Influences on Development

Heredity, Environment, and Maturation:

• Heredity (Nature): This refers to the genetic influences on development. Genes inherited from biological parents play a crucial role in shaping a person's physical and behavioral traits.

• Environment (Nurture): Environmental factors encompass the experiences and influences that individuals encounter throughout their lives. These factors can include family, culture, education, and more.

• Maturation: Maturation is the natural progression of physical and behavioral changes that occur over time. It follows a predictable sequence but can be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

Context of Development:

• Family: The family context includes the immediate family structure (nuclear family) and the extended family, which may include grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Family dynamics and relationships can significantly impact development.

• Socioeconomic Status (SES): SES is a measure of an individual's social and economic standing based on factors like income, education, and occupation. It can influence access to resources and opportunities, which, in turn, affect development.

• Culture and Race/Ethnicity: Cultural and ethnic backgrounds shape individuals' beliefs, behaviors, and worldviews. These factors influence how people perceive and interact with the world around them.

Historical Context:

Understanding how historical events and societal changes influence people's lives is crucial for developmental psychology. For example, a generation growing up during wartime may have different developmental experiences than a generation in times of peace.

Normative and Nonnormative Influences:

• Normative Influences: These are events or experiences that affect people in similar ways. Normative age-graded influences are common to specific age groups (e.g., puberty during adolescence), while normative history-graded influences impact a generation due to shared historical events (e.g., the Great Depression).

• Nonnormative Influences: These are uncommon or unique events that have a significant impact on an individual's life. They can be positive or negative and disrupt the expected developmental sequence.

Timing of Influences:

• Critical Period: A critical period is a specific window of time during which an event or the absence of an event has a profound and lasting impact on development. For example, imprinting in animals occurs during a critical period.

• Plasticity: This refers to the degree to which an individual's development is open to change or modification. Plasticity can vary depending on the developmental stage and the specific trait or skill.

• Sensitive Period: Unlike a critical period, a sensitive period is a time when an individual is particularly receptive or open to specific experiences. While missing a sensitive period doesn't necessarily result in permanent damage, it may still have lasting effects.

Understanding these influences and concepts helps researchers and practitioners in the field of developmental psychology better comprehend how individuals grow and change over the course of their lives. It also aids in identifying potential areas for intervention and support to promote healthy development.