Developmental Psychology

*Unit 9

*prenatal development

*physical development

*cognitive development

*social/moral development

* Progress Before Birth:Prenatal Development

*3 phases

*germinal stage = first 2 weeks

*conception, implantation, formation of placenta

*embryonic stage = 2 weeks – 2 months

* formation of vital organs and systems

*fetal stage = 2 months – birth

*bodily growth continues, movement capability begins, brain cells multiply

*age of viability

* Stage Theories: Cognitive Development

*Jean Piaget (1920s-1980s)

*Assimilation/ Accommodation

*4 stages and major milestones

*Sensorimotor

*Object permanence

*Preoperational

*Centration, Egocentrism

*Concrete Operational

*Decentration, Reversibility, Conservation

*Formal Operational

*Abstraction

*Paiget

*cognitive development through stages

*driving force behind development: making sense of our experiences

*schemas

*assimilation

*accommodation

*sensorimotor stage*birth to 2 years

*infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

*object permanence

*the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

*preoperational stage* age 2 to 6-7

* child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

* conservation

* properties such as mass, volume and number remain the same despite changes in the form of objects

* lacking in the preoperational stage

* centration

* the tendency to focus on just one feature of a problem, neglecting other important aspects

*egocentrism

* the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

*concrete operational stage*age 6 to 7-11

*children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

*understand conservation and mathematical transformations

*formal operational stage*beginning at age 12, person can think

logically about abstract concepts

*thinking about actual experience to thinking about imagined reality and symbols

*Vygotsky

*children construct their knowledge

*development can not be separated from its social context

*learning can lead development

*language plays a central role in mental development

*scaffolding

*zone of proximal development

*social development

*attachment:

* an emotional tie with another person, shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

* intense parent/child bond

* stranger anxiety

* infants’ fear of strangers

* 8 months

* critical period

* an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces optimal development

* attachment differences and temperament

*secure attachment* 60% of infants

* explore environment in mother’s presence, distressed when she leaves, seek contact when she returns

*insecure attachment* less inclined to explore environment

* persistent distress when she leaves and/or indifference when she returns

*temperament

*a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

*parenting styles*authoritarian

*parents set rigid rules, enforce strict punishments, and rarely listen to their child’s point of view

*authoritative

*parents set firm rules, make reasonable demands, and listen to their child’s viewpoint while still insisting on responsible behavior

*permissive

*parents set few rules, make minimal demands, and allow their children to reach their own conclusions

* Stage Theories of Development: Personality

*Stage theories, three components

*progress through stages in order

*progress through stages related to age

*major discontinuities in development

*Erik Erikson (1963)

*Eight stages spanning the lifespan

*Psychosocial crises determining balance between opposing polarities in personality

*Social Development:Identity

*social tasks and challenges of adolescence

*psychosocial stages:

*Erikson’s theory that individuals pass through eight developmental stages, each involving a crisis that must be successfully resolved

*trust vs. mistrust

*a totally dependent infant will develop an optimistic, trusting attitude toward the world depending on whether his biological needs are adequately met by his caregivers and sound attachments are formed

*autonomy vs. doubt and shame

*child aged 2-3 years must begin to regulate some behavior, taking some personal responsibility for feeding, dressing, and bathing. The child will develop a sense of self-sufficiency or a sense of personal shame and self-doubt depending on whether his efforts are met with approval or dissatisfaction

*initiative vs. guilt

*a child aged 3-6 years begins to take initiative that conflicts with parental wishes. Over-controlling parents may instill feelings of guilt and damage self-esteem. Supportive parents encourage emerging independence while providing appropriate controls.

*industry vs. inferiority

*a child aged 6 – puberty extends social functioning beyond the family. The child must learn that productivity is valued in this sphere to achieve a sense of competence, or he will develop a sense of inferiority.

*identity vs. role confusion

*from ages 12- 20, the major task is to build a consistent identity, a unified sense of self. Failure of teens to achieve a sense of identity results in role confusion and uncertainty about the future

*intimacy vs. isolation

*from ages 21 – 40, the major task is to achieve intimacy (deeply caring about others and having meaningful experiences with them). Otherwise, we experience isolation, feeling alone and uncared for in life.

*generativity vs. stagnation

*from age 45 – 65, adults need to express their caring about future generations by guiding/mentoring others or producing creative work that enriches the lives of others. Failing this, people become stagnant and preoccupied with their own needs and comforts.

*integrity vs. despair

*from age 65 to death, people who look back on their lives with satisfaction develop a sense of wholeness and integrity. Those in despair look back with regret and disappointment in the lives they have led.

*The Development of Moral Reasoning

*Kohlberg (1976)

*Reasoning as opposed to behavior

*Moral dilemmas

*Measured nature and progression of moral reasoning

*3 levels, each with 2 sublevels

*Preconventional

*Conventional

*Postconventional

*3 major developmental issues

*nature and nurture

*continuity and stages

*stability and change