Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology• Complete the Physical Growth

and Development “Quiz”

Developmental Psychology• Concerned with changes in physical

& psychological functioning from conception across a life span• Task/Goal of Devel. Psychologists-

to 1) document 2) explain development

Documenting Development• Normative

investigations- research designed to describe characteristics of a specific age or developmental stage

Documenting Development- Investigations determine

developmental landmarks or “norms”- Ex. Age when talking, walking begins- Standards allow psychologists to

make distinctions between chronological and developmental age (age when most children show a particular level of development)

Documenting Development• Researchers use 2 different research

methods:1.Longitudinal- same participants

observed repeatedly, over many years2.Cross-sectional- groups of participants

of different ages are observed & compared at the same time

Explaining Development• Nature vs. Nurture controversy• Nature- Rousseau; what child brings

into the world (heredity) shapes their development • Nurture- Locke; born with a blank

slate (tabula rasa), credits human development to experience

Explaining Development

• “Victor” aka “Wild Child”• Raised by animals• Itard tried to civilize/educate him• Progress was made for 5 years• Case shows vital role of early social

contact in regards to communication and mental growth

Explaining Development• Research supports:- Heredity provides

potential; experience determines way in which potential will be fulfilled

Physical Development

Physical Development• Bodily changes, maturation, & growth

that occurs in an organism1. Prenatal/Childhood Development:- zygote- sperm fertilizes the egg- 46 chromosomes ( ½ mother, ½ father- 3rd wk- 1st sign of heartbeat- 8th wk- called a “fetus”- 16th wk- mother can feel mov’t

Physical Development- brain development- new neurons grow

quickly- branching process of axons/dendrites

happens after birth- first months of pregnancy

environmental factors can affect devel. of organs/structures- Ex. Disease, drinking, drugs, smoking

Physical Development- Hearing: prewired for survival-

can hear before birth recognize mother’s voice, but not father’s

Physical Development- Vision:

- less developed than adults- minutes after birth eyes turn in direction of sound better within 6 mos.

Physical Development- prefer to look at

large objects w/ contours and whole faces rather than parts

- no depth perception until 4 mos.

Physical Development- Eleanor Gibson researched children’s

response to depth perception and heights- she created a visual cliff- child would cross over shallow end

but reluctant to cross deep end- fear of deep end depends on

crawling experience

Physical Development

- Wariness of height is not prewired, but develops as children experience their world

Physical Development- Maturation- process of growth typical of all

members of a species raised in their usual habitat- different for individuals- environmental inputs- ex Native American’s carry babies on their backs learn to walk later than other children

Physical Development2. Adolescent Development-Growth spurt: girls- age 10

boys- age 12-Hands and feet grow first, then arms and legs-Reach puberty 2-3 years after growth spurt

Physical Development- Sexual maturity: girls- age 11-15

boys- age 12-14- Psychological changes:

- concern for body image- 38% girls, 27% boys report feeling “ugly” can lead to anorexia/ bulimia

Physical Development- Over time adolescents become more accepting of appearance

Physical Development3. Adulthood Development-Research shows a belief in “use it or lose it” Adults may suffer less aging effects if they continue to exercise their bodies and minds

Physical Development- Vision: decreases due to lenses becoming yellowed and less flexible; unable to see colors as clearly (violets, blues, greens); difficulty seeing at night

Physical Development- Hearing: hearing loss is common of

those 60 yrs +, greater for men than women, have more difficulty hearing high frequency tones

Physical Development- Reproductive/Sexual Functioning:

Age 40- men experience lower viable sperm count

Age 50- women experience menopause (stopping of ovulation)

Cognitive Development

Cognitive Development• Jean Piaget developed theories about how

children think, reason, and solve problems- Believed there are 2 processes working together to achieve cognitive growth: assimilation and accommodation

Cognitive Development• Stages:1.Sensorimotor Stage (birth-2yrs)

- sequences are improved, combined, coordinated, and integrated- develops object performance - child learns when object is absent, it still exists

