In your discussions throughout the course, you will be evaluated on how well you can demonstrate that you understand the ideas presented throughout the unit, including assigned readings, discussions, media, and independent research. You will also be evaluated on the quality of your work—its academic rigor, how well it shows your ability to think critically, and how completely it covers the discussion topic. Refer to the PSYC Discussion Participation Scoring Guide to learn how your discussions will be evaluated.

In PSYC1000, you were introduced to the current major theories in psychology. In this course, we will dig deeper into the theories that are most relevant to the process of human development—or how people change in predictable ways over time.

To complete this discussion, respond to the following prompts:

• What are the similarities and differences between a stage and nonstage theory?
• How do both types of developmental theories help us gain a deeper understanding of how people develop?
• From your experiences and observations, do you think that people tend to develop in somewhat distinct stages, or gradually over time?

For this and all your course discussions, be sure to follow APA style rules for citing and referencing sources.