Essay on Human Growth and Development

Words: 1052
Pages: 5

Human Growth and Development
Peter Nyarkoh
PSY/280
July 17, 2010
Khurshid Khan

Human Growth and Development Human growth and the life span perspective begin from the day of conception and continue throughout the life span. It is a lifelong process which involves periods and domains of very great importance. Psychologist, sociologist, and others have done many researches into the life span of humans and have made various conclusions as to how humans behave at any given time in the life span. According to experts, the life span perspective of human development involves three key developmental domains (Hernandez, 2008). These are the physical domain, the cognitive domain, and the social domain. The physical domain deals with the
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Learning theory This theory examines the effects of experience and the role of environment on development. According to the learning theory, our behaviors, personalities, and thoughts are shaped by the different experience we encounter. The theorists argue that we are a product of our environment. The person associated with learning theory is Albert Bandura (1925- ). According Bandura, people act based on what they think might happen. For example, children see other people being rewarded or punished for and action, they will then choose to either do or not do that action based on what they see.
Influence of Heredity and the Environment Throughout the life span, heredity and the environment are the main factors that affect a person’s personality. Heredity (nature) refers to the natural or the biological format of a person, the gene that makes a person who he or she is, and can be identify as such. The environment (nurture) also refers to the settings to which a person is conceived born, and raised. These two factors have a very strong influence on every human’s development. While a person’s gene determine the type of personality he or she will have (tall, strong, smart, etc), the environment in which a person is conceived, born, and raised can affect and possibly alter his or her personality. For example, a pregnant woman must display a responsible life style (diet, cleanliness, exercise, etc), during pregnancy in order to ensure the