Human Development: A Life-Span Approach Research Paper

Human Development

Discuss the roles of Nature(genetics)and Nurture(environment) in human development. Define what nature is and give examples. Define what nurture is and give examples. Which from your perspective is more important? Support your opinion with concrete examples.

According to Benelli (1995), a child’s physical and motor development is influenced by other areas of development. Like his social surroundings, his emotional, cognitive, and language development influences his motor development. The assumption that motor development occurs on its own is not true. Hence, special motor skills development programs are needed for kids to enhance their motor skills. Benelli (1995) stresses in her article the importance of motor skills development and draws specific guidelines for educators and teachers to help kids improve their motor skill development.

As the brain develops from infancy to adolescence there is a marked increase in cognitive, motor, and perceptual abilities (Johnson, 2001). Johnson (2001) specifically focuses on inanimate (non-social) objects and animate (social) objects of developing infants.

Myers (1991) suggested ways to invest and foster child development and its importance. He stresses that neglect of child care and development in the early years may distort his mental development along with other areas of development. If c at this age it may have bad consequences in future.

For a long time, the motor activity in a child has been only stitched with physical growth. While Wade (2004) is of the view that motor activities are much more than just an indication or display of physical development. The motor activities of a child also represent his mental growth and development. The child used his physical activity of movement to display his thinking i.e. by moving towards what makes him curious or getting away from what scares him. The movement experiences and play of the child is a screen through which his cognitive or intellectual development can be monitored. Therefore, movement activities and play should be a part and a source of studying and analyzing the intellectual development of the child.

“New research on early brain development provides a wonderful opportunity to examine how nature and nurture work together to shape human development. Through the use of sophisticated technology, scientists have discovered how early brain development and caregiver-child relationships interact to create a foundation for future growing and learning.” (Gable, 2001)

The other important element to know is the factors affecting the development- the environment of the child. The child needs to be assisted in his development stages by carefully choosing the environment that suits him. Size and attractiveness play an important role in the case. And the size of the objects and their physical lookup needs to be carefully chosen for the fluent running of the acquisition-of-skills-process of the child.

As suggested by Benelli (1995) visual assistance is an important motor skill activity. During infancy and childhood, their optic nerve is under development so the color of the ball and its speed and height must be considered while throwing and catching game. “Using a bright, colorful ball will help a child track its flight. Yarn balls, balloons, scarves, and beach balls are ideal for beginning catching activities because they are soft and easily caught. Additionally, a throw consistent in speed and height will increase the children’s chances for a successful catch, which is important for their continued interest in the activity. Teaching children the proper way to catch is important.” (Benelli, 1995) In such kinds of throwing and striking activities visual aids can help a lot child understand their position. “Success, rather than accuracy, is more important at the beginning stages. Verbal cues are important, as well. Tell the child to stop, turn towards the target and throw hard.” (Benelli, 1995)

In addition, other activities like jumping, hopping, spatial awareness, balance activities can improve their motor skills. Physical fitness is of utmost importance for child development. An integrated program is developed to attain full developmental advantages. Meyers (2001) suggests that the delays in a child’s mental development can be detected by primary health activities. Enhancement of motor skills will improve their attention at studies and home. When motor development programs are implemented in addition to other programs their synergistic advantages are much better. Improving their motor skills will enhance their learning process. They are better prepared physically, emotionally, and mentally. As schools outcome is child’s education and his understanding, the more we’ll put our efforts to improve their skills the more it will improve the quality of education.

Research Methods

Describe nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio scale variables? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Describe reliability and validity including the importance of each? Explain why a researcher should be concerned about reliability and validity. Describe two types of reliability and validity.

The terms, nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio were first coined by S. S. Stevens, a Harvard psychologist. He used these terms to specifically define measurement scales in psychophysics and statistical procedures. However, these terms have very limited use and the inferences drawn from these can be wrong. These terms were coined as early as 1940s, however today with artificial intelligence computer programs statistical analysis can be automated. Computer statistical analysis has shown that the terms coined by Stevens are not correct for statistical analysis. These do not define the actual attributes of the real data and nor do they give the correct classification required for modern methods of statistical analysis.

