What makes every individual unique? Why is every individual different?

1. Factors Influencing
Uniqueness
Dr Shiva Shukla,
Assistant Professor,
Central University of Punjab,
Bathinda

2. Decisive Factor: Genetics
• Inheritance of physical and psychological characteristics from ancestors is
called
• Every living organism is the outward manifestation of internally coded
inheritable information
• Genotype: internally coded inheritable information that passes from
generation to generation, blueprint of structure and maintenance of a
living creature
• Phenotype: physical manifestation and functions of every living organism
or in other words consequence of the genotype
• Human cell is Diploid i.e. cells carry two copies of each chromosomes
• Chromosomes are formed of substance called Deoxyribonucleic Acid also
known as DNA
• Genes are a) Dominant i.e. which are manifested in phenotype and b)
Recessive i.e. which are not expressed in phenotype when dominant gene
is present
• Change in Genes from one form to another is called mutation

3. Role of Hereditary
• Both sperm and ovum, each before process of fertilization contains
twenty-three pairs of chromosomes. At the time of conception, the
genes present in the chromosomes of the ovum, pairs up with the
genes of sperm and controls the potential characteristics and
qualities of the offspring.
• The result of the union of the genes is called heredity.
• Hereditary is decisive in determining transmission of physical,
psychological and social characteristics from one generation to other
generation
• Physical structure like height, colour of hair and eye, weight etc.
• Intelligence, aptitudes, creativity, interests etc.

4. Physiological Factors
Factors affecting variation in Foetal Growth
• Maternal Nutrition: caloric requirements, micro and macro
nutrient requirements and mother’s age
• Maternal health: Hormonal conditions, immunity, medication,
substance abuse
• Genetic Disorders: Trisomy, Turner Syndrome, Achondroplasia,
Russel-Silver Dwarfism, Seckel Syndrome, Cockayne Syndrome
etc.
• Congenital Infections: Rubella, Herpes, Syphilis, HIV etc.

5. Birth Average
At birth
• Weight 3.2 kgs (7pounds 7
ounces), normal range: 2.8-3.8
kgs
• Length 50 cm (20 inches),
Normal Range: 46-54 cm
• Head circumference: 35cm (13.8
inches), normal range: 33-37 cm

6. Measurement of Infant Growth
Neonatal Growth Chart Ballard Test of Neonatal Maturity

7. Infant Nutrition
• Breast-milk: enhances immunity, lower in protein and
higher in whey, ideal amino acids, long-chain
polyunsaturated fats
• Benefits of breast feeding: good immunity throughout
life, high level of bonding, enhances cognitive
development and emotional security
• Malnutrition in infancy leads to underweight and
shorter height than average also called Stunning

8. Socio-Cultural Factors
• Much of human behaviour actions and response is manifestation of
hereditary, hormone and reflexes
• It can control the physiology but not all of the behaviour aspect
• Humans have a unique culture system that tends to regulate behaviour and
that distinct them from other animals
• Human behaviour is always analysed in it’s social and cultural viewpoint
• Human behaviour is essentially social as it is an outcome of relationship
with other people
• The material and non-material part of manmade environment is the culture
e.g. products, ideals, institutions
• Culture influences the shaping of an individual’s behaviour
• It provides behavioural expectations from an individual

9. • People’s view about gender, communities, caste, differential abilities
change from one culture context to another culture context
• Culture influences human behaviour and humans influence culture
hence it is always a two way process making culture and psyche
mutually influencing to each other
• Socialization is a process through which an individual acquires
knowledge, characteristics, behaviour and skills to become part of a
group. Parents, peer group, school and media influences are major
decisive factors of an individual’s behaviour
• Social processes like acculturation, enculturation, integration,
assimilation, marginalization etc. influences the behaviour

10. Environment Factors
•Micro-System: immediate environment
•Macro-system: culture in which an individual lives
•Mesosystem: relation between components of the
environment
•Exosystem: events and social setting which
individual does not participate directly
•Chronosystem: events and milestones in an
individual’s life development

11. Principles of Physical Growth and Development
• Growth and Development is a dynamic process
• Every Individual’s growth varies in timing
• There is order and hierarchy of sequence in developmental process
• There is Sequential progression in gross motor development
• Cephalocaudal trend: pattern of changing spatial proportions in body
over time during growth
• Proximodistal trend: development of motor skills of a newly born
from the centre to outwards of the body
• Modern lifestyle causes increase in complexity in childhood growth
and functions of daily activities is deteriorating

12. Growth and Development
•Development is a) physiological, b) cognitive and c) socio-
emotional process
•Development is lifelong process and all types of process i.e.
physiological, cognitive and socio-emotional are inter
woven
•Development is multi-directional and skills and abilities can
be developed over a period of time
•Life events influences one’s progression of life and growth

13. Growth and Development

14. Human Development
• PHYSICAL: Changes in the body
• SOCIAL (Erik Erikson, Lev Vygotsky & Albert Bandura) changes over
different stages of development in the way an individual relates to
others
• EMOTIONAL (Abraham Maslow) changes in ones personality and
ability to control emotions
• MORAL(Lawrence Kohlberg & Carol Gilligan) Selfish, to social or
conventional morality, and finally to post conventional or principled
morality
• COGNITIVE (Jean Piaget, Jerome Bruner & David Ausubel) Learning is
an internal process that cannot be observed directly. The change
occurs in a person’s ABILITY to respond in a particular situation

15. Cognitive Development- Piaget
1) The sensorimotor stage - birth to 2 years : use of all senses
experience and motor abilities to understand the world
2) The preoperational stage- 2 to 7 years age: creative play, symbols,
egocentric, centre on one aspect of any problem or communication at a
time
3) The concrete operations stage- 7 to 11 years: operations refers to
logical operations or principles we use when solving problems -
Conservation refers to the idea that a quantity remains the same
despite changes in appearance; progressing decentring; classification
and seriation (putting things in order)
4) The Formal Operations stage: 12 onwards - hypothetical thinking
such as logical operations and using them in the abstract rather than
the concrete manner

16. Moral Development: Kohlberg
Pre-Conventional
1- Obedience and Punishment: generally found at the elementary school level. In the first
stage of this level, people behave according to socially acceptable norms because they are
told to do so by some authority figure (e.g., parent or teacher). This obedience is
compelled by the threat or application of punishment.
2- Self-interest: Individualism, Instrumentalism and Exchange - right behaviour means
acting in one's own best interests.
Conventional
3- conformity and interpersonal accord: Good boy/girl characterized by an attitude which
seeks to do what will gain the approval of others.
4 authority and social order-Law and Order - oriented to abiding by the law and responding
to the obligations of duty.
Postconventional
5- Social Contract: understanding of social sustenance and a interest in the welfare of
others.
6-Universal Principles: Conscience based on respect for universal principle and the
demands of individual

17. Social Development: Erickson

18. Emotional Development: Maslow