Chapter 4 Developing Through the Life Span Sara J. Buhl Psychology 101 Cayuga Community College

1. Chapter 4 Developing Through the Life Span Sara J. Buhl Psychology 101 Cayuga Community College

2. Developmental Psychology • study of physical, cognitive, and social changes from infancy through old age

3. Developmental Issues • Nature (genetic inheritance) versus Nurture (our experiences) • Continuity versus Stages • Is development gradual and continuous? Or is there a sequence of separate stages? • Stability versus Change • Do our personality traits remain the same or do they change?

4. Prenatal Development • Zygote (conception to 2 weeks) • fertilized egg • enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division • develops into an embryo • Embryo • developing human organism from 2 weeks through second month (8 weeks) • Fetus • developing human organism from 9 weeks to birth

5. Prenatal Development • Teratogens • agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm • chemical, e.g., alcohol, some medicines, cocaine, heroin, nicotine • viral, e.g., HIV, Rubella

6. Prenatal Development • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking • physical and brain abnormalities in children • no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy • Smoking • Fetus may receive fewer nutrients • May be born underweight

7. At birth 3 months 15 months Cortical Neurons Infancy and Childhood • Maturation • biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior

8. Maturation & Infant Memory • What is your earliest memory? • Infantile Amnesia - most people cannot recall much from before age 4 or 5

9. Cognitive Development • Cognition • mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating • Jean Piaget (1896-1980) • developed and administered intelligence tests • interested in how children had different ways of reasoning than adults • mind develops in a series of stages • Schema = a framework that organizes and interprets information (e.g., dog)

10. Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

11. Object Permanence • Infants younger than 6 months tend not to understand that things continue to exist when they are out of sight • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjBh9ld_yIo

12. Conservation • properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtLEWVu815o

13. Current Researchers & Piaget • Piaget underestimated young children • babies do seem to possess a more intuitive sense of logic and numbers • symbolic and formal operational thinking both appear earlier than Piaget thought • today development is seen as more continuous than Piaget proposed • Studies do support the sequence of Piaget’s stages (even if the ages aren’t exact)

14. Social Development • Stranger Anxiety • fear of strangers that infants commonly display • beginning by about 8 months of age • Attachment • an emotional tie with another person • shown in young children by seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

15. Attachment Styles • Securely Attached • Explore surroundings, play (when mother is present) • Distressed when mother leaves; comforted when she returns • Insecurely Attached - Ambivalent • Less likely to explore and may cling to mother • Seem indifferent when mother leaves and returns • Insecurely Attached – Avoidant • Also less likely to explore and may cling to mother • May cry loudly and remain upset when mother leaves and returns

16. Social Development • Harlow’s Surrogate Mother Experiments • Monkeys preferred contact with the comfortable cloth mother, even while feeding from the nourishing wire mother

17. Social Development • Monkeys raised by artificial mothers were terror-stricken when placed in strange situations without their surrogate mothers • (due to animal welfare issues this would not be done today )

18. Percentage of infants who cried when their mothers left 100 80 Day care 60 40 Home 20 0 3.5 5.5 7.5 9.5 11.5 13.5 20 29 Age in months Social Development • Groups of infants who had and had not experienced day care were left by their mothers in a unfamiliar room

19. Parenting Styles • Authoritarian • Parents impose rules • Obedience is expected • Permissive • Parents submit to their children’s desires • Few demands are made • Little punishment • Authoritative • Set expectations, but are also responsive • Set and enforce rules • Explain reasons for rules

20. Child’s traits (e.g., self-reliant socially competent) Parenting style (e.g.,authoritative) Harmonious marriage, common genes, or other third factor Social Development • The correlation between authoritative parenting and social competence in children

21. Chapter 4 – Part IIAdolescence & Adulthood • Development is now seen as lifelong • Adolescence • Transition from childhood to adulthood • Starts with puberty • Ends when independent adult status is attained

22. Adolescence Physical Changes • Puberty – sexual maturation; become capable of reproducing • Surge of hormones • Rapid physical development • Primary sex characteristics • Body structures that make reproduction possible • Ovaries, testes, and external genitalia • Secondary sex characteristics • Sexual characteristics that are nonreproductive • breasts; facial hair

