Developing Through the Lifespan
AKA: Developmental Psychology
Myers Chapter 4:
Physical
Cognitive
Social
In the Womb…
• Zygote- Embryo- Fetus- Birth (Infant)
• Genetic (Down Syndrome) and environmental
factors affect development in the womb:
Nutrients vs. teratogens (fetal alcohol syndrome)
Infancy and Early Childhood
NEWBORNS
• Born with survival mechanisms: rooting, and
facial identification.
• Knows its mother’s smell within days
• Recognizes mother’s voice by 3-weeks.
• Habituation: can distinguish colors, shapes, and
sounds
Infancy and Early Childhood
• The brain- neural networks are established in
the womb, BUT have rapid growth after birth.
• Ages 3 – 6 the frontal lobe rapidly developenables rational planning.
• Association areas of the cortex (thinking,
memory and language) develop last
• Maturation- biological process of growth
accounts for commonalities
Motor development commonalities
• Universal sequence- varying timing.
▫ Roll over before sitting
▫ Creep before walking
• Genetic role- identical twins often on same day
• Experience- little effect for physical skills
The magic age… 3.5
• At this age language areas of the cortex have
developed
• This is why memories before age 3 are
unreliable… there is not language to translate
those memories into.
Schema
• Schemas- concepts or frameworks that we use to
organize and interpret new experiences
▫ Assimilate- interpreting a new experience in terms
of our current schema (all 4-legged animals are
dogs)
▫ Accommodate- adjusting our current
understanding to incorporate new information.
Jean PiagetCognitive Development
• Sensorimotor- birth to 2- experience world
through senses and actions.
• Object permanence- things still
exist even when out of sight…
around 8 months of age.
“I am the center of the world”
• Preoperational stage- until age 6 or 7
• Egocentric- can not perceive from another’s
point of view (DOES NOT MEAN SELFISH)
• Lack “theory of mind” or ability to read another’s
intentions or mental state
▫ Remember the moving doll experiment!
Concrete Operational Stage
•Ages 6-7
•Logical thinking about concrete events, analogies,
mathematical operations
•Conservation- quantity remains the same despite changes
in shape- develops during this stage
Formal Operational Stage
• By age 12
• Abstract thinking: imagined realities and
symbols. If-then logical reasoning, hypotheticals
Social Development
• Attachment bond- survival- keep close to
caregivers- not only b/c they provide
nourishment, but body contact (Harlow)
• Familiarity leads to attachment development
• Imprinting- humans don’t “imprint” we attached
to what they know
• Critical period- generally by age 2 1/2
Attachment
Secure
Insecure
• Sensitive, responsive parents
• Insensitive and unresponsive
parenting style
• Some genetic influence on
temperament
• When left will be distressed,
but soon play and then seek
parent attention when they
return
• Erik Erickson- Basic Trust- the
world is sensible and reliableis a result
• Less likely to explore their
surroundings, cry and remain
upset when parent leaves
• May be indifferent to the
coming or going
• Adult relationships tend to
reflect the attachment style of
early childhood.
Parenting Style
Authoritarian
Permissive
Authoritative
• Impose rules
• Submit to child’s
desires make few
demands
• Demanding and
responsive – set
rules but discuss
• Few rules and
punishments
• Develops high self
esteem, selfreliance, and social
competence
• Expect obedience
• “Because I said so”
• Correlation is not
causation
Kohlberg’s Moral Ladder
Postconventional
level
Morality of abstract
principles: to affirm
agreed-upon rights and
personal ethical principles
Conventional
level
Morality of law and
social rules: to gain
approval or avoid
disapproval
Pre-conventional
level
Morality of self-interest:
to avoid punishment
or gain concrete rewards
As moral development
progresses, the focus of
concern moves from
the self to the wider
social world. SAME AS
COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT!
Adolescence
Physical Development
• Puberty- begins
▫ Around age 12 for girls and 14 for boys
• Early maturation is good for boys and more
stressful for girls
Erikson- Childhood Stages
• Infancy (to 1 year): trust vs. mistrust
• Toddlerhood (1 – 2 years) Autonomy vs. shame
and doubt
• Preschooler (3 – 5) Initiative vs. guilt
Erikson- School-age Stages
• Elementary school (6 yrs to puberty)
Competence vs. Inferiority
• Adolescence (teens into 20’s) Identity vs. Role
Confusion
▫ Role confusion is typical- and identity
(comfortable sense of self) is evolving.
▫ Erikson believed that a clear and comfortable
identity is necessary for establishing close
relationships.
Erikson Stages- The Later Years
• Young Adulthood ( 20’s to early 40’s) Intimacy
vs. Isolation
• Middle Adulthood (40’s to 60’s) Generativety vs.
Stagnation
• Late Adulthood (60’s +) Integrity vs. despair
Adulthood
Physical Changes
• Muscular strength reaction time, sensory
keenness, and cardiac output peek at mid 20
▫ accelerated during middle adulthood.
• Life expectancy is around 80 years (49 in 1950)
▫ In later life short term illnesses are fewer, but life
threatening illnesses are more evident
▫ Brains remain healthy, except in Alzheimer's
patients
Adulthood and intelligence
• Recognition is easier than recall- ability to
recognize lists of words remains consistent.
• Capacity to learn and remember is effected less
than verbal recall. * the older the person, the
more reminder cues they may need.
Age and intelligence
• Fluid intelligence (ability to reason quickly and
abstractly) declines with age especially in late
adulthood
• Crystallized intelligence (accumulated
knowledge and verbal skills) increases up to old
age
Teenagers- experience
highs and lows, recover
in about one hour
Adults- moods are less
extreme and more
enduring
Older adults- less intense
joy but more
contentment and
spirituality
Life Satisfaction
All ages report feelings
of happiness and
satisfaction with life.
As we age we
experience less
excitement, intense
pride, but also less
depression