Theoretical concepts are tested with reliability and validity tests to determine their practical implications. Reliability measures the consistency of the results in the same procedure in repeated trials. If a certain procedure or test produces the same and consistent results when performed repeatedly under the same circumstances then it means results are consistent and reliable. Validity will measure the credibility of a test or instrument. It will determine the instrument is measuring what it intends to measure and with accuracy. Validity will measure the purpose for which an instrument is created and whether it is accomplishing that function.

Social Psychology

Love is a splendor thing- or is it? Love is a common emotion, often sought by people. Many believe love is the most important attribute to a healthy marriage. Define love; give at least one example of a theory of love. Describe types of love, and address the positive and negative effects of love. Give great details in your responses.

Love is an emotion. It’s a feeling of attraction and attachment between the two.

A very loving and happy relationship must exist between the husband and the wife. According to the author, a husband and wife should live in such a close relationship to each other that they could be considered as one. He points out very clearly that if the husband loves his wife then she should also love him and be very fond of him. The author also mentions that for many women their husbands’ love is the most important thing in their life. A woman’s love should be so strong that even rivers would be unable to put out. Even if the husband is given characteristics of a very loving, caring, and honorable person, he still needs attention from his wife. But his wife does not love him as he loves her then of course the relationship cannot last. If she is careless and does not take interest in her husband then most probably their relation will break. It depicts a wife should not be like this to her husband. Therefore, it is important to create an atmosphere of love and compassion that should be between a husband and wife.

Additionally, to make the love between the two, many authors expressed how a woman wants to be loved even if she’s not there to love her husband. Therefore, this presents an individual that is very different from the rest of us since mostly no one in this society would choose to be a faithful wife if they could be rich and live in luxury. The author writes how today’s wife has become very careless about their husbands. They want to live a free life and be daring whatever they want to do. They would not care for their husband’s love, even if he were dying for her.

Abnormal/Personality

Personality assessments can be categorized as “objective” and ‘projective”. Name the characteristics which place a test in each of these categories and a particular test that meets these criteria. Describe each test in the terms of means of administration and uses.

In personality assessment two tests are important: Objective and projective.

Objective: Objective tests have just allowed true and false answers hence produce results only in a restricted response format with rating using an ordinal scale.

Examples of objective personality tests are:

1. Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory,
2. Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III,
3. Child Behavior Checklist, and the
4. Beck Depression Inventory.

Projective test: Projective tests allow the free type of response it’s not restricted like the objective test. An example of a projective test is the Rorschach test.

Various personality tests have been initiated to determine an individual’s behavior, in response to certain conditions and how they may be affected by the environment surrounding them, or the circumstance they go through. These tests may distinguish between the values and attitudes of individuals. The tests that are carried out may be either objective or projective. The projective tests are taken to determine personality traits and cause an individual to project to the various methods employed in the testing, like drawing or completing a sentence.

The projective test uses the inkblot method that dates back to 1921. Also named the Rorschach, this is the most efficient way of studying the behavior of an individual, by showing him images and making them say aloud the first word that comes to the mind upon viewing the inkblots. Such methods of personality testing help individuals in their daily lives, and also make a difference in the careers that are being built (Kaplan & Saccuzzo, 2009).

The objective personality test that can be employed in many cases, apart from the many others available, is the California Psychological Inventory, or CPI. This test claims to be more ‘positive’ than the other tests such as the MMPI or 16 PF. It is used specifically for behavioral tendencies such as self-control and self-acceptance, in education, vocation, or counseling (Objective Personality Tests).

The tests proposed for conduction are highly commendable, reliable, and have popularly been in use to assess the behavior differences of individuals. The Rorschach is known to be the best projective test, and the MMPI is the best objective test to study personality traits. However, the CPI used in objective testing gives better results at times.

The Rorschach test is used for the behavior disorders schizophrenic patients go through. The main aim of this test is to get into account what the subconscious of the individual possesses. Objective tests like the CPI, tend to be economical compared to the projective ones and can be carried out individually by patients themselves (Lain, 2007).

