Issues in Developmental Psychology

Throughout the history of psychology, a number of important issues have been debated regarding human development. These issues include:

• Do genetics or does the environment have a larger impact on development?
• Does development occur slowly and smoothly, or do changes happen in stages?
• Do early childhood experiences have the greatest impact on development or are later events equally important?

Keep reading to learn more about these basic questions surrounding developmental psychology and what many psychologists today believe about these issues.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate about whether inheritance or the environment has a bigger influence on development, known as the nature versus nurture debate, is a longstanding issue in both philosophy and psychology.

Philosophers such as Plato and Descartes believed some ideas are innate. However, thinkers such as John Locke supported the concept of tabula rasa—a belief that the mind is a blank slate at birth shaped by experience.

Most psychologists today agree that both forces interact to shape development.

Some developmental aspects are primarily biological. However, the onset of puberty can be affected by environmental factors such as diet and nutrition.

Early Experience vs. Later Experience

Developmental psychology also considers whether early experiences or those later in life have more impact. Do early childhood events shape us more, or are later experiences just as important?

Psychoanalytic theorists, like Freud, suggest early childhood is crucial, with much of a child’s personality established by age five. According to this perspective, those with challenging childhoods might have difficulties adjusting or developing normally.

However, research shows childhood events don’t necessarily have a lasting effect on behavior throughout life. There’s evidence linking early adversity with higher stress levels in adulthood, but many individuals with challenging childhoods still develop into well-adjusted adults.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

A third major issue in developmental psychology is that of continuity. Does change occur smoothly over time, or through a series of predetermined steps?

Some theories of development argue changes are simply a matter of quantity; children display more of certain skills as they grow older.

Other theories outline a series of sequential stages, with certain skills emerging at certain developmental stages.

Theories of Development

Most theories of development fall under three broad areas, including psychoanalytic, learning, and cognitive.

Psychoanalytic Theories

Psychoanalytic theories are inspired by the work of Sigmund Freud, who believed the unconscious mind and childhood experiences were most influential in development. Freud contributed to developmental theory with his proposal that development occurs through a series of psychosexual stages.

Theorist Erik Erikson expanded upon Freud’s ideas by proposing a stage theory of psychosocial development. Erikson’s theory focused on conflicts that arise at different stages of development and, unlike Freud’s theory, Erikson described development throughout the lifespan.

Learning Theories

Learning theories focus on how the environment impacts behavior. Important learning processes include classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning. In each case, behavior is shaped by interactions between the individual and their environment.

Cognitive Theories

Cognitive theories focus on the development of mental processes, skills, and abilities. Examples of cognitive theories include Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.

Abnormal Behavior vs. Differences

One of the biggest concerns of many parents is whether or not their child is developing normally. Developmental milestones offer guidelines for the ages at which certain skills and abilities typically emerge, but can create concern when a child falls slightly behind the norm.

While developmental theories have historically focused on deficits in behavior, focusing on individual differences in development is becoming more common.

Psychoanalytic theories have traditionally focused on these abnormal behaviors and deficits while learning theories rely more on an environment’s unique impact on an individual. Today, psychologists look at both norms and individual differences when describing and analyzing child development.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

1. Levitt M. Perceptions of nature, nurture and behaviour. Life Sci Soc Policy. 2013;9(1). doi:10.1186/2195-7819-9-13

2. Soliman A, De Sanctis V, Elalaily R. Nutrition and pubertal development. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2014;18(Suppl 1):S39‐S47. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.145073

3. Raby KL, Roisman GI, Fraley RC, Simpson JA. The enduring predictive significance of early maternal sensitivity: social and academic competence through age 32 years. Child Dev. 2015;86(3):695‐708. doi:10.1111/cdev.12325

4. Manyema M, Norris SA, Richter LM. Stress begets stress: the association of adverse childhood experiences with psychological distress in the presence of adult life stress. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):835. doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5767-0

5. Govrin A. Facts and sensibilities: What is a psychoanalytic innovation?. Front Psychol. 2019;10:1781. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01781

6. Gilleard C, Higgs P. Connecting Life Span Development with the Sociology of the Life Course: A New Direction. Sociology. 2015;50(2):301-315. doi:10.1177/0038038515577906

7. Learning theory. APA Dictionary of Psychology.

8. Piagetian theory. APA Dictionary of Psychology.

9. Revelle W, Wilt J, Condon DM. Individual Differences and Differential Psychology: A brief history and prospect. Handbook of Individual Differences. Northwestern University.

Additional Reading

• Berk, LE. Child Development. 9th ed. USA: Pearson Education, Inc; 2012.
• Shute RH, Slee PT. Child Development Theories and Critical Perspectives, Second Edition. New York: Routledge; 2015.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the “Everything Psychology Book.”

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