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Learn Developmental Psychology

How people change in body, mind and relationships from infancy to old age.

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Developmental psychology studies how people change across the lifespan, from prenatal development and infancy through childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. It covers physical growth, cognitive development, language, emotions, relationships and moral reasoning. Classic theories include Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development, Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural approach, Erik Erikson's psychosocial stages and the attachment research of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, all tested and revised by later studies. Learnr builds a course of short lessons that connect each theory to real research. It is educational and not parenting, medical or clinical advice; consult a professional about any concern for a particular child or adult.

How to learn Developmental Psychology, step by step

Learn the big themes and methods. Start with nature and nurture, continuity versus stages, and stability versus change. Then learn cross-sectional, longitudinal and sequential designs, since many disagreements in the field come down to how a study tracked age.
Study Piaget through his tasks. Learn the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational stages through tasks such as object permanence and the conservation of liquid. Then see how later researchers found infants and children often more capable than Piaget's methods suggested.
Contrast Piaget with Vygotsky. Vygotsky stressed that learning happens through social interaction and language, inside a zone of proximal development where a child can succeed with help. Compare how each theory would advise a teacher.
Work through attachment research. Read about Bowlby's attachment theory, Harlow's studies with infant monkeys, and Ainsworth's Strange Situation with its secure and insecure patterns. Note debates about how well the categories apply across cultures.
Carry the story through adulthood. Use Erikson's eight stages, from trust versus mistrust to integrity versus despair, as a frame, then add research on adolescent brain development, Kohlberg's moral stages and Carol Gilligan's critique, and cognitive aging.
Review theorists in short daily sessions. Developmental psychology has many named stages that are easy to confuse. Brief Learnr lessons with matching and scenario questions keep Piaget, Erikson and Kohlberg clearly separated.

What you'll learn

Describe Piaget's four stages and the criticisms of stage theory
Explain Vygotsky's zone of proximal development and scaffolding
Summarize Erikson's psychosocial stages across the lifespan
Explain attachment theory and the Strange Situation procedure
Compare cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs and the nature and nurture debate

What's inside your Developmental Psychology course

A sample path Learnr builds for Developmental Psychology. Your real course adapts to your goal and level.

1. Themes and research methods in development
2. Prenatal development and infancy
3. Cognitive development: Piaget and Vygotsky
4. Attachment, emotions and social development
5. Adolescence, identity and moral reasoning
6. Adulthood, aging and the end of life

How long does it take to learn Developmental Psychology?

A lifespan survey at the level of an introductory course takes about 8 to 12 weeks at 3 to 4 hours a week. Focusing only on child development is quicker, about 4 to 6 weeks at the same pace.

What you need before you start

No prerequisites. An introductory psychology course helps, as does basic familiarity with how research studies and statistics work.

Common mistakes to avoid

Treating stage ages as strict deadlines. Children vary widely, and the ages in stage theories are rough averages, not rules.
Learning only the classic theorists. Pair each one with later research that supports, revises or challenges their claims.
Using course material to diagnose a child or family member. If you have concerns about development, consult a pediatrician or qualified professional.

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Developmental Psychology questions, answered

What are Piaget's four stages of development?

Sensorimotor, roughly birth to 2, preoperational, about 2 to 7, concrete operational, about 7 to 11, and formal operational, from around 12. Later research suggests development is more gradual and varied than strict stages imply.

What is attachment theory?

Developed by John Bowlby and extended by Mary Ainsworth, attachment theory proposes that infants form a close emotional bond with caregivers that provides security and shapes later relationships. Researchers continue to debate how strongly early attachment predicts adult outcomes.