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Developmental Psychology Lifespan Perspective. A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive and social changes throughout the lifespan. Nature via nurture Maturation – (Readiness) doing appropriate tasks for given stages of development Lev Vygotsky – socio-cultural theorist
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Developmental PsychologyLifespan Perspective A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive and social changes throughout the lifespan.
Nature via nurture • Maturation – (Readiness) doing appropriate tasks for given stages of development • Lev Vygotsky – socio-cultural theorist • Parents and teachers transmit to every child whatever skills, values, and perspectives are needed in that society
Prenatal Development • Conception begins with the drop of an egg and the release of about 200 million sperm. • The sperm seeks out the egg and attempts to penetrate the eggs surface.
The Zygote Stage • Less than half of all zygotes survive first two weeks. • About 10 days after conception, the zygote will attach itself to the uterine wall. • The outer part of the zygote becomes the placenta (which filters nutrients).
The Embryo Stage • Lasts about 6 weeks. • Heart begins to beat and the organs begin to develop. • Gender determined
By nine weeks we have something that looks unmistakably human… A Fetus
The Fetus Stage • By about the 6th month, the stomach and other organs have formed enough to survive outside of mother. • At this time the baby can hear (and recognize) sounds and respond to light. • Total gestation period is 41 weeks
Physical Development • 3 months – roll over • 6 months – crawl • 12 months - walk
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • Physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking. • Severe cases include facial disproportions and lifelong brain abnormalities.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • Streissguth 1988 – F.A.S. is considered the leading cause in mental retardation
So what will a healthy newborn do? Reflexes • Rooting Reflex- a babies tendency, when touched on the cheek, to open mouth and search for a nipple. Turn towards human voices. Gaze longer at human face like images. Fantz 1961
Reflexes • Sucking reflex, grasping reflex, Babinsky reflex • Maurer and Maurer 1988 – infants prefer to look at objects 8-12 inches away, which is the distance between an infant’s eyes and those of a nursing mother • MacFarlane 1978 - a week old nursing baby placed between a gauze pad from its mother's bra and one from another nursing mother, will usually turn toward the smell of its own mother's pad
Infancy and Childhood Social Development
Stranger Anxiety Beg at about 8 months, infants display a fear of strangers
Attachment • An emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress in separation.
Factors of Attachment • Body Contact • Familiarity • Responsive Parenting
Body Contact • It was first assumed that infants became attached to those who satisfied their need for nourishment.
Harry Harlow and his Discovered that monkeys preferred the soft body contact of a cloth mother, over the nourishment of a hard/wirily mother.
Monkey does not survive because of lack of attachment to cloth
Familiarity • Attachments based on familiarity are formed during our critical periods. Critical Periods: the optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produce proper development.
The process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life. Animals such as ducks and geese imprint. Humans attach to a primary caregiver revolving around love
Responsive Parenting Do parents play a part in your attachment? Mary Ainsworth 1979 - observed mother-infant pairs at home during their first 6 months and then later observed the 1 year old infants in a strange situation without their mothers 1. sensitive responsive mothers had infants who usually became securely attached 2. insensitive unresponsive mothers had infants who often became insecurely attached
Dad’s Matter Too • We are not just mobile sperm banks!!!! • Paternal separation puts children at increased risk for various psychological and social pathologies.
Deprivation of Attachment • Often withdrawn, frightened and in extreme cases speechless. • Harlow’s monkeys would either cower in fright or act extremely aggressive. Many could not mate and if they could, the mothers were unresponsive parents. • Is there a connection between crime and lack of childhood attachment?
Daycare • Scarr 1986 - High Quality daycare does not affect children’s attachment to parents • The studies go both ways for children under the age of two- no clear answer yet.
Daycare • Scarr 1986 – Good daycare means three or four infants and toddler’s [er caregiver and six to eight preschoolers Timmer 1985 - employed mothers only spend 11 minutes and fathers 8 minutes per weekday in child centered activities
Self - Concept • A sense of one’s identity and self-worth. When does self-awareness start?
Jean Piaget – believed that children’s cognitive development goes through distinct stages a. there is an ongoing drive to make sense of our environment b. schemas - mental molds into which we pour our experiences 1. assimilation - using our schemas to incorporate new experiences 2. accommodation - adjusting our schemas to fit the particulars of new experiences
- four stages of cognitive development 1. 0-2 years - sensorimotor period • experiencing the world through senses and actions, looking, touching, and mouthing • develops - object permanence at 6 months and stranger anxiety at 6 months 2. 2-7 - pre operational thought • representing things with words and images yet is lacking logical reasoning • no symbolic thinking • language development • develops - ability to pretend and egocentrism
3. 7-11 - concrete operational thought • thinks logically about concrete events, grasps concrete analogies, performs arithmetical operations • develops - conservation, mathematical, transformations, abstract logic 4. 11 through adult - formal operational thought • abstract reasoning • develops - potential for mature moral reasoning • strong abstract conservation
Child-Rearing Practices • Parenting styles have been shown to have a positive correlational effect on a child’s self-concept • Relationship energies • Interrogator/aloof • Intimidator/poor me
Authoritarian Parents • Impose rules and expect obedience. • “Why, because I said so!!!!”
Permissive Parents(Laissez-Faire) • Parents submit to their children’s desires, make few demands and use little punishment.
Rejecting-Neglecting • Parents give the basic needs to their children but there is no attachment or emotional care.
Authoritative Parents • Parents are both demanding and responsive. • Exert control by setting rules, but explain reasoning behind the rules. • Encourage open discussion.
Adolescence The transition period from childhood to adulthood.
Physical Development • It all begins with puberty Puberty: the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.
Primary Sexual Characteristics • The body structures that make sexual reproduction possible Testes in men Ovaries in women
Secondary Sexual Characteristics • Nonreproductive sexual characteristics Deepening of male voice Female breasts Body hair J-lo’s Hips
When does puberty start?The Landmarks • First ejaculation for boys • Menarche for girls (first menstrual cycle)
Puberty How might timing differences effect an adolescent socially? Sequence is way more predictable than the timing.
Cognitive Development • Have the ability to reason but……. • The reasoning is self-focused. Assume that their experiences are unique. • Experience formal operational thought
Lawrence Kohlberg and his stages of Morality • Preconventional Morality • Conventional Morality • Postconventional Morality • Classic dilemma of Heinz
Preconventional Morality • Morality of self- interest • Their actions are either to avoid punishment or to gain rewards.
Conventional Morality Morality is based upon obeying laws to • Maintain social order • To gain social approval
Postconventional Morality • Morality based on your own ethical principles.
