Module 13

Developing Through the

Life Span

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Mapping the genes

in the human

genome.

Alleles – pairs of

genes.

100,000 pairs of

genes in each

person.

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Identical (homozygous) or different

(heterozygous) genes pairs

Genetics and Behavior23 pairs of Chromosomes

100,000 Pairs of Genes

DNA

RNA

Proteins

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Genotype – genetic make up of an individual

Phenotype – traits that are expressed

One Gene is dominant

- dominant gene is expressed (becomes part

of phenontype).

Other is recessive

- expressed only if homozygous

- can be passed on to offspring.

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Sex-Linked Genes

Females = XX

Males = XY

Color Vision - carried on the X chromosome.

Normal (Dominant)

Colorblind (recessive)

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Male has only one gene.

Always expressed.

Female has two genes.

Only expressed if homozygous.

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8% of females carry gene for colorblindness.

Males

8% inherited and expressed.

Females

8% (mother) X 8% (father) = .06% expressed

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Prenatal Factors

Zygotic Period – first 2 weeks

10 - 14 days after conception

- Embryo becomes connected

to the uterus at the placenta.

Placenta - exchange of chemicals

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Embryonic Period

2 weeks to Ninth

Week

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Teratogens - harmful factors

- slight ,temporary effect on mother but

very large permanent effect on embryonic

and fetal development.

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Diseases - AIDS, Herpes, Rubella,

Zika VirusMicrocephaly is a birth defect where a

baby’s head is smaller than expected

when compared to babies of the same

sex and age. Babies with microcephaly

often have smaller brains that might not

have developed properly.

Link to CDC

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Prescription Drugs - Always Check with MD.

Addictive Drugs – withdrawal

Aspirin

Caffeine

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Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Even 1 drink a day is harmful.

Most harmful in 3rd to 4th week of pregnancy.

Smaller heads

Deformed facial features

Abnormal joints and limbs

Poor coordination

Problems with learning

Short memories

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Smoking (2nd and 3rd hand smoke)

- restricts oxygen to the embryo.

Mothers who smoke are at a higher risk of

having a baby with low birthweight.

Smoking during pregnancy is associated

with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

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"Walk upstairs, open the door gently, and

look in the crib. What do you see? Most of us

see a picture of innocence and helplessness, a

clean slate. But, in fact, what we see in the

crib is the greatest mind that has ever existed,

the most powerful learning machine in the

universe."

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Abilities of Newborns (neonates)

Brainstem (life support) is fully formed.

Cortex (higher functions) immature

- still only 90% complete at 6 yrs of age.

.

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As a child matures, neural networks grow

increasingly complex.

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Birth to 3 yrs: Branching neural networks

enable walking, talking, and remembering.

3 to 6 yrs: Frontal lobes develop, enabling

rational planning.

6-13 yrs : Association areas proliferate,

enriching thinking, memory, language and

reading skills.

Frontal Lobe – Continued development

into mid-20s.

Brain Maturation

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Reflexes (very adaptive for survival)

• nourishment (sucking, rooting)

• attracting attention (crying)

• eliminating wastes

• protection (eye blink, sneezing)

• grasping reflex

• orienting response

- turning eyes toward sound or movement

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Perception

Habituation Method

Infants look longer at novel stimuli.

Present stimuli A until they lose interest.

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Then present A with B.

If infant looks longer at B then they

1) remember A

2) can distinguish B

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Vision

Color - fully developed by 3 months

Distance - best vision at 9 inches

Prefer patterned to plain stimuli.

Prefer to look at faces

Can recognize faces

by 3 months.

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Depth Perception

Visual cliff Experiments

Shallow

Deep

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Before Crawling Starts

Infant placed on deep side

Heart Rate decreases (interest)

They can detect depth

About a month after crawling begins

Will not crawl from shallow to deep side.

If Placed on deep side: Heart Rate increases

(fear)

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Phobias

Do will not develop until about 10 or 11

months.

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Hearing

Last weeks of pregnancy the fetus may be

aware of voices and sounds.

Cat in the Hat Study

Familiar story - lower heart rate

Unfamiliar story – no change.

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Hearing - infants prefer mothers’ voice

- comforted by womb sounds

Can distinguish between sounds

- prefer speech sounds (female)

- 4 to 5 months respond to own name

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Infants prefer to attend to stimuli that

moderately differ from familiar stimuli.

- paces learning for them

Module 14

Infancy and childhood

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Opportunities to safely explore the environment develop the body

and brain.

Myelinization of neurons allows better coordinated movements

and increases speed.

Motor skills develop in a predictable, universal sequence.

proximal to distal (head to toes)

Cephalocaudal (trunk to finger tips)

However, each individual grows at his or her own rate.

Motor Development: Birth to 3 yrs

Infantile Amnesia

We do not have memories for autobiographical

events that occurred before our first birthdays.

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An intriguing mystery: How do we

demonstrate what infants know and

remember?

Developmental psychologists study

how infants respond to changes in

stimuli.

The baby in the photo has learned that

her foot kicks move the mobile.

Infants respond to changes in the

mobile by slowing their kicks and

gazing.

Some 2-month-old infants are able to

retain information about the mobile for

as long as a month.

Infant Research: Memory

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Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget: Children think

differently than adults do.

