Developmental
Psychology
7-9% Of AP Psychology Exam
Development includes the
processes and stages of
growth from conception
across the lifespan. Includes
changes in physical,
cognitive, moral and social
behaviors.
Prenatal Development
Fertilization
Pre-Natal
Development
• Germinal Stage = 1-2 wks
(Zygote)
• Embryonic Stage = 2 months
(heart, nerv syst, etc.)
• Fetal Stage = remainder of
pregnancy(organs…)
Risks During
Pregnancy
ILLNESSES
-RUBELLA
TERATOGENS
-DRUGS
-ALCOHOL
Video: The
Biology of
Prenatal
Development
 Take notes as you view
the video:
Infancy
Physical Development
 Growth Rate declines during infancy but is faster
than any other post natal period
 Neo-Natal Reflexes (until about 4 months) such as:
 Babinski (big toe moves toward the top surface
of the foot and the other toes fan out after the
sole of the foot has been firmly stroked)
 Startle Reflx
 Grasping, Stepping, Rooting, Pursing lips,
Withdrawal from pain
Cognitive Development
 Preference for facelike patterns
 6-12 mo =
remember,
recognize, & react
 12 mo = reasoning
& higher level
cognitive functions
What are babies thinking? Ted Talks
Development of Knowledge
Theory = Piaget
 Building blocks of human dev
= SCHEMAS
 Generalized mental
representation
 Assimilation = using existing
schemas & apply to new info
 Accommodation = change
schema
Four Stages
1.
Sensorimotor
birth – 2 yrs
2.
Preoperational 2-7 yrs
3.
Concrete Operational
4.
Formal Operational
7-11 yrs
11 into adulthood
•Infant = Scientists!
•learn about the world through
senses and body movements
1 to 4 mo = Learn to combine
two reflexes
4 to 8 mo = Improve hand-
eye coordination
Step Four 8 to 12 months
• Intentional behavior
•They learn certain actions lead to certain
results
•Imitates others
•Love playing Peek-A-Boo
•Learn Object Permanence
12 to 18 mo =
• Trial and error:
Push a cracker off a high
chair and watch it fall to the
floor. Then does it again
•Can find hidden objects
•Understands that objects
exist independently
18 to 24 mo= Begin to experiment mentally as
well as physically
•They think about what they are going to do
before they do it
• Ages 2 to 7
•Basic Mental operations
start replacing sensorimotor
activities as the primary way
to learn
•Make-believe play is used
to create and express all
kinds of mental images
Children learn mostly by language and mental images
I “eated” my apple
No, it’s ate
Then I “ated” my apple
Everyone
views the
world like
I do
I don’t want to go to
sleep! I’m not tired!
Use
feeling to
solve
problems
rather
than logic
He hurt my feelings
so I hit him!
•learning multiple classification–
the ability to understand that an
object may fit into more than one
category
•learning seriation—the ability top
order groups of things by size,
weight, or any common property
– For example arranging beads on a
bracelet from smallest to largest
•They think the same
amount of liquid is
more when poured
into a tall think glass.
•To them taller means
more!
My birthday is
before Christmas
and after
Halloween
•Children may not
be aware of what is
real and what is
make-believe