The Decades Of Life
Decade
3 words to describe decade
0-9
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80-89
Which decade(s) were the hardest/easiest to do?
Is there a tendency to think that no more important changes occur after
adulthood?
Questions to Ponder
What is the ideal age?
What is the worst age to be?
When does old age begin?
True OR False??
Directions: Please number your paper 1-9. Write true or false next to each
number.
1. If a mother drinks heavily during pregnancy, her baby may be mentally
retarded. True
2. Newborns see only a blur of meaningless light and dark shades. False
3. Before age 2, infants cannot think. False
4. Infants initially develop close attachments to their mothers, merely because the
mother provides nourishment. False
5. Most abusive parents were themselves battered or neglected as children. False
6. The first two years of life provide a good basis for predicting a person’s
eventual personality traits.
True
7. A heartbeat can be detected as early as 8 weeks into pregnancy.
True
8. Memories before the age of 5 are formulated differently, making them almost
impossible to remember as adults.
True
9. A young child often believes that the
sun rises in the morning to wake him/her
up.
True
Early Physical
Development
Prenatal Development
conception
1 single cell
EGG + SPERM =
ZYGOTE
Divides into about 100 cells
within a week and then cells
begin to differentiate
baby
100 trillion cells
Terms used to describe the
developing human:
• Zygote = fertilized egg
• Embryo = 2-8 weeks (difficult to distinguish
human from other mammals at this time)
• Fetus = 9 weeks to birth
• Neonate = newborn
• Infant = from the first
few days until walking
Teratogens
Harmful things such as chemicals or diseases
that can reach the developing embryo or fetus
and cause damage resulting in birth defects or
mental retardation.
Effect of Nicotine on a fetus- increased risk of
abnormal fetal heartbeat, premature birth, related
complications and miscarriage.
Effects of Alcohol on a fetus- Mothers who drink
heavily during pregnancy may have children born with
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
• Physical and cognitive abnormalities
• Brain damage
• Facial misproportions:
•Small upturned nose, small jaw, small eyes
Video
"Teratogens and Their Effect on the
Developing Brain"
Infancy
• Physical growth rate is faster than any other
postnatal period.
• Maturation = physical growth and
development of the body and
especially the nervous system.
• Rate varies, but order is
virtually universal!
IMPORTANT: Maturation often creates
a condition of readiness for learning.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
(and why does it matter?)
The Newborn
• Reflexes- an automatic,
unlearned response
– Sucking
– Swallowing
– Grasping
 Temperament-
emotional
excitability
Easy
Difficult
Slow to warm-up
Newborn Reflexes
• Reflexes that are seen in the newborn indicate
that the nervous system is up and running.
– Rooting reflex = looking for food
– Grasping reflex = hanging on
– Sucking reflex = receiving nourishment
– Moro reflex = startle reflex
Reflex video
Baby Swimming
Motor Development
2 months-Lifts head
90 degrees when
lying on stomach.
12 monthswalks well
6 monthsstands holding
on
3 months-Rolls over
5 months- Sits
without support
Tomorrow we will look at
cognitive development in
children.
What does “cognitive”
mean?
Cognitive refers to thinking,
memory, decision-making, and
language development
Funny Babies
Talking Twins
Give your best estimate of the age at which
approximately 50 percent of children begin to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Laugh
Pedal a tricycle
Sit without support
Feel ashamed
Walk unassisted
Stand on one foot for 10 seconds
Recognize and smile at mother or father
Kick a ball forward
Think about things that cannot be seen
Make a two word sentence.
Psychology Blog/Journal
What is your earliest memory of
learning how to do something?
Example, riding a bike, catching a ball.
Describe the memory and include the
methods used to teach you the task.