Examine two of the broad debates in developmental psychology mentioned in your text. Illustrate each issue with a discussion of research in at least one area of physical, cognitive, or social/emotional development.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

One of the issues in developmental psychology is the idea of steps versus continuous change. Some theorists believe that children develop gradually and continuously over time, while others believe there are fixed stages that are demonstrated when there is a sudden burst of ability during a particular developmental period. Piaget suggested that children move through a set of stages in their cognitive development, demonstrating specific skills (like conservation) at each stage. Other theorists have found that these stages ebb and flow in the development of the individual. Another broad debate is nature or nurture. Scientists have argued over the contributions of genetics and environment for decades. More recently, scientists have focused on the interaction between the two. As an example, many scientists believe that language is innate, but if a child is never exposed to language, their ability to speak and understand is limited. Lastly, there is a broad debate over the idea of critical or sensitive periods. Some psychologists argue that we have critical periods or episodes that begin and end abruptly at specific ages, when a specific milestone should occur. Others believe these periods are merely optimal times for these milestones to occur. Again using language as an example, there appears to be a period of time when being exposed to language assists in the development of the skills of speaking and understanding. However, being exposed to language outside of this window may still be beneficial.