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Continuous Development
Continuous development is a perspective that views human growth as a cumulative and gradual process. In this view, development involves the steady improvement of existing skills over time, rather than abrupt shifts. For instance, a child's consistent increase in height year after year exemplifies this smooth progression.

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Ch.9 Lifespan Development - Psychology @ OpenStax
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Continuous Development
Discontinuous Development
Visual Representation of Continuous vs. Discontinuous Development
A researcher studying cognitive abilities in children notices a distinct pattern. For several months, a child consistently fails to understand that the amount of water remains the same when poured from a short, wide glass into a tall, narrow one. Then, within a single week, the child suddenly grasps the concept and consistently answers correctly. This sudden shift in understanding is a classic example that supports which perspective on development?
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Example of Continuous Development: Physical Growth
A researcher is studying how a child learns to read. The researcher observes that the child's vocabulary grows by a few new words each week, and their ability to sound out unfamiliar words improves incrementally with each book they read. The researcher also notes the moment the child suddenly grasps the concept of silent letters, a realization that changes how they approach many words. Which of these observations best illustrates the view that development is a gradual and cumulative process?