Developmental Psychology = 7-9% of AP Exam

Development includes the processes and stages of growth from conception across the lifespan. Includes changes in physical, cognitive, moral and social behaviors.

Pre-Natal Development

• Germinal Stage = 1-2 wks (Zygote)

• Embryonic Stage = 2 months Fetal Stage = remainder of pregnancy

Risks During Pregnancy

-ILLNESSES

-RUBELLA

-TERATOGENS

-DRUGS

-ALCOHOL

Video: The Biology of Prenatal DevelopmentTake notes as you view the video:

Infancy

INFANCY

Infancy--Physical Development

Growth rate declines but is faster than any other post-natal period

Neo-Natal Reflexes (until about 4 months) such as:

Babinski (big toe moves toward the top surface of the foot and the other toes fan out after the sole of the foot has been firmly stroked)

Startle Reflex Grasping, Stepping, Rooting, Withdrawal

from pain

Infancy - Cognitive Development

Preference for face-like patterns

6-12 mo = remember, recognize, & react

12 mo = reasoning & higher level cognitive functions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o-VplYrqBs

Development of Knowledge Theory = Piaget

Building blocks of human dev = SCHEMAS Generalized mental

representationAssimilation = using

existing schemas & apply to new info

Accommodation = change schema (ex: butterfly flies, but is not a bird)

Four Stages1. Sensorimotor birth – 2

yrs2. Preoperational 2-7 yrs3. Concrete Operational

7-11 yrs4. Formal Operational 11

into adulthood

•Infant = learn about the world through senses and body movements

• 1 to 4 mo = Learn to combine two reflexes

• 4 to 8 mo = Improve hand-eye coordination

8 to 12 months

• Intentional behavior

• Learn certain actions lead to certain results

• Imitates others

• Love playing Peek-A-Boo

• Learn Object Permanence

12 to 18 mo =

• Trial and error: Ex= Push a cracker off a high chair and watch it fall to the floor. Then does it again

• Can find hidden objects

• Understands that objects exist independently

18 to 24 mo= experiment mentally as well as physically• They think about what they

are going to do before they do it

• Ages 2 to 7

•Basic Mental operations start replacing sensorimotor activities as the primary way to learn

•Make-believe play is used to create and express all kinds of mental images

I “eated” my apple

No, it’s ate

Then I “ated” my apple

Children learn mostly by language and mental images

Everyone views the world like I do

I don’t want to go to sleep! I’m not tired!

He hurt my feelings so I hit him!

Use feeling to

solve problems

rather than logic

•learning multiple classification–ability to understand that an object may fit into more than one category•learning seriation—the ability top order groups of things

•They think the same amount of liquid is more when poured into a tall think glass.

•To them taller means more!

My birthday is before Christmas

and after Halloween

•Children may not be aware of what is real and what is make-believe

http://www.ted.com/talks/alison_gopnik_what_do_babies_think?language=en#