DevelopmentalPsychology in Colombia: Recent Past and Present Situation

This paper analyzes the current state of developmental psychology in Colombia. The starting point is the most signifi-cant academic production of research groups, registered in the National System of Science and Technology of Colombia in the last three decades. The documentary review was organized according to the main areas of work identified: development in contexts of poverty, cognitive development, bonding relationships, affective and emotional develop-ment, moral development, cultural psychology of development and atypical developments. Forty-four research groups have been identified that contribute to the field of developmental psychology from different theoretical, conceptual, and methodological fields. Each of these groups provides their contributions from different regions of the country and in different segments of the population, in which a concern for populations in contexts of poverty and violence stands out, thus responding to the situation of the country. Some of these studies have contributed to the identification of protective factors in vulnerable populations and to the strengthening of safe bases in families, as well as to the formulation of pub-lic policies in favor of Colombian children.