What Is Development?

Development is an adjective that describes a process of improvement or growth. It is often used to refer to something that has been improved or changed from an earlier state, such as a piece of software that has been modified from its original version. It can also be a noun, describing the act of developing something, like an architecture firm producing blueprints for a new building. In a more abstract sense, it can also describe new information or events, such as breaking news or a recent development in a story.

The concept of development has been broadened to include the growth of a nation’s economy as well as its citizens’ standard of living. Typically, a country is considered more developed when it has a higher gross national income (GNI), which takes into account the total value of a country’s goods and services, divided by its population.

However, nations with similar GNIs can differ widely in terms of their development levels. Moreover, this definition does not take into account important aspects of human development, such as equitable access to resources or the health and quality of life of the people in a country.

There are many assumptions about the causes of development, such as whether it is determined by nature or nurture, or a combination of both. Some theorists, such as Piaget, believe that humans play an active role in their own development, whereas others, like behaviorists, view people as passive participants that are subject to external influences.