Cognitive Development2. Preoperational Stage (2-7 yrs)

- marked by egocentrism (unable to take the perspective of another person) and centration (unable to take more than one perceptual

factor into account at the same time)

Cognitive Development3. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 yrs)

- capable of mental observations logical thinking

- replace physical action with mental action- unable to determine relationships

unless direct, physical observation

Cognitive Development- mastery of conservation and

reversibility4. Formal Operations Stage (11+yrs)

- understand abstract thinking- understand there is more than one

reality- ponder deep questions of truth,

justice, and existence

Cognitive Development• Renée Baillargeon has challenged Piaget’s

work:- stating children as young as 3 mos. understand object performance- should be less emphasis on egocentrism children have an idea of what they know compared to what others know

Cognitive Development• Lev Vygotsky argues that children

develop through internalization absorb knowledge from their social context- explains that children’s cognition develops to perform culturally valued tasks (like apprenticeships)

Cognitive Development• Unlike Piaget…who focused

on maturation process within the child, not how the environment impacts the child

Acquiring Language

Acquiring Language• Most researchers believe the ability

to learn language is biologically based & we have an innate language capacity• Start with

Perceiving Speech…

Acquiring Language1. Perceiving Speech:

- infants begin to learn phonemes (45 phonemes in English)- researchers found that you have innate ability to hear sound contrast in any language up to 8 mos.

Acquiring Language- lose the ability to perceive contrast in the languages you are NOT acquiring

Acquiring Language- Child directed speech (exaggerated

& high pitched) helps keep infant interested in language & can create an emotional bond

- Children at 4 ½ mos. Are beginning to know their own name

Acquiring Language2. Learning Word Meanings- 18 mos. vocabulary takes off

Acquiring Language3. Acquiring Grammar- Children must learn grammar structure- Noam Chomsky: believes that children are

born with mental structures that facilitate comprehension & production of language

Acquiring Language- Ex. – children who are deaf, but not

taught ASL, seem to have grammar structure

- Dan Slobin believes that children have language-making-capacity innate guidelines/operating principles that children use in acquiring language

Acquiring Language- Often children when learning

language use overregularization grammatical error in which language rules are used too widely

- Ex. “ed” added to all words- “breaked”; “s” added to all words- “foots”

Social Development

Social Development• The ways in which individuals’

social interactions and expectations change across the life span

Social Development• Major psychologist, Erik Erikson and

his psychological stages- need to resolve conflicts to move into next stage- review chart…

Social Development1. Social Development in Childhood:- socialization- lifelong process

whereby an individual’s behavioral patterns, values, standards, skills, attitudes, and motives are shaped to conform to those regarded as desirable in a particular society

Social Development- Family is most important in shaping

how people relate to each other- Begins with attachment (emotional

relationship between a child & caregiver), basically for survival (at first)

Social Development- Separation anxiety- distress when

taken away from a person they are attached to; peaks 14-18 mos.

- Babies form attachments to individuals who consistently & appropriately respond to their signals (smiling, crying)

Social Development- Mary Ainsworth:

Strange-Situation Test:1. Securely Attached- distress when parent leaves, seek contact upon parent’s return2. Insecurely Attached-Avoidant- child is aloof, avoids parent upon their return

Social Development3. Insecurely Attached-Ambivalent/Resistant- child is upset and anxious when parent leaves, shows anger and resistance to parent upon their return, but desire comfort

Social Development4. Disorganized-disoriented-

child is confused about whether they should avoid or approach the parent upon return

Social Development- Parenting Style- manner in which

parents raise children*authoritative style is the best: (demand children to conform to appropriate rules of behavior, but keep channels of communication open)

Social Development

Responsive Unresponsive

Demanding Authoritative

Authoritarian

Undemanding Indulgent Neglectful

Responsiveness

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Social Development- Harry Harlow: discovered aspect of

contact comfort- comfort derived from infants physical contact with caregiver (why babies become “attached”)- consequences for humans if deprived of contact/comfort (physical and psychological issues)

