Developmental Psychology

aspect such as education level, may affect someone’s job status. For example, someone who has a doctorate degree may find themselves working as a surgeon in a hospital and living a healthier lifestyle and have a more luxurious residence. • Cultural and Ethnic Contexts : What exactly do cultures include? Culture includes values, attitudes, customs and beliefs that have been passed down through a society over a long period of time. One thing that has close ties to culture is ethnicity. There is usually shared beliefs, ancestry and religion that is shared between culture and ethnicity. People from different cultures, can usually share cultures with others, while maintaining their personal culture. • Individuals and Social Context : This context is known for looking at society and how it affects individuals. It also looks at how individuals affect society. Two factors come into play when it comes to what affects development. The first is internal factors and the other is external factors. Internal factors include things such as genetics, physical development and thought. External factors include things such as developmental context, society and events that happen during a specific time during development. 1.5 Approaches to Development When thinking about approaches to development, three main approaches comes to mind. • Continuous Development : This approach is typically used by behavioral theorists. They will examine how change depends on the environment a person is in, and if it is a slow and constant change. Theorists believe that change happens when there are rewards or punishments. • Overlapping Stages : This approach is typically used by psychosocial theorists. There are distinct changes between continuous and discrete development, and they are based on stages. These are based on several factors including environmental genetic and inherited factors. • Discrete Stage : This approach is typically used by psychoanalytic and cognitive theorists. This approach looks at how change can be dependent to a person’s age, and if it is the result of genetic forces that may be affected by the environment. Theorists also say that it is only at particular times that change can occur.

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