Developmental ControversiesDevelopmental Controversies

ControversiesControversies

Nature vs. Nurture (Maturation vs. Nature vs. Nurture (Maturation vs. Experience)- Genes or life experience?Experience)- Genes or life experience?

Nature/ (inherent) Biology/pre-Nature/ (inherent) Biology/pre-determined maturation- Historically this determined maturation- Historically this was thought of as the most important was thought of as the most important (Darwin’s evolutionary theory)(Darwin’s evolutionary theory)

– Development is determined by…. Development is determined by…. Inheritance, (inherent) Biology, GenesInheritance, (inherent) Biology, Genes

GenesGenes Body type- Strength, weight, muscle to Body type- Strength, weight, muscle to weight ratios; Cognitive abilitiesweight ratios; Cognitive abilities– Temperament/personalityTemperament/personality

Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture– Nurture/Environment- 1930’s-70’s; Nurture/Environment- 1930’s-70’s;

thought of as the most important thought of as the most important (think (think “Watson or Skinner” and “behaviorism”)“Watson or Skinner” and “behaviorism”)

Environment- Has many meanings: Environment- Has many meanings: parents, school, peers, SESparents, school, peers, SES

– Enrichment- Mediates limiting biological Enrichment- Mediates limiting biological factors- factors-

A good environment can overcome poor A good environment can overcome poor biological starting points (or vice versa).biological starting points (or vice versa).

Examples?Examples? Head Start programsHead Start programs

Nature vs. NurtureNature vs. Nurture

What do we know now?– Infants have some abilities at birth– Experience does matter

there is often an interaction between nature and nurture (i.e., IQ, temperament)

– Children have a “reaction range” Born with a genetic potential But the environment one grows up in can

enhance it or make it worse Stress-Vulnerability Model

of Disorders

ControversiesControversies Continuity vs. Discontinuity- Continuity vs. Discontinuity-

– smooth and constant?smooth and constant?– step-like; each step being independent of the step-like; each step being independent of the

other?other?

Development is Development is ContinuousContinuous- e.g. Language- e.g. Language– Gradual- AdditiveGradual- Additive– Smooth CurveSmooth Curve– Skills develop and build upon each otherSkills develop and build upon each other

Development is Development is DiscontinuousDiscontinuous- Cog dev.- Cog dev.– Occurs in stagesOccurs in stages– Later skills are not connected to early onesLater skills are not connected to early ones

ControversiesControversies Active vs. PassiveActive vs. Passive

– Active participants in development?- Do Active participants in development?- Do children seek out events and activities children seek out events and activities that foster their development?that foster their development?

Does their behavior solicit responses?Does their behavior solicit responses? Do they influence their caregivers’ Do they influence their caregivers’

behavior?behavior?

– Passive role in their development?Passive role in their development? Does development happen to them, with no Does development happen to them, with no

influence on their part?influence on their part? Examples?Examples?

ControversiesControversies

Critical vs. Sensitive Periods Critical vs. Sensitive Periods ((not so much a controversy as a not so much a controversy as a distinction)distinction)

– Critical Period- Specific time during Critical Period- Specific time during development when an individual is development when an individual is most susceptible to lasting most susceptible to lasting environmental influences.environmental influences.

Usually a disruption in a biological Usually a disruption in a biological processprocess– Example: Alcohol exposure to a fetusExample: Alcohol exposure to a fetus

Cannot be altered by positive influences Cannot be altered by positive influences afterwardsafterwards

Critical vs SensitiveCritical vs Sensitive

Sensitive Period- Period of time during which Sensitive Period- Period of time during which exposure to a specific environmental condition exposure to a specific environmental condition (or lack of exposure) has the(or lack of exposure) has the potential potential for the for the greatest influence.greatest influence.– Often talking about an environmental effectOften talking about an environmental effect– Example: Divorce and Dating parentsExample: Divorce and Dating parents

Best way to distinguish the two is by the Best way to distinguish the two is by the “specific time period” and the finality of the “specific time period” and the finality of the consequence.consequence.

Optimal Period- When is the best time to Optimal Period- When is the best time to experience a particular environmental eventexperience a particular environmental event– Example: Bilingualism- Best if exposure before the Example: Bilingualism- Best if exposure before the

age of 5.age of 5.

Student ExamplesStudent Examples

Nature/NurtureNature/Nurture Continuous/DiscontinuousContinuous/Discontinuous Active vs. PassiveActive vs. Passive Critical vs. SensitiveCritical vs. Sensitive Stability vs. ChangeStability vs. Change

Additional Issues when Additional Issues when Studying ChildrenStudying Children

Developmental Developmental Methods and Designs Methods and Designs of Researchof Research

Please refer to your text (p. 41-64) and Please refer to your text (p. 41-64) and let CJ know if you have questionslet CJ know if you have questions

Themes/Terms to know:Themes/Terms to know:– Naturalistic Observation vs Structured Naturalistic Observation vs Structured

ObservationObservation– Why correlation does not equal causationWhy correlation does not equal causation

2 primary reasons in your text2 primary reasons in your text– Third variable problemThird variable problem– DirectionalityDirectionality

– Difference between correlational designs, Difference between correlational designs, experimental designs, cross-sectional experimental designs, cross-sectional designs, longitudinal designs, and designs, longitudinal designs, and microgenetic designs. microgenetic designs.

