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Chapter 1: The Beginnings Alt. text: White background with green borders on top and bottom. Photograph of an infant yawning while laying in bed.

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<ul><li>“ The science of human development seeks to understand how and why people– all kinds of people, everywhere, of every age– change or remain the same over time.” </li></ul>Defining Development

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<ul><li>First Element of Developmental Science: </li></ul><ul><li>Developmental study is empirical which means based on observations… </li></ul><ul><ul><li>theories </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>data </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>analysis </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>critical thinking </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>sound methodology </li></ul></ul>Understanding How and Why

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<ul><li>Tools of the scientific method: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>begins with curiosity </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>develop a hypothesis </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>test the hypothesis </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>draw conclusions </li></ul></ul>The scientific method is a way to answer questions that requires empirical research and data-based conclusions.

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Including All Kinds of People <ul><li>Second element in Developmental Science: </li></ul><ul><ul><li>studying all kinds of people </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>young and old </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>rich and poor </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>every ethnicity, background </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>gender and sexual orientation </li></ul></ul></ul>Alt. text: Photo of 12 young adults of different ethnicities huddled together for a group picture

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The Nature-Nurture Controversy <ul><ul><li>Nature refers to the influence of genes that people inherit. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Nurture refers to environmental influences that affect development after an individual is conceived. </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Other phrases: heredity versus environment; maturation versus learning </li></ul></ul></ul>

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… the basic question… <ul><li>“ How much of any characteristic, behavior, or pattern of development is the result of genes and how much is the result of experience?” </li></ul>

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Observing Changes over Time <ul><li>Third Element in Developmental Science : </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Are individuals changing or remaining the same over time? </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>transformations </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>consistencies of human life </li></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>beginning to end </li></ul></ul></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><ul><li>understanding each segment of life </li></ul></ul></ul></ul>