Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology

DevelopmentDevelopment

• Developmental psychologyDevelopmental psychologyo Studies maturation of human behavior Studies maturation of human behavior

over timeover timeo Recent shift from adolescent studies to Recent shift from adolescent studies to

lifespan researchlifespan research

• MaturationMaturationo Individual growth and developmentIndividual growth and developmento Biologically basedBiologically basedo What is the interaction between What is the interaction between

hereditary and environment?hereditary and environment?

DevelopmentDevelopment

• Prenatal developmentPrenatal developmento Fertilized ovum considered a fetus from 8 Fertilized ovum considered a fetus from 8

weeks after time of conception (until birth)weeks after time of conception (until birth)

o Exposure to teratogens (viruses, Exposure to teratogens (viruses, chemicals, drugs) during pregnancy can chemicals, drugs) during pregnancy can impair brain developmentimpair brain development

o Congenital problems Congenital problems • Problems originating during fetal period Problems originating during fetal period

(e.g., FAS)(e.g., FAS)• Present at birthPresent at birth

DevelopmentDevelopment

• InfancyInfancyo Newborns have simple adaptive reflexesNewborns have simple adaptive reflexes

• Rooting reflexRooting reflex• Tonic neck reflexTonic neck reflex• Palmar grasp reflexPalmar grasp reflex• Plantar reflexPlantar reflex

o Motor reflexes develop during later Motor reflexes develop during later critical periodscritical periods

• Smiling, turning head, rolling over, crawling, Smiling, turning head, rolling over, crawling, walkingwalking

PiagetPiaget

• AssimilationAssimilationo occurs when new experiences are occurs when new experiences are

incorporated into existing schemaincorporated into existing schema

• AccommodationAccommodationo occurs by changing existing schemas to occurs by changing existing schemas to

accommodate new information accommodate new information o can be a more difficult process can be a more difficult process

PiagetPiaget

• Stages of Cognitive DevelopmentStages of Cognitive Developmento Cognitive schemas Cognitive schemas

o Emphasized how children’s mental Emphasized how children’s mental abilities progress qualitatively on a abilities progress qualitatively on a fixed sequence of stagesfixed sequence of stages

o At each stage of development, children At each stage of development, children use a distinct type of thought to guide use a distinct type of thought to guide thinking thinking

PiagetPiaget

• Sensorimotor Stage (0 - 2 years)Sensorimotor Stage (0 - 2 years) o Earliest stageEarliest stageo Child is completely egocentricChild is completely egocentrico No sense that objects are separate from No sense that objects are separate from

themselvesthemselveso Thought and action virtually identical as child Thought and action virtually identical as child

exploresexploreso Learning occurs through use of hands and mouthLearning occurs through use of hands and moutho Object permanenceObject permanence

• The understanding an object continues to exist The understanding an object continues to exist even when you can't see it or touch it even when you can't see it or touch it

PiagetPiaget

• Preoperational (2-7 years) Preoperational (2-7 years) o Conserving number, length, amount, area, Conserving number, length, amount, area,

weight, and volume is difficult weight, and volume is difficult o Perceptual impression chosen over logicPerceptual impression chosen over logico Putting self in another person’s place is Putting self in another person’s place is

difficult difficult o Interrelating several ideas at once is difficult Interrelating several ideas at once is difficult o Contradicting themselves is not a problemContradicting themselves is not a problemo Language acquisition and symbolic thinkingLanguage acquisition and symbolic thinking

PiagetPiaget

• Concrete Operational (7-11 years) Concrete Operational (7-11 years) o First true classification abilities appear First true classification abilities appear o Thinking can be reversed and a sequence Thinking can be reversed and a sequence

of changes can be held in the mindof changes can be held in the mindo Awareness of other people’s viewpointsAwareness of other people’s viewpointso Awareness of changeable conditions Awareness of changeable conditions

develops develops o Appearance of systematic and logical Appearance of systematic and logical

reasoning reasoning

PiagetPiaget

• Formal Operational (12+ years) Formal Operational (12+ years) o Ability to recombine groups into fewer or Ability to recombine groups into fewer or

broader categories developsbroader categories developso Defining concepts using other abstract Defining concepts using other abstract

concepts is possible concepts is possible o Can use analogies to understand concepts Can use analogies to understand concepts o Independent, abstract thinking Independent, abstract thinking o Can think about thinkingCan think about thinking