Difficulties in Studying Difficulties in Studying Infants and Young ChildrenInfants and Young Children

Ethics and Informed ConsentEthics and Informed Consent– Issues?Issues?– Who is giving the consent?Who is giving the consent?– How do you debrief a 3 year old?How do you debrief a 3 year old?– Will your research paradigm Will your research paradigm

permanently affect the child?permanently affect the child?

Difficulties in Studying Difficulties in Studying Infants and Young ChildrenInfants and Young Children

What are we measuring?What are we measuring?– Can we be sure?Can we be sure?– Infants can’t talk, can’t tell us what they Infants can’t talk, can’t tell us what they

are thinking. Must INFER results. are thinking. Must INFER results. LOOKING RESPONSE- novelty/ preference/videoLOOKING RESPONSE- novelty/ preference/video

– Young children don’t have words to Young children don’t have words to express abstract thoughts- Can you really express abstract thoughts- Can you really ask “Why”?ask “Why”?

Individual differencesIndividual differences– Developmental range of ability Developmental range of ability

acquisition is huge (relatively)acquisition is huge (relatively) Language, crawlingLanguage, crawling As children age, this range grows As children age, this range grows

smallersmaller

– How do we know child’s “different” How do we know child’s “different” time in acquiring skill isn’t within time in acquiring skill isn’t within normal limits?normal limits?

Difficulties in Studying Difficulties in Studying Infants and Young ChildrenInfants and Young Children

Changes over timeChanges over time– Can we measure the same Can we measure the same

thing exactly at 6 months old thing exactly at 6 months old and at 36 months?and at 36 months?

Example: Assessing Preference of Example: Assessing Preference of StimuliStimuli– Looking (or sucking) response vs. Looking (or sucking) response vs. – Verbal or gestural choiceVerbal or gestural choice

Difficulties in Studying Difficulties in Studying Infants and Young ChildrenInfants and Young Children

Other IssuesOther Issues– Experimenter influence on the child- Experimenter influence on the child-

Experimenter is NOT the momExperimenter is NOT the mom– Experiences outside the laboratory- Experiences outside the laboratory-

creates diff behavior, heart rate, etccreates diff behavior, heart rate, etc– Longitudinal research and cross Longitudinal research and cross

sectional researchsectional research

Difficulties in Studying Difficulties in Studying Infants and Young ChildrenInfants and Young Children

How do we assess (aka what How do we assess (aka what research techniques) infants research techniques) infants and young children?and young children?

Cognitive Ability: ImitationCognitive Ability: Imitation– Meltzoff and 17 minutesMeltzoff and 17 minutes

Sucking response to measure several thingsSucking response to measure several things non-nutritive suckingnon-nutritive sucking Increased response with novelty (indicates ability to Increased response with novelty (indicates ability to

differentiate)differentiate) Increased response with mom’s smell, voice (indicates Increased response with mom’s smell, voice (indicates

recognition)recognition) Response to novelty to measure several thingsResponse to novelty to measure several things

Many ways to measure (above)Many ways to measure (above) Rovee-Collier leg movement- Mobile switch- VIDEORovee-Collier leg movement- Mobile switch- VIDEO

Visual OrientationVisual Orientation– Distinction between novel/familiarDistinction between novel/familiar

Preference for noveltyPreference for novelty Fagan Test of Infant IntelligenceFagan Test of Infant Intelligence

– Abstract faces preferred to scenic picsAbstract faces preferred to scenic pics DRAWN FACEDRAWN FACE AutismAutism

– Faces preferred to abstract picsFaces preferred to abstract pics Infant monkeysInfant monkeys

– Monkey faces to human facesMonkey faces to human faces

– Black & White to colorBlack & White to color

How do we assess (aka what How do we assess (aka what research techniques) infants research techniques) infants and young children?and young children?

Physiological ResponsePhysiological Response– Respiration, heart rate, saliva (cortisol), Respiration, heart rate, saliva (cortisol),

pet scans, MRI, FMRIpet scans, MRI, FMRI

Developmental AssessmentsDevelopmental Assessments– Standardized tests- ExamplesStandardized tests- Examples

Infants- APGAR –Immediately after birth. Infants- APGAR –Immediately after birth. Bayley Scales of Infant DevelopmentBayley Scales of Infant Development

Young Children- Motor Development Scales, IQ, Young Children- Motor Development Scales, IQ, Adaptive Behavior Scales, LanguageAdaptive Behavior Scales, Language

Middle School- Academic performance, Middle School- Academic performance, Achievement, Skills assessmentsAchievement, Skills assessments

How do we assess (aka what How do we assess (aka what research techniques) infants research techniques) infants and young children?and young children?

Parent/teacher Reports- often in conjunction Parent/teacher Reports- often in conjunction with another techniquewith another technique

– Surprisingly CandidSurprisingly Candid– Problems?Problems?

ObservationObservation– Lab environment, structured and well controlledLab environment, structured and well controlled– Home observation, naturalisticHome observation, naturalistic– See the same things in the lab/home?See the same things in the lab/home?

Parent-child relationshipParent-child relationship– Attachment, interactions reAttachment, interactions researchsearch– Video record- wealth of datVideo record- wealth of data- 1st year Birthdaya- 1st year Birthday

VideosVideos

How do we assess (aka what How do we assess (aka what research techniques) infants research techniques) infants and young children?and young children?