23. Adolescent Brain • Brain is still developing • Frontal lobe matures until about age 25 • Myelin growth occurring (fatty tissue surrounding axons that speeds communication between neurons) • Judgment improves • Better impulse control • Greater long term planning ability

24. AdolescenceCognitive Development • Piaget • Formal Operational Stage • Adolescents are capable of abstract reasoning and logic • Abstract ideas like good versus evil • Hypothetical reasoning and consequences

25. AdolescenceMoral Reasoning • Kohlberg’s Moral Dilemmas • Moral dilemmas were posed to children, adolescents, and adults • “Is it acceptable for a person to steal medicine to save a loved one’s life?” • Answer often depended on stage of development • Preconventional morality (before age 9) • Self-interest is focus: avoid punishment or obtain rewards • Conventional morality (by early adolescence) • Cares for others and upholds laws and social rules • Postconventional morality • Considers rights of people and basic ethical principals

26. Moral Development • Empathy – capability to relate to another person’s feelings and emotions • Sympathy – ability to support another by being compassionate • Delay Gratification • http://vimeo.com/7494173

27. AdolescenceSocial Development • Erik Erikson (1960s) • Stages of Psychosocial Development • Search for identity • Identity – sense of self • Intimacy – ability to form close relationships (later adolescence and early adulthood)

28. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • TRUST vs. MISTRUST • Infancy (0-1 yr.) • When needs are met, a basic sense of trust is developed

29. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt • Toddlerhood (Age 1-2) • Gaining independence: Walking • Learn to do things for themselves OR doubt their abilities • First Power Struggles

30. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • INITIATIVE vs. GUILT • Preschooler (ages 3-5) • Language = questions • Creative independent play • Learn to initiate tasks • Guilt – Feeling bad about behavior

31. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • COMPETENCE vs. INFERIORITY • Elementary School (6 years to puberty) • Skills: Read, Write, Math, Social, Sports • Tendency to feel inferior if unable to master tasks

32. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • IDENTITY vs. ROLE CONFUSION • Adolescence (teen years – 20s) • Meaning of question: Who am I ? • Role Experimentation • Refine sense of self (identity) • Identity Crisis – confusion about sense of self

33. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • INTIMACY vs. ISOLATION • Young Adulthood (20s to early 40s) • Emotional commitment • Form close relationships • Lack of close relationships – social isolation

34. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • GENERATIVITY vs. STAGNATION • Middle Adulthood (40s - 60s) • Contribution to Next Generation • Through family and work • What makes life meaningful? • May feel a lack of purpose

35. Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development • INTEGRITY vs. DESPAIR • Late Adulthood (late 60s+ ) • Pride, Self-Respect • Reflect on life • May feel satisfaction or failure

36. Adolescence Social Development • Parent influence diminishes in many areas • Parent influence remains in: • Religion • Thinking about college • Career choices • Political views

37. Adolescence Social Development • Peer Influence Grows • Talk • Dress • Actions • Peer exclusion • Painful • May lead to withdrawal • Loneliness • Low self-esteem

38. AdulthoodPhysical Development • Physical abilities – peak in mid-20s • Health & exercise habits play a large role • Women – ability to reproduce declines • Menopause occurs around age 50 • Later life • changes in vision, hearing, smell become increasingly noticeable • Immune system weakens

39. AdulthoodCognitive Development • Memory abilities change as we age • When asked to learn a list of 24 words • No clues: younger people recall more words • Multiple choice test of recognition: no change with age • Crystallized intelligence • Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills • Increases with age • Fluid intelligence • Ability for quick and abstract reasoning • Decreases in late adulthood

40. AdulthoodSocial Development • Evidence does not support a midlife “crisis” • Most divorces are in 20s • Most suicides in 70s and 80s • Life crisis triggered by major events (illness, divorce) not age • Social Clock • Preferred timing of social events (marriage, parenthood, retirement) • Culture dependent

41. Adulthood • Marriage • Adults are marrying later • Divorce rates have increased • Less economic dependence for women • Striving for an “equal” relationship (work, chores)