Social Development2. Social Development in Adolescence:- G. Stanley Hall: “storm & stress”- to be in

turmoil is normal (older theory)- Reality = most adolescence are not

experiencing major turmoil; but, if they do, it would be during this period; increase in parent/child conflict

Social Development- Working on Identity:

A. 1st time peers compete with family to influence attitude & behavior (why friends are very important!), but this increases anxiety of being rejected

Social DevelopmentB. Parents and children must deal with transition in relationship; parents give up authority & allow child autonomy; important to have social support in environment; having future goals is important to working on identity

Social Development3. Social Development in Adulthood:

A. Tasks- intimacy (sexual, emotional & moral commitment to another person) & generativity (concern for the next generation) *Erikson

Social Development- birth of a child can pose a threat to a couple- studies show couples happier later in life; women seem to be more affected by an unhappy marriage (b/c they are trying to fix it)

Social Development- selective social interaction theory- as people age, they become more selective in choosing social partners who satisfy their emotional needs

Social Development- Generativity: a commitment beyond yourself

to family, work, society, or future generations- crucial step in 30s & 40s; if not apparent midlife crisis ?- sometimes see ageism- discrimination/prejudice against older people

Moral Development

Moral Developments• Moral Dilemmas!

Moral Development• A system of beliefs, values, and the

underlying judgments about the rightness and wrongness of human acts

Moral Development• Lawrence Kohlberg- studied

moral reasoning (not behavior!) and came up with theories of moral development; shaped by Piaget – ties moral devel. to cog. devel.

Moral Development- Lowest level of moral reasoning is

based on self-interest- Higher levels of moral reasoning

based on social good, regardless of personal gain

- 4 Principles of Kohlberg’s Model:

Moral Development1. Individual can only be in one stage at a

given time2. Everyone goes through stages in this

order3. Each stage is more complex than

preceding stage4. Same stages occur in every culture

Moral Development• Almost everyone reaches stage 3 by

age 13• Many people don’t pass stage 5• Later stages are subjective- don’t

seem to be more complex and are not apparent in every culture

Moral Development- Critics take issue with Kohlberg’s

claims of universality:- Carol Gilligan: his work only

focused on boys, overlooking potential differences between habitual moral judgments of men & women

Moral Development- Gilligan feels women’s moral devel. is based on “caring for others” & progresses to self-realization; basis for men is “standard of justice”- Gilligan’s theory broadened Kohlberg’s

Moral Development- However, research suggests she is incorrect to identify unique styles of moral reasoning for men & women

Moral DevelopmentCONCLUSION:1.Adult reasoning about moral

dilemmas is a mix between considerations of caring and justice

2.Culture can play a role in determining what is moral or not

Gender Development

Gender Development• Gender Group Discussion…

Gender Development• Sex differences- biologically based

characteristics that distinguish males and females– anatomy, hormones, & reproductive

functions– hormones might affect some behavior

more in boys who are more physically active and aggressive than girls

Gender Development• Gender- psychological, learned, sex-

related behaviors & attitudes (ideas about masculinity & femininity)• Gender Identity- an individual’s

sense of maleness or femaleness (an awareness & acceptance) 10-14 mos.

Gender Development• Gender Roles- patterns

of behavior regarded as appropriate for males & females in society; provide definitions for masculinity & femininity

Gender Development- Acquisition of Gender Roles:

- often begins at birth- parents describe & dress them differently- encourage them to play with “sex-appropriate” toys

Gender Development• Eleanor Maccoby: Young children are

segregationists themselves• Gender Differences- disparities

between the sexes in typical behavior or average ability

Gender Development• Why are there gender differences?

1. evolution2. exposure to hormones prenatally3. structural differences in the brain (males- more lateralization)

Gender Development4. environment: expectations about what is “appropriate” behavior for males and females- How do we learn these behaviors?operant conditioning, observational learning, self-socialization, socialization in society (family, school, media)

Gender Development• Research has pointed out that

many well-adjusted people are more androgynous in their gender roles