking about this issue.  What do you think? In your life, which do you believe is more influential?  We’ll return to this topic many times over the next few weeks.  As will become clear, this issue is really not “either/or”, it’s generally “both/and”.  We are the products of nature and nurture, stability and change, etc.   One key to development is how these factors interact together.

 Wrapping up the chapter:

The remainder of this chapter is a foundational, though perhaps less-than-stimulating, overview of theories and research. The material is good reference material and helps lay a framework for the information that follows in the textbook.  It is helpful, in broad strokes, to be somewhat familiar with the main theoretical perspectives of human development.  For some students, this information is strictly review.  As you read through the different theoretical approaches, be reminded, as the book notes, that no single theory accounts for all aspects of development.

On page 17 we see the picture of Sigmund Freud with a cigar in hand.  Sigmund Freud’s work, though dismissed by some, is responsible for preparing the way for many others to build on.  It’s easy to get lost in discussions of Id, Ego and Superego, but it is most important to realize that Freud believed that early childhood experiences have a profound impact on later life.  A key part of Freud’s work is found in his explanation of the psychosexual stages of childhood.   His premise was that if there is undergratification or overgratification at any of the stages, a person may become fixated or stuck in that stage.  For example, he might suggest that individuals who are nail-biters, pencil-chewers, lollipop lovers, maybe cigar/cigarette, pipe smokers, as well as compulsive eaters are locked in the Oral Stage! Did you just put your gnarly gnawed pencil down?

One of the practical insights from Freud’s work has to do with defense mechanisms, which are largely unconscious ways we protect ourselves from unpleasant emotions. We all use defense mechanisms sometimes.  The danger is when we’re unaware we are using them or we over-use them.   You might be interested to learn more about defense mechanisms, such as: repression, projection, rationalization, regression and displacement.  Of course, we’re likely all familiar with “Freudian slips”—statements which seem to be simple errors in speech, but which in fact reveal unconscious thoughts or impulses.  A couple of examples:  Guest to hostess: “The food is really inedible…I mean incredible!" or "Thanks for your   hostility, I mean hospitality." 

Erik Erickson (pages 17-18) took Freud’s work and expanded it with his Psychosocial Theory.  As you read about his theory and the various tensions at each of the stages through the whole life-span, you may see the pivotal power and important tasks associated with each stage.  Be sure to review the important contributions of other theorists and theories,  such as learning theory/behaviorism, social learning (Bandura), Jean Piaget's cognitive development theory, Vygotsky's  sociocultural theory, and Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory (diagram on page 22).

Two thoughts I would add here:  First, as Kurt Lewin observed, "There is nothing so practical as a good theory." And second, I think there is rich insight and deep benefit in drawing from several theories.   I like an eclectic approach—it allows us to gain insights from each perspective, realize they can complement each other, and gives us many more “tools” to work with, in understanding ourselves and others. 

The remainder of chapter 1 deals with research and related issues.  I encourage you to read through this section, and be reminded of different types of research, such as: descriptive, correlational, experimental, time-span research.  The chapter concludes with an essential emphasis on ethical research. The American Psychological Association provides the foundational guidelines of: No harm, informed consent, confidentiality, deception, and debriefing.

Be sure to note the caution on page 26: correlation does not equal causation.  Two things may be connected but that doesn’t necessarily mean that one causes the other.  For example:  The more firemen are sent to a fire, the more damage is done.    Here is another one:  When investigating the cause of crime in New York City in the 80's, when they were trying to clean up the city, an academic found a strong correlation between the amount of serious crime committed and the amount of ice cream sold by street vendors.  Does eating ice cream cause crime? No! There was clearly an unobserved variable connected to both. Summers are when crime is the greatest and when the most ice cream is sold. There is a correlation, but not a causation effect.  Both ice cream consumption and crime rate are related to a third variable:  outside temperature.  When it’s warm, like in the summer, people eat more ice cream and more crimes are committed, because it stays lighter longer, people are outdoors and windows are kept open.  During the long, dark winter months, people eat less ice cream and fewer crimes are committed. Felonies cannot be blamed on fudgesicles!

Closing thoughts:

NOTE:  As college students, my hope and expectation is that you will read the chapters in the textbook.  I will only highlight a few points from each chapter.  Please don’t shortchange your educational experience by skipping or skimming the chapter reading assignments.

Before we leave the focus of chapter 1, I would add a few reminders for becoming good critical thinkers:  It is important as we study and discuss issues related to life-span development that we remain open-minded to new ideas, that we stick to facts not opinions or anecdotal personal experiences, and that we be rigorous in reviewing all available evidence before jumping to an ill-advised and inadequate conclusion.  As we journey through this class together, let’s determine to strengthen our critical thinking skills!

Okay, these are some of my thoughts about Chapter One!  If you haven’t done so, be sure to participate in the discussion forum and complete the assignment.  (And here’s some good news: Chapter Two notes will be much shorter!)