Final answer:
The typical course of human development is characterized by both continuous and discontinuous elements, with an ongoing debate about whether there is one universal course or many individual courses shaped by genetics and environment. The nature versus nurture discussion further complicates understanding the trajectory of an individual's development across the lifespan, encompassing physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characteristics of Human Development:
When considering the typical course of human development, it is recognized that this development can be characterized by both universal patterns and individual variations. The debate between whether human development is continuous or discontinuous is central to understanding how individuals grow and change over time. Continuous development views development as a progressive and gradual improvement of skills. For instance consider how a child grows taller incrementally each year. However, discontinuous development proponents argue that development happens in unique stages marked by sudden changes such as the development of object permanence in infants.One course of development suggests that there is a universal pattern of development that all individuals follow, which emphasizes the commonalities in human development across different cultures and settings.
On the other hand, the idea of many courses of development posits that each individual's development is unique, influenced by a combination of genetics and environment, indicating a greater diversity in developmental outcomes. The conceptual frameworks of developmental psychology also contend with the nature versus nurture debate analyzing the relative impact of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on a child's development. These perspectives help to delineate how a child's behavior is shaped and outline the complexity of the developmental process which is considered a lifelong journey influencing physical, cognitive and psychosocial domains.