Abstract
The study of developmental psychology has made great progress over the past few decades. For example, the Japan Society of Developmental Psychology now has ten times as many members as it did at the time of its foundation in 1989. Expectations for progress have increased and many people have entered the profession of developmental psychology, which has brought about its institutionalization in society. These trends seem acceptable at a glance from the standpoint of the JSDP, but its institutionalization might lead to a narrowing of its framework as cut off from the essential world of humanity in which we conduct our scientific inquiry. For example, we might tend to reduce our understanding of the development of children to their abilities and traits, yet lose sight of how they live in the real world. As to the credential system for clinical developmental psychologists, we should transcend its focus on individual ability, lest our current emphasis on the individualization of human beings cause us to lose our sense of shared humanity. In sum, the task for developmental psychology is to go beyond the framework of individualization, seeking a new paradigm to understand humanity.
