Developmental Psychology

How do early relationships with caregivers shape a child’s sense of safety and trust? What are some key milestones in language, movement, and social skills during the first few years of life? How can play support cognitive and emotional development in young children? What are the risks when children grow up in environments of neglect, instability, or violence? Can you think of an early experience that you feel still echoes in how you relate to others today?

What makes adolescence a uniquely intense period for questions about identity, belonging, and independence? How do peer groups and social media shape teenagers’ self-image and decision-making? What kinds of boundaries and freedoms support healthy exploration without leaving young people feeling abandoned? How do cultural expectations influence the path from childhood to adulthood around the world? Looking back, what beliefs or priorities did you hold as a teenager that have changed, and which have stayed with you?

How do people’s priorities tend to shift from early adulthood through midlife and into older age? What psychological challenges arise in balancing work, family, and personal growth over time? How do long-term relationships evolve as partners change and face life’s stresses together? What does research suggest about the midlife years: crisis, stability, or something more complex? Can you recall a transition in adulthood that required you to redefine who you were or what mattered most?

How do cognitive abilities typically change with age, and where do experience and wisdom play a protective role? What psychological tasks and opportunities are often associated with the later stages of life? How do cultures differ in how they treat and value older adults? What supports help people face losses of health, loved ones, or roles with dignity and meaning? If you imagine yourself in later life, what would you hope to have learned or let go of by then?

How do genes and environment interact rather than simply compete in shaping who we become? What does brain and behavioral plasticity mean for the possibility of change throughout life? How can early disadvantages be partly offset by later opportunities or supportive relationships? What ethical issues arise when using genetic or early-life information to predict future outcomes? Can you think of a time when a new experience or relationship shifted a pattern you once thought was fixed?