What is developmental psychology and why is it important?

Discover the main areas of developmental psychology and how its used by psychologists. 

Human behaviour is complex – there are many factors at play that shape an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours at any given moment. How that individual developed and grew as a person throughout their life is one of those factors.

So, if you’re interested in studying psychology, developmental psychology is an important area you’ll need to explore, analyse, and understand in detail.

Definition of developmental psychology

Developmental psychology is essentially the scientific study of human growth and development over the lifespan. It examines how and why humans grow and change over the course of a lifetime – from childhood right through to their elderly years.

Some of the human changes explored in developmental psychology include:

• Cognitive

• Motivational

• Biological

• Social

• Emotional

• Intellectual

Developmental psychologists analyse how and why these changes have contributed to an individual’s growth and development and apply appropriate theories and approaches to help individuals optimise their development and better adapt to real-life situations.

What are the main areas of developmental psychology?

Developmental psychology tends to focus on 4 key areas of human growth and development:

• Physical – This relates to the physical signs of an individual’s development. For example, a child is typically able to walk at 9-15 months of age. If they’re unable to walk by 16 to 18 months, their parents/guardians may need to consider reaching out to a developmental psychologist to discover if there may be a developmental issue.
• Cognitive – This examines an individual’s cognition and how it may be contributing to any developmental issues. For example, individuals facing mental health issues may be experiencing impaired cognitive function, and therefore may seek help from a developmental psychologist to find better ways they can cope with and approach certain situations in their lives.
• Social/emotional – An individual’s social environments and emotional state can have a great influence on their growth and development. Developmental psychologists take a close look into these areas of an individual’s life and try to identify how they may be impacting their growth and development and ability to adapt.
• Communication – An individual’s ability to communicate can also greatly influence their growth and development, as well as their success in reaching their potential. This area of developmental psychology explores how and why an individual’s communication skills have changed over time, and identifies whether their communication skills development is congruent with the level typically reached at their stage in their lives.

Why is developmental psychology important? How is it used by psychologists?

Developmental psychology is crucial in understanding how and why individuals develop, learn, grow, and adapt over time.

Humans go through a range of developmental stages over their lifetimes, and understanding the complexities around each of these stages, as well as the interplay between them, can help psychologists better understand how and why an individual thinks, feels and behaves the way they do.

Psychologists therefore harness developmental psychology theories and approaches to not only gain a deeper understanding of an individual and their behaviours, but also importantly to help them identify ways they can better facilitate their growth and development and reach their full potential.

What will you learn about developmental psychology with an MSc Psychology?

With an MSc Psychology, you’ll explore developmental psychology in detail. You’ll also analyse the changes in the theoretical approaches to developmental psychology over the years.

An MSc Psychology will also give you an in-depth understanding of the values and concepts that have influenced the methodologies and discussions around developmental psychology. All these learnings are vital to success in better understanding and being able to help others, as well as in pursuing a career as a psychologist.

If you want to make the move into a rewarding and successful career in psychology, The University of Portsmouth offers a part-time online MSc Psychology that will empower you with the skills, knowledge and expertise you need to make a positive difference in people’s lives.