Development
Area vs. Approach
Child Psychology
Infancy
Adolescence
Adulthood
Old Age
Prenatal

Development
Life-Span Human Development
From Conception to Death

Prenatal Development
 Stage 1 = Zygote ( the fertilized egg)
 2 week period of rapid cell division
(undifferentiated)
 Ends with implantation to uterine wall
 Over half do not successfully implant

Prenatal Development
 Stage 2 = Embryo
 human organism from 2 weeks through 8 weeks
– Begins with implantation to the uterine wall
– Placenta and major organs form, heart beats, liver makes red blood cells

Prenatal Development
 Stage 3 = Fetus
 human organism from 8 weeks after conception to birth
 rapid growth of brain and body in final 3 months

Prenatal Development
 Nature AND nurture matter in utero
 Critical periods (nurture) – particular stages of development when certain environmental influences have the most impact
 Teratogen - any factor (e.g., chemicals, viruses) that can reach the embryo or fetus and cause a birth defect
 Nicotine – low birth weight, learning disabilities
 Marijuana – irritability, nervousness, tremors
 Cocaine – respiratory problems, learning disabilities, seizures

Prenatal Development
 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
 physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking
(five drinks per day)
 symptoms include facial misproportions, mental retardation, behavior problems

Thalidomide
Poor Nutrition (e.g., protein deficiency)

Nature vs. Nurture
Nature
Genetics
Nurture
Experience
Environment
Learning
Heritability

• Monozygotic twins – (identical twins)
– one zygote splits into two separate but identical masses of cells
– each develops into a separate embryo.
• Dizygotic twins – (fraternal twins)
– two eggs are separately fertilized by different sperm
– each develops into a separate zygote, then a separate embryo.

Nature vs. Nurture
Nature
Genetics
Nurture
Experience
Environment
Learning
Heritability
Twin Studies
Monozygotic (identical) vs. Dizygotic (fraternal)

Cognitive Development
Piaget (Cognitive)
1.Sensorimotor
Object Permanence 2.Preoperational
primitive concepts
3. Concrete Operational rules
4. Formal Operational abstract
Single words, egocentrism
Conservation
Hypothetical reasoning

Cognitive Development
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Schema
Cognitive structure
Accommodation
Creating or extending a schema
Assimilation
Using an existing schema

Cognitive & Moral Development
Piaget (Cognitive) Kohlberg (Moral)
1. Sensorimotor 1. (none)
2. Preoperational primitive concepts
3. Concrete Operational rules
4. Formal Operational abstract hypothetical reasoning
2. Preconventional reward/punishment
3. Conventional rules
4. Post-Conventional
Moral Dilemmas

Studying Development
Cross-Sectional
Age Cohort
Longitudinal
Time Series

Adult Development
Stage -- Crisis
1. Independence
2. Marriage
3. Parenthood
4. Career
5. Mid-Life Crisis
6. Post-Parental
7. Separation Distress
8. Old Age
9. Death

Marital Satisfaction over the Life Span