One of the main ethical issues that may arise while taking the personality tests could be the ill-feeling of the suspect when he sees he is being tested for his mental capacity, which may cause an inferiority complex in him. It may be made clear at the time of the testing that due to the auditory hallucinations that Mr. H was experiencing, it had become necessary to undertake such tests because he had committed an unforgivable crime. Thus it was necessary to evaluate his mental conditions thoroughly.

We can understand a person in that mind and self with relation to the body makes a physical person. In these terms a person is indeed irreducible and true, this view, however, can be made acquiescent with the idea of persons as physical beings. Therefore, mental properties are not only thought of as physical properties but the ‘self’ is also termed as the physical brain. The notion is based on the fact that mental properties give a transcendent view of self. Mental properties being considered as the only content of virtual objects, but since such objects do not exist, they do not pose any threat to physicalism. However, the self is a theoretical entity, which is a real sense represents a person’s identity and coalesce his mind. Consequently, self, being theoretical can be recognized with the brain. This clearly emphasizes that a person is an irreducible entity. Because self and mind cannot be destroyed, a person cannot be reduced in the image of self.

For example, in everyday speech, we identify particular things. According to Strawson, the Spatio-temporal framework is mandatory for the re-identification of mental states, this indicates that persons are recognized and defined in space and time, they are irreducible unitary particulars.

Every person is identifiable with certain characteristics which belong to him or her. Every person is just more that his/her gender, race, religion, and age group. He is a unique, irreducible human being and goes beyond any type of classification.

Everyone, who is sent to this world is unique, however, we are shaped by the environment in which we live, at all levels of our being. The environment around us has very deep effects on our personality; therefore, it has become a major source in which consciousness is defined. The environment constantly interacts with our beings and determines our nature.

However, one would think that knowing our-self is a simple matter. Everyone knows himself. A person refers to himself first by his name, features, character, height, weight, width, then his designation, and social relations. However, this is not essentiality, nor it defines the philosophy of self-nature. Man as other objects do, acquires space and time. Therefore, his usual view of himself as a human, as the man or a woman, as a friend and relative of different people, and other physical dimensions, etc., is to know himself as he knows any others in the world (Krishnananda, The Nature of The Self). Man is considered as an object rather than a subject. As he can perceive others in nature, he could be seen by others in space, as an object with physical dimensions. Therefore, because of sensual perception, he is not different from other objects of sense. However, the perception of oneself through the sense organs is not meant in the philosophy of “the nature of the self”. Because in that case, knowledge is limited to the sense organs. Here philosophers mean knowing one’s inner-self that cannot be viewed by others.

References

Benelli, Cecelia. (1995) Supporting young children’s motor skill development. Childhood Education. Web.

F. Philip Rice. Human Development: A Life-Span Approach (4th Edition):

Krishnananda, Swami. The Nature of The Self (Chapter VI).The Philosophy of Religion.

Mill, JS. ‘On Liberty’ and ‘Utilitarianism’.

Johnson, M.H. (2001) Functional Brain Development in Humans. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience. Vol 2 July 2001. Macmillan Magazines Ltd.

Myers, R. G. (1991) The Development Of Young Children: Why We Should Invest and Some Suggestions about What Can Be Done. A Discussion Paper was prepared for The Agency for International Development.

Report on Motor Skill Development. Center for Early Education and Development.

Wade, M.G. (2004) Motor Skills, Play and Child Development: An Introduction. Web.

Gable, S. & Hunting, M. (2001) Nature, Nurture and Early Brain Development. GH6115, Web.

Objective Personality Tests. 2009. Web.

Lain. The Advantages and Disadvantages of Objective Personality Tests 2007. Web.

Projective Personality Tests Measure Your Sub-consciousness 2008. Web.

Kaplan, R. and Saccuzzo, D (2009) Psychological Testing: Principles, Application, and Issues. Belmont, CA. Wadsworth. Personality Description, Dynamics and Development. ISBN:0-7167-2825-7

Life Span Human Development 5th edition. ISBN: 0-534-55381-8

Social Psychology 8th edition. ISBN: 0-07-291694-x

Understanding Abnormal Behavior 6th edition.ISBN:0-395-95943-8