UNIT ONE
THE MEANING OF DEVELOPMENT -- 3

1 THE CONCEPT OF DEVELOPMENT -- 5
Early Philosophical Views -- 6
Dividing the Life Span -- 6
The Field of Developmental Psychology -- 11
Studying Developmental Psychology -- 13
Explanations of Human Development -- 15
The Nature of Development -- 20
The Uses of Developmental Psychology -- 22
Summary -- 24
2 DETERMINANTS OF
DEVELOPMENT -- 27
Classes of Determinants -- 27
Biological Determinants -- 28
Environmental Determinants -- 34
Studying Determinants -- 42
Ethical Considerations -- 50
3 THEORIES OF DEVELOPMENT
Mechanistic Theories -- 53
Psychodynamic Theories -- 58
Adaptation Theories -- 64
Organismic Theories -- 66
Dialectical Theories -- 71
The Concept of Stages -- 73

UNIT TWO
THE BEGINNING OF LIFE -- 79
4 PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT -- 81
How Life Begins -- 81
Prenatal Growth -- 86
Development of the Brain -- 91
Prenatal Behavioral Development The Birth Process -- 92
93
Fetal Abnormalities and Birth Complications -- 97

5 THE NEWBORN’S WORLD -- 107
The Newborn -- 108
Basic Functions and Rhythms -- 110
Reflexes -- 114
Sensory Capabilities -- 116
Perception and Attention -- 119
Adapting to the World -- 122
Personality and Social Relations -- 124 UNIT THREE
INFANCY: THE DAWN OF
AWARENESS 131

6 PHYSICAL GROWTH:
FUNDAMENTALS 133

Growth Principles -- 134
Norms -- 136
Brain Development -- 141
Growth and Environment -- 143
The Development of Motor Abilities -- 148

COGNITION: FROM SENSING TO
KNOWING -- 155
Cognition -- 156
Perceptual Functioning -- 157
Attention -- 163
Learning -- 165
Sensorimotor Thought -- 168

LANGUAGE: BEGINNINGS -- 179
Defining Human Language -- 180
Acquiring Language -- 183
Explanations of Language Acquisition -- 185
Sound -- 188
The Importance of Social Interaction -- 192
The Development of Meaning -- 197
From Two Words to Syntax -- 202

PERSONALITY: ATTACHMENT TO
SOCIABILITY -- 207
The Effects of Early Experience -- 208
The Development of Attachment -- 210
Variations in Attachment -- 215
The Effects of Class and Culture -- 221
The Development of Sociability -- 226

UNIT FOUR
EARLY CHILDHOOD: THE
FORMATIVE YEARS 235

10 PLAY: ITS DEVELOPMENT AND FUNCTION
The Many Faces of Play 237
238
The Physical Aspects of Play 240
Play and Cognition Play and Socialization 242
250
Play Around the World 253
Play as Therapy 256
Summary 257

11 COGNITION: CHANGES IN
THINKING 259
Representational Skills 260
Information Processing 264
Preoperational Thought 273
Cognition and Social Interaction 279
Summary 279
12 LANGUAGE: UNDERSTANDING

AND USE 283
Understanding Syntax 284
The Extension of Meaning 290
Struggling with Sounds 292
Language in Social Situations 293
Social Factors and Language Development 298
Summary 302
13 PERSONALITY: ESTABLISHING
SOCIAL INTERACTION 305
The Process of Socialization 306
Sex-role Development 306
Self-concept 312
Parental Influence 316
Peer Influence 322
Influences from the Wider World 327

UNIT FIVE
LATER CHILDHOOD: GROWING UP 333
14 COGNITION: ADVANCES IN
THINKING 335
Advances in Representational Skills 336
Advances in Information Processing 339
Concrete-operational Thought 348
Cognition and Social Interaction 355
Intelligence 356
Summary 360
PERSONALITY: EXPANDING
SOCIAL INTERACTION 363
The Acquisition of Roles 364
Personal and Social Development 366
Self-concept 371
Parental Influence 375
Peer Influence 380
Influences from the Wider World 384
Summary 389
MORALITY: FROM RULES TO
CONDUCT 391
The Course of Moral Development 392
Inconsistency in Moral Conduct 392
The Development of Moral Reasoning 394
Role-taking and Social Interaction 400
Guilt and Self-regulation 403
Moral Conduct and Modeling 407
Consistency in Moral Development 410

UNIT SIX
ADOLESCENCE: BUILDING AN
IDENTITY 413
17 PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL
MATURATION 415
Growth Characteristics 415
Reactions to Physical Change 422
Social Change and Sexual Behavior 426
Sexuality and Intimacy 428
Summary 433
18 COGNITION,
IDENTITY, AND SOCIAL
RELATIONS 435
Cognitive Change 436
Identity: Self and Society 440
Peer Relations and Their Influence 447
Family Relations and Their Influence 450
From Youth to Adulthood 456
Summary 458
UNIT SEVEN
ADULTHOOD: FUNCTIONING IN SOCIETY 461
19 EARLY ADULTHOOD: SELECTING
THE OPTIONS 463
The Concept of Maturity 464
Physical Characteristics 464
New Developmental Tasks 465
Identity and Interpersonal Behavior 467
Marriage 474
Alternatives to Marriage 480
Social-life Changes 483
Summary 484
20 MIDDLE ADULTHOOD: MAKING
THE MOST OF IT 487
Maturity in Middle Adulthood 488
Physical Changes 489
New Developmental Tasks 492
Identity and Interpersonal Behavior 494
Marriage and Family Life 498
Alternatives to Marriage 505
Social-life Changes 506
Summary 509
21 LATER ADULTHOOD: LIVING
SUCCESSFULLY 511
Maturity in Later Adulthood 512
Physical Changes 513
New Developmental Tasks 515
Identity and Interpersonal Behavior 516
Family Life 523
Alternatives to Marriage 527
Social-life Changes 528
Summary 531
22 THE END OF LIFE 533
Life Expectancy 533
Longevity 535
The Meaning of Death 540
The Process of Dying 546
Coping with Death 551