DevelopmentDevelopment

• Critical periodsCritical periodso Genetically pre-determined maturation Genetically pre-determined maturation

phasesphases

o Periods of extremely high sensitivity to Periods of extremely high sensitivity to stimuli from environment that shape stimuli from environment that shape future developmentfuture development

o Victor of Aveyron/L'Enfant Sauvage (1799) Victor of Aveyron/L'Enfant Sauvage (1799)

o Calrson et al. (1987) visual deprivation in Calrson et al. (1987) visual deprivation in monkeysmonkeys

DevelopmentDevelopment

• ImprintingImprintingo Duckling studies (Lorenz)Duckling studies (Lorenz)

• Hatching appears to be a critical period for Hatching appears to be a critical period for ducklingsducklings

• 11stst large moving object they see becomes large moving object they see becomes imprinted as the motherimprinted as the mother

o Early animal imprinting with humans = Early animal imprinting with humans = good petsgood pets

o Harlow’s rhesus monkeys Harlow’s rhesus monkeys

DevelopmentDevelopment

• Parenting stylesParenting styleso AuthoritativeAuthoritativeo AuthoritarianAuthoritariano PermissivePermissiveo UninvolvedUninvolved

DevelopmentDevelopment

• How important are peers to child How important are peers to child development?development?

o Childhood friendships almost Childhood friendships almost exclusively same-sexexclusively same-sex

o Peer statusPeer status• Rejected childrenRejected children• Neglected childrenNeglected children

• Preconventional moralityPreconventional moralityo Follow moral rules to avoid punishment or obtain Follow moral rules to avoid punishment or obtain

rewardsrewards• Conventional moralityConventional morality

o Define what is right by the standards learned from Define what is right by the standards learned from othersothers

o Internal belief in the moral rules learnedInternal belief in the moral rules learned• Postconventional moralityPostconventional morality

o Use of self-defined moral principles that may not Use of self-defined moral principles that may not match match

conventional moral beliefsconventional moral beliefso Morals defined by one’s culture may be viewed as a Morals defined by one’s culture may be viewed as a

social social contract and potentially fallible contract and potentially fallible

Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral Kohlberg’s Levels of Moral DevelopmentDevelopment

Kohlberg’s Moral DevelopmentKohlberg’s Moral Development Theory Theory

Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages of DevelopmentDevelopment

MethodologyMethodology

• Cross-sectional designCross-sectional designo Studying separate groups at the same timeStudying separate groups at the same timeo Sample of 8Sample of 8thth, 10, 10thth, and 12, and 12thth graders graderso Be aware of potential confoundsBe aware of potential confounds

• Longitudinal designLongitudinal design o Studying the same individuals/group over timeStudying the same individuals/group over timeo Sample of 8Sample of 8thth graders tested again in 10 graders tested again in 10thth and and

1212thth grade gradeo Be aware of attritionBe aware of attrition

DisordersDisorders

• PicaPica• DyslexiaDyslexia• EnuresisEnuresis• Hyperactivity Hyperactivity (ADD, ADHD)(ADD, ADHD) • Tourette’s SyndromeTourette’s Syndrome

DisordersDisorders• AutismAutism

o Extreme social withdrawal + impaired Extreme social withdrawal + impaired verbal/nonverbal communication skillsverbal/nonverbal communication skills

o Physical condition linked to abnormal chemistry Physical condition linked to abnormal chemistry in brain in brain

o Asperger syndromeAsperger syndrome• Milder form of autismMilder form of autism• Delayed motor development milestones, child may Delayed motor development milestones, child may

appear appear

to be somewhat clumsyto be somewhat clumsy• Lacks ability to reciprocate emotions in social settingsLacks ability to reciprocate emotions in social settings• Intense preoccupation with narrow area of interest Intense preoccupation with narrow area of interest

(phone (phone

books, train schedules, etc.)books, train schedules, etc.)

Death and GriefDeath and Grief

• 5 Stages of Grief (Kubler-Ross, 1977) 5 Stages of Grief (Kubler-Ross, 1977) o DenialDenialo Bargaining/rationalizationBargaining/rationalizationo AngerAngero Grief/sadnessGrief/sadnesso AcceptanceAcceptance