Developmental psychology is home to many of psychological science’s greatest discoveries: remarkable changes in children’s thought identified by Piaget; thinking capacities of infants that even Piaget had underestimated; the human aptitude for resilience in the face of hardship and setbacks; the ability of older adults to maintain psychological well-being despite the challenges of aging. In recent years, these findings, uncovered in research conducted at person and mind levels of analysis, have been complemented by brain research that deepens our understanding of the developing individual.

These discoveries answer questions that often go unresolved in other branches of the field. Adults possess complex concepts and problem-solving abilities (Chapter 8 on thinking, language, and intelligence)—but where did those concepts and abilities come from? Adults differ from one another in emotional styles and beliefs about the self (Chapter 13 on personality)—but how did those differences develop? Adults possess complexly interconnected neural networks in their brains (Chapter 3 on the brain and the nervous system)—but how did those connections form? Lessons from developmental psychology complement material in other chapters of this book by answering questions you might not even have thought about when reading them.

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Chapter Review Now that you have completed this chapter, be sure to turn to Appendix B, where you will find a Chapter Summary that is useful for reviewing what you have learned about development.