There are many beginnings to the study of human development. The study of human developments is a science that strives to discern how people change over time (Berger, 2011). To do this, developmentalists study all types of people from different age groups, ethnicity, culture, background, nationality, income, and sexual orientation, among many other factors. To begin to understand this science, one must start by looking at what is being studied, some of the major theories that shape and guide these studies, and the interaction of heredity and the environment on human development (Berger, 2011).
Developmentalists seek to tackle the challenge of defining humans in a way that simultaneously describes the universalities …show more content…
This concept is based on the idea that the tools and principles for development are provided by not only customs, but society as a whole (Berger, 2011). The pioneer of the sociocultural perspective was a man named Lev Vygotsky. By studying the cognitive competency of his diverse society, he developed a theory of guided participation. Guided participation is a technique in which novices learn through shared involvement of an activity with instruction and the participation of a skilled mentor (Berger, 2011). Sociocultural theory places an emphasis on social interaction in learning. Gauvain (1998) stated, “cognitive development occurs in, and emerges from, social situations” …show more content…
Developmentalists formed five characteristics that are beneficial for understanding human life at any age: multidirectional, multicontextual, multicultural, multidisciplinary, and plasticity (Berger, 2011). Additionally, theories of development present introduce organization for understanding the patterns and problems of development. Sociocultural theory suggests that human development is the result of a dynamic interaction between a person and their society, while epigenetic theory is centered on the idea that development is shaped by the interaction between genes and the environment. Every aspect of human behavior is affected by genes and without the environment, no gene could be expressed (Berger,