As a health worker it is important to have some understanding of this process of children’s development. This will enable you to assess whether or not a child is developing appropriately, to understand what they are and are not capable of doing, and to respond to each child’s needs and rights more effectively.

Perhaps most importantly, studying human development makes it easier to spot possible signs of trouble. From problems with cognitive, ​social, or emotional development in early childhood to struggles later in life, being able to identify potential problems is important.

Nurses are also expected to effectively communicate with a wide range of hospital staff and patient families. By utilizing principles of developmental psychology, nurses can come to understand and better respond to the needs of everyone they work with.

Developmental psychologists focus on human growth and changes across the lifespan, including physical, cognitive, social, intellectual, perceptual, personality and emotional growth.

Human development refers to the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development of humans throughout the lifespan. What types of development are involved in each of these three domains, or areas, of life?

So as you have learned, the four primary goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and change behavior.

The three goals of developmental psychology are to describe, explain, and to optimize development (Baltes, Reese, & Lipsitt, 1980).

The United Nations Development Programme defines human development as “the process of enlarging people’s choices,” said choices allowing them to “lead a long and healthy life, to be educated, to enjoy a decent standard of living,” as well as “political freedom, other guaranteed human rights and various ingredients of …

There are four areas of development physical , intellectual, emotional and social, these areas of development will overlap with each other. The fastest period of growth and development is during the infancy and early childhood life stages.