Basic Forces in Human Development: The Biopsychosocial Framework
- Biological forces include genetic- and health-related factors that affect development. Some biological forces, such as puberty and menopause, are universal and affect people across generations, whereas others, such as diet or disease, affect people in specific generations or occur in a small number of people.
- Psychological forces include all internal perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and personality factors that affect development. Like biological forces, psychological forces may affect all individuals, specific generations, or only a few individuals.
- Sociocultural forces include interpersonal, societal, cultural, and ethnic factors that affect development. Culture refers to the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors associated with a group of people. Overall, sociocultural forces provide the context or backdrop for development.
- Life-cycle forces reflect differences in how the same event affects people of different ages. The influence of life-cycle forces reflects the influences of biological, psychological, and sociocultural forces at different points in the life span. The same event can have different effects depending on when it happens in a person’s life. Life-cycle factors provide a context for understanding how people perceive their current situation and its effect on them.
- The biopsychosocial framework emphasizes that these four forces are mutually interactive and that development cannot be understood by examining them in isolation. By combining the four developmental forces, we have a view of human development that encompasses the life span, yet appreciates the unique aspects of each phase of life.
