Developmental Psychology

The study of you from the womb to the tomb

Nature Vs. Nurture

-Are you YOU because of:

Nature: The way you were born

or

Nurture:The way you were raised?

Prenatal Development

-Conception begins with the drop of an egg and the release of about 200 million sperm (wow, fellas)

- The Sperm seeks out the egg and attempts to penetrate the egg's surface

-A Zygote is the FIRST  STAGE of prenatal development, and lasts about 2 weeks. It consists mainly of rapid cell division

-less than half of zygotes  survive the first 2 weeks 

- About 10 days after conception, the zygote will attach 

-the outer part becomes the Placenta, which filters nutrients

-The Embryo lasts about 6 week. It is the SECOND STAGE. At this stage, the heart begins to beat and organs begin to develop

-The Fetus is the THIRD STAGE to prenatal Development

- at this point, the stomach and organs have formed 

-the baby can hear and recognize sounds and has stimuli to light

Teratogens are chemical agents that can harm the prenatal environment, like:

- Alcohol (FAS) 

- HIV

-Herpes

Childbirth

Healthy newborns:

-Turn heads toward voices

-Sees 8-12 inches away from face

-Gaze longer at humanlike objects

Reflexes- are inborn automatic responses 

Rooting Reflexes: Baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to open the mouth, and search for the nipple 

Maturation

The physical growth, regardless of environment

Puberty

-A period of sexual maturation. During which, a person becomes capable of reproduction.

Primary Sexual Characteristics

- Body structures that make reproduction possible

-Testes -Ovaries -Ect.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics

-Non-reproductive sexual characteristics

-Widening of hips   - Lower Voice   -Breast Development   -Hair growth

Landmarks for maturation

-Menarche (F) Period

-Permarche (M) Ejaculation

Adulthood

Peaks at mid 20s

Physical milestones

-Menopause; the stop of menstrual cycle

Death

There are 5 main stages of death that a person  must overcome according to Elizabeth Kubler- Ross

1.) Denial

2.) Anger

3.) Bargaining

4.) Depression

5.) Acceptance

Social Development

Stranger Anxiety is when an infant encounters a stranger and displays anxiety 

Separation Anxiety is when a child is separated from the parents and is distraught

Attachment-  was studied by Harry Harlow and his monkeys in which Harry showed that monkeys needed to touch and feel in order to form attachment

Critical Period is the optimal period in a child's life, shortly after birth in which an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produce proper development

there are 3 forms of attachment

Secure- When the parents are able to go to work and the child is comfortable

Avoidant- when the parents are returned and the child avoids them because they are upset that the parent has abandoned them

Anxious/Ambivalent- The child feels ambivalent because of the caregiver's inconsistency in availability

Parenting

there are 3 main types of parenting

Authoritarian- parents are the bosses

Permissive- Laissez Faire- the kids are in charge

Authoritative- Parents and kids come together as a compromise

ERIK ERIKSON

was a Neo-Freudian  that thought that our personality was influenced by experiences with others

Stg 1: Trust Vs. Mistrust

-yrs 0-2

- The trust that they develop can carry on with the child for the rest of their life

Stg 2: Autonomy Vs. Shame definition

-yrs 1-3

-"NO" 

- Toddlers begin to control their bodies

- can they learn to control themselves?

Stg 3: Initiative Vs. Guilt

-yrs 3-6

-"WHY"

- is their curiosity scolded or encouraged?

- they want to understand the world and ask questions

Stg 4: Industry Inferiority

-school begins

-evaluated by formal system and peers

-do we feel good about our accomplishments? (inferiority complex)

Stg 5: Identity Vs. Role Confusion

-teenage years

-try out different role

Stg 6:Intimacy Vs. Isolation

-Early Adulthood

-balance work and relationships

Stg 7: Generality Vs. Stagnation

-yrs 40-50

-mid life crisis

-Will i be successful in life?

Stg 8: Integrity Vs. Despair

-looks back on life

-was my life meaningful?

Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget

Believed that kids  learned differently than adults

Schemas- Understanding the world around us

*basically what you first picture when you think of something

Assimilation: incorporating new experiences into existing schemas

Accomodation: Changing an existing schema to adopt new information 

Conservation- The idea that quantity remains the same despite changes in appearances. It is a part of logical thinking

Stages of cognitive development

Stg 1: Sensorimotor stage

-yrs 0-2

-do not have object permanence

-respond based upon senses

Stg 2: Preoperational Stage

-yrs 2-7 

-have object permanence

- begin to use language to represent objects and ideas

-egocentric- cannot look at the world through anyone's eyes but their own

Stg 3: Concrete Operational Stage

-yrs 7-11

-can demonstrate concept of conservation

-learn to think logically

Stg 4: Formal Operational Stage

-Abstract Reasoning

-Can manipulate objects 

-hypothesis testing

-trial and error

-metacognition

-not every adult gets to this stage

Types of Intelligence

there are 2 Types of intelligence

-Crystallized Intelligence is accumulated knowledge that increases with age

-Fluid Intelligence is the ability to solve problems quickly and think abstracly.

Moral Development

was studied by Lawrence Kohlberg and was sectioned into 3 stages

Stg 1: Preconventional morality

- based on rewards and punishment system

Stg 2: Conventional morality

- Morality based on how others see you

Stg 3: Post Conventional morality

-Based on self defined ethical principles

-based on your own set of  ethics