Stage Theory:

- orderly predictable set of changes.

- change is abrupt

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Adaptation - formation of schema through

experience with world.

Schema change with new experiences.

Assimilation: New info fit into old schema.

Child sees a CAT adds it to their DOG

Schema.

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Accommodation : Alteration of existing

schema to fit new information.

E.g., Child sees that CATS MEOW.

Does not fit DOG schema. Child forms new

schema. DOGS THAT MEOW.

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4 Stages (mental operations)

1) Sensorimotor Stage

Birth - 2 yrs

- learn by manipulating things (cause

and effect) video

- don’t have schema

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Object Permanence - understanding that

objects continue to exist when out of sight.

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Baby physics

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First, the infants were shown a display containing a doll.

A screen then rotated up to cover the doll.

The infants then saw a hand move into the display and

add another doll.

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Finally, the screen dropped and, depending on the

experimental condition, revealed either one doll or

two dolls.

Infants looked longer at the impossible outcome (one

doll) than the possible outcome (two dolls).

(Wynn, 2000)

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Egocentric - don’t understand that others

see the world differently.

Self Concept

Rouge test (self-recognition test)

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 42

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Theory of Mind – able to reflect on the

contents of one's own and other's minds.

For many of those with autism or Asperger's,

mindblindness, or lack of Theory of Mind

creates major barriers to communication and

closeness. These barriers often lead to those

nearest to the individual feel, whether real or

perceived, a lack of empathy from the

individual.

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Someone who has a full grasp of

Theory of Mind will immediately

know that Sally will look where

she last left the ball. She does not

know that the ball has been

moved. A person with poor

Theory of Mind skills will

believe that Sally will look for

the ball in the box, because they

do not fully grasp that Sally will

not know what Ann has done.

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Real Life example of Egocentrism

From Rage against the Minivan

Link

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2) Pre-operational Stage (2 - 7 yrs)

- have schema (Symbolic Thought)

- can develop language

- can play “make-believe”

Irreversibility

Centration

Click on photo to see video

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Lack Understanding of Conservation

Changing appearance (shape) does

not change physical properties (Amount).

Click on photo to see video

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Video - conservation

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3) Concrete Operations (7 to 11 yrs)

- begin to understand logical thought.

• Reversibility

• Causal relationships

Restricted to concrete reasoning

- things they know about.

What if people did not have thumbs??

Click here for video.

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4) Formal Operations (12 to adulthood)

Can think in the abstract

Hypothetico-deductive Reasoning

- develop and test hypothesis.

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Criticisms of Piaget

1) Ages are wrong! Video begins at 11:55

Response: Stage not age is important!

2) Gradual changes rather than abrupt.

Domain specific ability!

- object permanence with parents

but not with toys.

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3) Underestimates Social Influences

Vygotsky – zone of proximal development.

(material that is just beyond the ability the

child currently possesses).

Scaffolding

Readiness - children only learn when they

are ready.

Research shows that interaction and

experiences can speed learning.

Your Baby Can Read?

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4) Overestimates obtainment of formal

operational thought!

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Are there Cognitive Changes that occur in

Later years?

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 60

Module 15 (pgs 200- 203)

Moral Development (Kolberg)

Stages Reflect Cognitive Ability

1) Pre-conventional

Obedience and Punishment

Self-Interest

2) Conventional

Public opinion, social duty

3) Post-conventional

Principled

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 61

Erickson – Psychosocial Development

(Module 15 pgs 202 -204)

Issues that we are dealing with change with age.

How these conflict are resolved will have long-

lasting effects.

Basic Schema for thinking about ourselves.

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 62

Infancy - Basic Trust vs. Mistrust

Is my world a predictable and supportive place?

Toddler - Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Can I do things by myself, or always rely on

others?

Preschool - Initiative vs. Guilt

Am I good, or am I bad?

- questions of morality

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 63

Preadolescence - Industry vs. Inferiority

Am I successful or worthless?

Adolescence - Identity vs. Role Confusion

“ Who am I?”

Young Adulthood - Intimacy vs. Isolation

“How do I relate to others?”

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 64

Middle Adulthood - Generativity vs. Stagnation

“Will I succeed in life?”

Older Adulthood - Ego Integrity vs. Despair

“Have I lived a full life, or have I failed?”

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 65

(Module 14 pgs 188 – 195).

Issues in Infancy – Attachment

- emotional bond between child and parent.Primate Studies

Harlow’s Monkey’s

Separated newborns

from mothers

Fear Studies

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 66

Wire

Mother

Terry

Cloth

Mother

Food 1 hour 18 hours

per day

No Food Less than

1 hour

14 hours

per day

Preferred contact comfort

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 67

All of the Monkey’s had problems in adulthood

- abnormal social relationships

- abnormal sexual behaviors

-inadequate parenting behaviors

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 68

Attachment Differences

Strange Situation Test.

Based on behavior classified as

1) Secure Attachment

2) Insecurely Attached

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 69

Long-Term Effects

Securely attached

- more sociable

- better problem solvers

- more adaptive to new situations

- fewer behavior problems

- better adult relationships.

Module 14 & 15 pt 2 70

Why is Attachment so Important?

Development of:

- First schema of social relationships

- Self-schema.

- general schema of the world.