SM 60 Human Growth & Development

1. SM 60 Human Growth & Development Erskine Theological Seminary Robert Bell, Ph.D. September 8, 2004

2. Dr. Phil – today (9:00 AM) • How is Your Child Doing on the Developmental Curve? • Take note of all the many “human growth & development” items in the news. New discoveries; revisions of earlier theories.

3. “Development” • To unwrap, unfold • In HG&D, development is understood “as an unfolding of a living organism’s latent possibilities.” or “the changes through which [an organism] passes in the course of its maturation.” • “The gradual unfolding of the pre-existent structure of a living organism through specific stages toward a predetermined telos or end.” R. R. Osmer, “Developmental Theory & Pastoral Care,” in Dictionary of Pastoral Care & Counseling, Rodney Hunter, ed. (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), 277-78.

4. Pastoral Implications • A helpful diagnostic tool • (normal dev. vs. pathological) • Insight into how best to relate to persons • Insight into how best to offer guidance A CAUTION TO NOTE: Often focuses only upon human achievement & moral advancement, to the exclusion of God’s intervention. R. R. Osmer

5. Studying HG&D Be aware of some of the basic differences between secular and Biblical approaches to the study of human growth & development

6. Some Critical Differences • Where you begin (anthropologically or what you believe about human beings); • Where you focus (soteriologically, to what end? What you believe about the work of Jesus Christ and the implications for human life); and, • Where you look for truth (revelation, God, God’s Word).

7. A Biblical View of Human Beings • God created us as whole persons • Spiritual • Physical • Mental • Emotional • Social • Moral • Purpose: WCF, Catechism Qu. 1;Cf. Deut. 6: 4-6 • Effects of the fall, sin – Gen. 6:5, 8:21 Spiritual

8. What Shapes One’s Approach to the Study of HG & D? • One’s religious convictions regarding: • The problem • The solution • The goal • The guide

9. The Role of Faith in Study • Faith commitments and understandings provide (& limit) perspective • Theology (study of God; beliefs about God) is central; sometimes as unseen foundation, other times as explicit guide • Problems in study often are related to the relationship between theology & psychology. <<<<< Continuum >>>>>

10. << A Possible Continuum >>

11. The Christian Psychology Spectrum Psychology Bible NANC Biblical Counselors Christian Psychologists Ideologues Psychologists with a Seminary Education

12. Where Does the Study of HG & D Fit In? • All truth is God’s truth • All truth is revealed truth; God is source • Some truths regarding common human life/experience are reflected in Scripture; e.g., Proverbs 23:29-35 • Other useful (yield-glory-to-God) truths of human life/experience can be observed by human beings; e.g., angiograms – heart condition

13. R. Thomas Murray, Counseling & Life-Span Development, 1990. Seven Significant Counseling Decision Points Contained within Three Phases of the Counseling Process Why Study Human Growth & Development?

14. Normative Data • Normative Information – a statement about the degree to which a defined group of people are alike. What characteristics are correlated with being in a defined group? (divorcees, single-parents, children of alcoholics, children of divorce, Baptists, Hispanics, seminarians, etc.) • Proverbs 23: 29-35 provides normative data regarding the abuse of alcohol

15. Value of Normative Data • Educators – couple communication, bedwetting, alcoholism and dynamics of an enabler, etc. • Provide a “head start” in addressing problems; provides initial expectations or probabilities – behavior problems with children > boundaries; adolescent > sexuality; elderly > depression

16. Clues Used to Recall Normative Data • Age • Gender • Height • Weight • Facial features • Educational level • Occupation • Cultural characteristics (language, style of dress, mannerisms)

17. What is NORMAL?

18. “Normal” – used two ways • Statistical similarity or frequency Decisions about normal defined in this way involve two steps: • Knowing how people are distributed in terms of the characteristic being studied • Deciding how close to the average a person needs to be in order to be judged normal rather than abnormal A matter of objective statistical description.

19. “Normal” – a second meaning • Desirability or acceptability A matter of subjective judgment based upon the judge’s values and on a rationale that is adduced by that judge. “Normal” as defined here refers to how closely the condition matches the value system of the person making the judgment about normality. Normal = approved, admirable, satisfactory, acceptable, proper, etc.

20. Normal as Subjective Value Requires clarification of the elements that go into the decision; the set of values held by the definer. Identification of the proper sources for making a decision about normalcy. Implications of a Biblical/theological view for one’s definition of normalcy?

21. Definitions of Normal: • Can guide • Can predict; provide a prognosis • The question being answered is not one of absolute desirability (normal vs. abnormal), but the extent to which development is desirable or acceptable AND whether or not intervention is required.

22. Phase I: Identifying the Nature of the Client’s Problem • Problem Incidence • Correlated Problems • Typical Symptom Clusters • Causal Variables • Genetic Endowment • Environmental Forces • Developmental History • Predictions about the Clients’ Future • Societal Expectations & Pressures

23. Phase II: Adopting Suitable Counseling Techniques • An Appropriate Counseling Approach • Logical Analysis • Normative Data re: Technique success in the past • Progress of the Case • Counselee cooperation • Counselee testimony • Adjective (adjustment) inventories • Abatement of symptoms • Assessment of long-term outcomes

24. Phase II: Adopting Suitable Counseling Techniques continued • Evaluating the Solution to the Client’s Problem – evaluating the outcome longtitudinally Phase III: Completing the Counseling Process – Terminating Counseling - How? - Why? - By Whom?