Perspectives on a differential developmental psychology

Abstract

In recent years a differential perspective has become obvious in the field of developmental psychology. This perspective addresses issues surrounding the description and explanation of four phenomena: (1) the age dependency of interindividual differences and intraindividual variabilities of human behaviour, (2) the interindividual differences in intraindividual changes, (3) the interindividual differences in the age related intraindividual variability of behaviour, and (4) the interindividual differences in the (perhaps age variable) modifiability of behaviour and developmental changes. To illustrate the potential of this differential perspective examples of empirical findings are provided from the preschool years and the school age. They are encouraging to undertake more empirical differential developmental analyses in the future.