This document discusses human development across different age ranges from prenatal to adulthood. It outlines the key age ranges studied in developmental psychology and some of the main issues examined, such as nature versus nurture and continuity versus discontinuity of development. While human development involves biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional processes, educational examinations and assessments typically focus on assessing the cognitive dimension.

1. Age Ranges &
Human
Development
Dr David Armstrong

2. Prenatal Development and
the Newborn
 Developmental Psychology
 a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive and
social change throughout the life span

3. Age Ranges
• Prenatal period (conception - birth)
• Infancy and toddlerhood (from birth - 2 years)
• Early Childhood (from 2 - 6 years)
• Middle Childhood (from 6 - 11 years)
• Adolescence (from 11 - 18 years)
• Emerging adulthood (from 18-25 years)
• Adulthood (from 25 onwards)
• Any other age range?
• What age range do you fall in? What age range of children will you be
working with/teaching? What age range interests you the most?
• See: Berk, L. 2013. p. 5.

4. Developmental Issues
Nature and Nurture Extent to which development
is influenced by nature and
by nurture
Stability and Degree to which early traits
Change and characteristics persist
through life or change
Continuity- Extent development involves
gradual, cumulative change
Discontinuity
(continuity) or distinct stages
(discontinuity)

5. Processes in Development

6. Thank You
• Final Question: so if human development
involves: biological processes, cognitive
processes and socio-emotional processes what
dimension of this development do educational
examinations and assessment usually assess?
• Thank you for listening.
•

7. Thank You
• Final Question: so if human development
involves: biological processes, cognitive
processes and socio-emotional processes what
dimension of this development do educational
examinations and assessment usually assess?
• Thank you for listening.
•