The Developing Person
How did you become the person
you are?
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Cognitive Development
• Jean Piaget
 Sensorimotor (0-2 years)
 Object Permanence
 Preoperational (2-7 years)
 Conservation of Matter
 Egocentric
 Concrete operations (7-12 years)
 Concrete objects
 Formal operations (12 to adult)
 Abstract thought
 “What if?” questions can be considered
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Social Development
• How did you develop social bonds?
 Body contact
 Familiarity
 Self Concept
 Parenting
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Body contact
• Harlow monkey studies
• Wire mother & terrycloth mother
 Preferred non-nourishing cloth mother
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Familiarity
• Critical period
• Imprinting
 Birds forming attachment during the critical
period
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Self concept
• Children with a positive self concept are
more sociable.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Do you remember?
• What were Piaget’s stages of
development?
• What did the Harlow monkey studies tell
us abut body contact?
• Can you give an example of imprinting?
• What helps to make a child more
sociable?
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Parental attachment
• Toddlers with secure attachments to
parents:
 More sociable
 More enthusiastic and persistent in tackling
challenging tasks.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Parenting
• Authoritarian
 Impose rules & expect obedience
• Permissive
 Go along with child’s desires
• Authoritative
 Discusses and negotiates rules
 Produce more self-confident children
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Moral Development
• Kohlberg - Moral development
• Preconventional
 Obey to gain rewards or avoid punishment
• Conventional
 Respect for laws and rules simply because
they are there
• Postconventional
 Abstract reasoning-rights and ethics
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Erickson’s eight stages of
Psychosocial Development
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1. Infancy = Trust vs mistrust
2. Toddler = Autonomy vs Shame & doubt
3. Preschooler = Initiative vs guilt
4. Elementary school = Competence vs inferiority
5. Adolescence = Identity vs. role confusion
• 6. Young adult = Intimacy vs. isolation
• 7. Middle adult = Generativity vs. stagnation
• 8. Late adulthood = Integrity vs. despair
 Integrity achieved in late adulthood
 One’s life has been meaningful
© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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Do you remember
• What types of parenting are there?
What one produces the most selfconfident children?
• What were Kohlberg’s stages of moral
development? Can you give an example
of each?
• What were Erikson’s eight stages of
psychosocial development?
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
How does aging effect
Intelligence?
• Crystallized intelligence
 Accumulated knowledge
• E.g. State capitals
 Increases with age
• Fluid intelligence
 Abstract reasoning and the
ability solve problems
decreases with age.
 E.g. Learning new computer
program
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
How does aging effect
Alzheimer’s?
• Alzheimer’s disease
 Deterioration of the brain
 Effects memory and thinking
 Difficulty in naming familiar objects or people
 Linked to genetic abnormalities
 Linked to activity (Use it or lose it)
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
How does society effect what we
do as we age?
• The “social clock”
 The feeling that events in life regularly occur
at specific ages.
 Graduation, marriage, children, retirement, etc.
 Varies greatly from culture to culture
 No biological basis for timing of events
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Love
• John Gottman:
 Best predictor of marital satisfaction is the
ratio of positive to negative interactions with
each other.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
Do you remember
• What is the difference between crystallized
and fluid intelligence?
 Can you give an example?
• What are the symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
• How does the “social clock” effect you?
• According to Gottman, what is the best
predictor of marital satisfaction?
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.
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© Robert J. Atkins, Ph.D.