Unit 9: Development
Mod. 45 Developmental
Issues, Prenatal Development,
and Newborn
45.1 Developmental Psychology’s Major Issues
Developmental Psych: studies people from conception until death. Focus on
changes in body, thinking, and socialization
3 Major Issues
1. Nature v. Nurture: We are an interaction of both
2. Continuity and Stages
a. nature standpoint sees growth as changes (Piaget, Kohlberg, Erikson)
b. nurture sees growth as continuous development
3. Stability and Change
a. stability: our temperament is very stable
45.2 Prenatal Development and Newborn
Conception: Zygote→ Embryo→ Fetus
● affected by genetics and environment
● teratogens: chemicals and viruses that can reach
embryo/fetus and cause harm
○ fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
○ epigenetics: alcohol effects on the fetus can determine
if genes are expressed
45.3 The Competent Newborn
● reflexes when born...rooting, sucking
● difficult to test newborns so we use
habituation
○ responses decrease as become used to a
stimulus
Mod. 46 Infancy and
Childhood: Physical
Development
46.1
Maturation: biological growth that proceeds in orderly changes (nature)
● experience itself has very little effect
● can be affected by severe abuse or deprivation
Brain Development
● born with all the cells you will have but the brain is immature
○
neural networks of axons/dendrites grow or pruned down for efficiency
● 3-6yrs: frontal lobe has the most growth for planning
● association areas (thinking, memory, and language) last to develop
Motor Development
● physical coordination grows in conjunction with brain development
46.2 Brain Maturation and Infant Memories
● infantile amnesia: inability to recall memories before the
age of 4-5
○ likely due to the lack of language and underdeveloped
hippocampus
Mod. 47: Infancy and Childhood-Cognitive Development
47.1 How does a child’s mind develop?
Cognitive Development: all the mental activities associated
with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communication
● Piaget→ believed in stages
● cognition rooted in understanding our environment
○ accomplished through schemas
■ adjusted through assimilation and accommodation
Piaget’s Theory
1. Sensorimotor Stage: 0-2 years, lack object permanence
2. Preoperational Stage: 2-6/7 years, has language but lacks mental operations
and conservation
● modern thought: language and symbolic thinking happens earlier
● egocentrism
● Theory of Mind
3. Concrete-Operational Stage: 6-11 years, can perform mental operations and
can understand concrete events
4. Formal-Operational Stage: 12+ years, can think abstractly
● modern thought: thinking occurs gradually and earlier
Alternative Viewpoint-Lev Vygotsky: Scaffolding
● Russian psychologist
● emphasized use of language in thinking
○ inner speech can help us gain “control” of our behavior
● learn by interacting with others
○ language is a building block, scaffold!
48 Infancy/Childhood Social
Development
48.1 Origins of Attachment
● Attachment: strong tie/bond with one another
○
Harlow’s research
● Familiarity
○
○
critical period
imprinting
48.2 Attachment Differences: Temperament and
Parenting
Mary Ainsworth...Strange Situation Test
● observed infant at their homes to see how they react when mom leaves the
room and then in “strange” lab
○
○
secure attachment
insecure attachment
● Is this due to temperament or parenting?
○
temperament: emotional reactions and the intensity of reactions (nature!)
■ difficult, easy
Parenting Styles
1. Authoritarian: impose rules and expect obedience
2. Permissive: cave in to children’s desires, little to no demands from parents
3. Authoritative: demanding BUT responsive; set/enforce rules BUT explain why;
encourage discussion with kids