CHAPTER 9 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
developmental psychology: the study of physical, mental, and social
development thru out the lifespan
the lifespan is from
GENETICS
genes: the biological blueprints that determine our hereditary traits
EX:
chromosomes contain all of our genes and are made of twisted
strands of DNA
of chromosomes
autosomes: control physical and mental traits;
sex chromosomes (or gametes): these determine your sex;
XX- girl
XY- boy
father determines the sex of the child (can give X or Y
chromosome and mothers can only give X)
We can be homozygous or heterozygous for a certain gene
if you are homozygous, both of your parents passed
on the same info for a trait
if you are heterozygous, your parents passed on different info
for a trait
Genes can be either dominant or recessive
dominant genes: are strongly expressed when paired with
another dominant gene or a recessive gene
recessive genes: those genes that will be expressed only if
paired with another recessive gene
if paired with a dominant gene, the dominant one shows
EX:
Father
mother
homo/hetero =
PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT
1) germinal or zygotic period: 1st 2 weeks
2) embryonic period: 3 – 8 wks
attaches to the uterine wall
this is the most critical time of pregnancy
the embryo is very vulnerable
when most miscarriages happen
a lot of women don’t realize they are pregnant until after
this time
all organs and other major systems are being developed
EX:
receives everything it needs, such as water, oxygen,
nutrients thru the
can hear heartbeat
protects the embryo from harmful agents that
may be present in the mother’s blood
teratogens: any harmful agent or substance that
can cause a problem (complication, miscarriage,
birth defect)
most susceptible to teratogens during this period because
drugs- miscarriage, low birth weight (5 ½ lbs or less at
birth), premature birth (born before 36 wks),
physical deformities
alcohol- Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, characterized by short
nose, large forehead, deep-set eyes, thin or no
upper lip, ears are lower set
smoking- low birth weight, premature birth, spontaneous
abortion, stillbirth, SIDS
by the end of 8 wks, the embryo is approximately
3) fetal period: 9 wks-birth
main thing happening here is
can move arms, legs, head, & mouth by end of
mother feels it b/t
can even suck their thumbs
fetus is viable at
is able to survive with help if born
gains most of its weight during the last
gain about a lb a wk during the last mo
need extra weight to
average weight when born is
avg. height is
the avg pregnancy lasts about
considered premature if born before the 36th wk
those most likely to experience premature birth
1. mothers exposed to teratogens
2. mothers who are young (teens)
3. lack of prenatal care
Neonate:
hearing, visual, smell, and touch are fully functioning
used to think that newborns could not see, now we know
that they can see, vision is not finely tuned, is blurry
can see about 6-12 in away from their face, should be
fully functioning by 1 year
rooting reflex: if touch their cheek, will turn toward your hand
and open mouth
sucking reflex: touch their lips and start sucking
grasping reflex: if touch palm, will grab finger
ATTACHMENT
attachment: an emotional bond b/t an infant and his caregivers
(use the term caregivers because it is not always parents who
care for the child)
attachment is formed around
3 types of attachment
1) secure: caregiver is consistent; caregiver is warm and sensitive
when responding to the infant’s physical and emotional needs
the infant displays safe-base behavior, can comfortably put
physical distance b/t themselves and their caregiver
2) insecure-avoidant: caregiver is neglectful or abusive; infant
avoids them altogether
3) insecure-resistant: caregiver is inconsistent; infant may display
behavior where they want comfort or attention from caregiver but then
resists the attention or comfort
PARENTING STYLES
Diana Baumrind
1) authoritarian: parents have very strict rules, expect children to be
obedient at all times
have very strict punishment, but doesn’t go into abuse
have low level of
children are
Ex:
2) permissive: have very few rules or no rules
sometimes warm and indulging, letting the child do
whatever they want
low or no control and rare or no punishment
Ex:
children have
3) authoritative: have limits and rules
set high yet realistic standards for children
have high level of
children are allowed to make some of their own decisions
talk with their children about the rules and explain them
children have more input because parents listen to them,
children encouraged to talk about their feelings and
problems
children are
Ex:
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Jean Piaget
1) Sensorimotor
from
use
to understand the world
pick up an object, it goes to their mouth, taste, feel, how
the object looks
main gain during this stage is object permanence: the understanding that an object still exists even if not seen
is gained around
2) Preoperational
from
uses symbolic thinking to understand the world, use words,
symbols, and images, mainly b/c of language dvlpmnt
egocentric: understand things from their own perspective
Ex:
conservation: when something is the same even if its form is
rearranged
Ex:
3) Concrete Operational
from
begin to think more logically and more rationally
can learn nonfiction and fiction, real and fake
understand that certain cartoons are not real
no more egocentrism, can understand from other points of view
thinking and logic is limited to what they can see, feel, or have
experienced
4) Formal Operational
From
can think in abstract way and hypothetically
can view and think of other aspects of situations
why you are given application problems on test
can answer “if…then” questions that require more thought
ADOLESCENCE
Starts at puberty (about 12) to independence
their bodies are developing and maturing sexually
sex organs develop more, girls get breasts, etc.
boys:
girls:
menarche : the beginning of the menstrual cycle usually about
imaginary audience: think everyone is looking at them and judging
them.
EX:
personal fable: think they are unique and invincible
Ex:
during this time, they depend on their peers for support, opinions, etc.
but also still rely on parents more than most people think
most people think that the relationship b/t adolescent and
parent may be strained but the average teen gets along with their
parents
the level of conflict is highest
ADULT DEVELOPMENT
Relationships
As we get older, our circle of friends gets smaller
adults have to squeeze it into their schedule around work, their
family, or any other obligations
relationships b/t men and women are different
women:
EX:
men:
EX:
most people marry someone that has the same
research has shown that people are becoming involved in committed
relationships and getting married later than before
early 1800s, women were expected to marry by 16 or 17, if not
they were called a spinster if they were not married by 19
considered old by then and parents worried if they would
ever find someone who would marry someone so old
the men who married these girls were usually 25 and up
as time has gone, the age men and women are getting married
has gone up
1960s- women were 20 and men were 23
by 1997- women were 25 and men 27
now the age is around 30 for each
now the focus is on finishing college, having a career before
marriage
Parenthood
tends to go down with the birth of the
first child
you have to adjust to your new role as a parent
the time you have for yourself and for your partner goes down
drastically
creates a strain on the marital relationship
Careers
one population that has possible difficulties with careers are
Late Adulthood and Aging
when most think of older people, this picture comes to mind of
someone who is very wrinkly, hunched over, poor health, living in a
nursing home etc.
the average older person is
most elderly live
during late adulthood, adults tend to focus much of their attention to
looking back on their lives and compare it with how they actually lived
Death and Dying
people think about dying more during
and seem to come to terms with dying by
5 stages of dying
1. denial: deny that they are going to die
2. anger: about dying
3. bargain: try to make a deal with God, their doctors
4. depressed: about their diagnosis
5. acceptance: accept the fact that they are going to die