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Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology . Prenatal Period and the Newborn . What is Developmental Psychology?. Examines how people are continually developing – physically, cognitively, and socially –from infancy through old age Methods used to study developmental psychology: Cross-sectional studies

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Developmental Psychology

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  1. Developmental Psychology Prenatal Period and the Newborn

  2. What is Developmental Psychology? • Examines how people are continually developing – physically, cognitively, and socially –from infancy through old age • Methods used to study developmental psychology: • Cross-sectional studies • Longitudinal studies • Biographical/Retrospective studies • Reconstructing a person's past through interviews and inferring the effects of past events on current behaviors

  3. Major Themes in Develop. Psych • Nature v. Nurture: • How do genetic inheritance (our nature) and experience (our nurture) influence our behavior? • Continuity v. Stages: • Is development a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of separate stages? • Stability v. Change: • Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age?

  4. Conception and Prenatal Period • Conception: • A single sperm cell penetrates the outer coating of the egg and fuses to form one fertilized egg • Prenatal Period: Conception to Birth • Zygote: Term used to describe a developing organism immediately following conception until the embryo stage; First two weeks following conception • Embryo: Term used to describe a developing organism between the zygote and fetus stages; Between 3 – 8 weeks following conception • Fetus: Term used to describe an organism from 8-40 weeks after conception

  5. Zygote (conception to 2 weeks) • Fewer than half of all zygotes (fertilized cells) survive beyond the first two weeks • Completes journey through fallopian tube and implants in the lining of the uterus • 1st week: Zygote’s cells divide; 100 by end of week • Cells begin to differentiate (in structure and function) • Nervous system has differentiated into forebrain, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord

  6. Zygote to Embryo

  7. Embryo (3-8 weeks) • Organs begin to form (heart, stomach, liver) • Differentiation between male and female happens during this stage

  8. Embryo to Fetus

  9. Fetus (8-40 weeks) • 1 inch long, weights .04 ounces • Looks human! • Myelination occurs around 6 months • 7th month: REM sleep • Last few months of pregnancy: Fetus can hear noises outside the mother’s body • Newborns show an immediate preference for their mother’s voice • Also learn food preferences • Fetus receives nutrients and oxygen through the placenta • Formed from zygote's outer cells

  10. 12 weeks

  11. 18 weeks

  12. 8 months

  13. Teratogens • Harmful agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm • Many are not harmful to the mother, but are harmful to the fetus • Examples: • Thalidomide: Given to European women during the 1960s to prevent morning sickness • Antidepressants • Most common: recreational drugs like tobacco and alcohol

  14. thalidomide Fetal alcohol syndrome

  15. Other Prenatal Influence on Development • Nutrition of mother • Anxiety • Mother’s general health • Maternal age • Disease • Most genetic abnormalities result in spontaneous abortion or a miscarriage

  16. The Newborn • Babies born between 37-42 weeks are considered typical term births • Average 7 pounds at birth; 20 inches in length • William James said that the newborn must experience a “blooming, buzzing confusion” • We know this is not true! • How? • Habituation studies • Habituation is when an organism decreases their responsiveness to repeated stimulation • Infants interest wanes as they are exposed to the same visual stimulus and they look away sooner

  17. Reflexes • Babinski: stroking the baby’s foot causes toes to spread out (not sure why!) • Blink • Moro: If the baby’s head falls backward, the arms first spread out and then “hug” • Evolutionary remnant that allows primates to cling to an adult • Palamar: Placing an object in the hand produces reflexive grasping (clinging to fur?) • Rooting: Stroking a baby’s check results in the baby’s turning toward the touch and opening its mouth • Stepping: Placing the baby’s feel on a flat surface initiates stepping • Sucking: Anything that touches the roof of its mouth

  18. Activity and Senses • Activity: • Sleep 16-18 hours a day • Large time spent in REM (possible explanation for dreams is information processing and development) • When awake they alternate between periods of alert looking about and periods of physical movement of the arms and legs • 2-3 hours crying • Senses: • Smell: Have sensitivity to smells (prefer pleasant smells like chocolate and honey); Can recognize the smell of their mother • Taste: Have a sweet tooth • Hearing: Best for sounds found in the range of frequencies that normally occur in human speech • Vision: Do not see detail at as distance very well; Need more contrast than adults do; Prefer large, high-contrast, colorful objects • Preference for looking at faces

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