Question

What are among the most significant factors contributing to typical patterns of human development? What about atypical development?

Answer 1

• Normal typical development is affected by a number of important factors.Heredity is one such factor.Genes play an important role in human development.Different characteristics of development like intelligence, personality, body type, height, weight, color of hair and eyes are all influenced by heredity in human beings.
• Sex also influences human development.Difference exists between physical development of a girl and a boy.Girls develop physically faster than boys.
• Socioeconomic factors also influence development.Children from different SES have different body types.Upper class children are considered to have a better body structure because they are well fed,exposed to sports,exercise etc. as compared to a child who is raised in a poverty striken family,who might be malnurished and receiving proper food and physical exercise.
• Family size also influences development.When the family is huge and income is limited,then not everyone receives adequate food and nutrition,thereby effecting development.
• Atypical development takes place when development doesnt follow a normal course,which could to disabilties and disorders.Children can suffer from learning difficulties,autism,ADHD etc.Factors affecting atypical development could be genetic or biological.Chromosomal abnormalities produce developmental diffculties in children like Down Syndrome.
• Pre-natal factors also effect atypical development.This happens when the expecting mother is exposed to substances called teratogens that can cause damage to developing fetus.For instance,alcohol consumption by mother,can lead to birth defects in the child,developing fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Poor social environment can also lead to atypical development.During childhood,poverty,malnutrition,abuse,lack of parental care etc. can all cause various disorders in a child,right from depression to conduct disorders.