Nichel Bryant
November 19, 2012
Experimental Psychology
The twenty-fourth reading assignment introduces students to developmental
psychology. Developmental psychology is the field that studies the ways in which
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors development throughout the life-span. From the time
children are born up until the time they move into their adult years, they are faced with
many challenges. The main focus of developmental psychology is trying to understand
some of the obstacles a person will come across throughout their life. Some challenges
that children face are trying to grasp an understanding of reality and cultural beliefs as
well. Scientists today believe that development occurs from conception continuing all the
way to the latter part of life. This life-span developmental perspective of development
moves away from the theory that scientists adopted for years which suggested
development was complete in human beings by the time they reached their teenage years
(See Sigmund Freud; Reading assignment 22B). Developmental psychology also focuses
on the three issues that show a constant reoccurrence throughout all of developmental
psychology and the extent to which they affect human growth.
The nature-nurture controversy is a very significant issue in developmental
psychology. For years scientists have been trying to figure out whether development is
due to maturation that occurs biologically or an individual’s learning experience. How
important the early experience is in human development is the second major issue that
developmental psychology focuses. Looking at certain species of animals showed
evidence for the importance of critical periods. It is not completely correct to say that
humans have critical periods, but instead it is more accurate to say that humans have
sensitive periods. In some areas, including language, the “window of opportunity” could
be crucial but not critical. Take into account a child who was never exposed to language,
this child would still be able speak, but may lack when it comes to the use of proper
syntax. The third basic concern of developmental change deals with whether
development occurs in stages. There is evidence that shows there are discrete steps in
which all human beings somewhat progress in a similar sequence (See also Reading
Assignment 24: Cognitive Development).
The first process in human development is the prenatal period. Throughout this
process, the growing fetus is susceptible to different teratogens. These teratogens might
lead to abnormalities in the fetus or even death. Alcohol is one the most common
teratogens that lead to fetal abnormality. The consequences of a mother who consumes
alcohol during her pregnancy could be a child that is born with fetal alcohol syndrome,
also known as FAS. Children born with FAS are susceptible to a number of defects that
can range anywhere from mental abnormalities to physical deformities. The prenatal
period is divided into three stages: the germinal period, the embryonic period, and the
fetal period. The prenatal stages of development should not be confused with trimesters.
Trimesters are the division of the weeks of pregnancy during which the mother’s body
undergoes changes. Prenatal stages refer to the changes that are occurring with the
unborn fetus. During the second trimester of pregnancy, the mother will experience
bodily changes such as the expansion of her abdomen. During the second prenatal stage,
bodily changes will be happening with the fetus such as the growth of organs. At birth,
infants are born with many innate reflexes that will eventually disappear as the infant
begins to grow and gain control over their movements and motor skills. When a parent is
asked about their infant in terms of development, the stage the infant is in will usually be
described by a motor milestone.
As infants reach childhood, the growth for boys and girls is mostly equal until
they reach the age of 10. At this time there are significant changes in psychological
development and in the size and shape of the body. While these milestones are usually hit
around the same time and as adolescence begins, boys and girls individually vary at the
age they will hit puberty. Girls hitting puberty at an early age tend to be associated with
negative outcomes like delinquency, while boys who hit puberty at an early age tend to
be associated with positive ones like being more athletic.
As men and women reach middle adulthood there are still developmental changes
that are occurring. For women, menopause is seen to be the most dramatic change
experienced in their adult life. While males do not undergo any reproductive changes, it
said that men experience a male menopause where from their forties and beyond
testosterone levels drop and sexual activity in turn declines. Menopause is not to be
confused with the mid-life crisis, which is arguable, if one prescribes to this notion,
psychological in nature and not necessarily predicted or caused by physical changes in or
of the body.
In early life most developmental changes were physical. As humans reach elderly
age there are still some physical changes occurring, but there are more significant sensory
changes. Elderly people tend to experience hearing loss and also experience presbycusis
which can make things like hearing a telephone ringing more difficult. It is true that as
humans get older there is deterioration in some parts of functioning, but that comes along
with development. Universally, people have different perceptions of the elderly. Ageism
can be positive or negative. Someone may have the notion that all elderly people are
sweet while someone else may believe that all elderly people are unable to drive.
Nichel Bryant
November 19, 2012
Experimental Psychology
Definitions Table
1Textbook
Developmental psychology is the field that studies the way
thought, feeling, and behavior develop throughout the life span.
Wikipedia
Developmental psychology is the scientific study of
changes that occur in human beings over the course of their
life span.
About.com
Developmental psychology is the study of human growth
and development that occurs throughout the entire lifespan.
2.Texbook
Critical periods are periods of special sensitivity to specific
types of learning that shape the capacity for future development
Wikipedia
Preferred
Preferred
In developmental psychology, a critical period is a phase
in the life span during which an organism has heightened
sensitivity to exogenous stimuli that are compulsory for the
development of a particular skill.
Scholarpedia.org
Critical Period is a period during the early life of an animal when
some property develops rapidly, and is most susceptible to
alteration by the environment.
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3.Textbook
Sensitive periods are developmental periods during which
environmental input is especially important, but not absolutely
required, for future development in a domain.
Preferred
Wikipedia
Sensitive periods is a term coined by the Dutch geneticist
Hugo de Vries and adopted by the Italian educator Maria
Montessori to refer to important periods of childhood
development.
Preferred
Fcs.uga.edu
There are optimal times when certain areas of the brain are most ready
to develop. Researchers refer to this time of readiness as a sensitive
period in development.
4.Textbook
Wikipedia
The prenatal period is any time before birth.
Prenatal or antenatal development is the process in
which a human embryo or fetus (or foetus) gestates during
pregnancy, from fertilization until birth.
Preferred
Wisegeek.com
The term prenatal period refers to the time in pregnancy between
conception and birth.
Preferred
5.Textbook
Teratogens are harmful environmental agents, such as drugs,
radiation, and viruses, that cause maternal illness, which can
produce fetal abnormalities or death.
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Wikipedia
Teratology is the study of abnormalities of physiological
development.
Medterms.com
Teratogen: Any agent that can disturb the development of an
embryo or fetus.
6.Textbook
The germinal period begins approximately after the first two
weeks of conception, the fertilized egg becomes planted in the
uterus.
Wiki.answers.com
The germinal period is the two week period after the sperm
and the egg unite.
7.Textbook
The embryonic period lasts from the beginning of the third week
to about the eighth week of gestation. It is the most important
period in the development of the central nervous system and of
the organs.
Wikipedia
The embryonic period is the first eight weeks of
development of the conceptus, beginning with fertilization.
About.com
The beginning of the third week after conception marks the
start of the embryonic period, a time when the mass of cells
becomes a distinct human being.
8.Textbook
The fetal period begins from about nine weeks until birth. At
this time muscular development is rapid. At 28 weeks, during
the fetal period, the fetus is now capable of sustaining life on its
own .
Wikipedia
The fetal period is the period of prenatal development that
begins eight weeks after fertilization and ends at birth.
The fetal period of prenatal development begins on the
last day of the eighth week after fertilization and continues
until birth.
Surebaby.com
9. Textbook
Puberty is the stage in which individuals become capable of
reproduction
Wikipedia
Puberty is the process of physical changes by which a
child's body matures into an adult body capable of sexual
reproduction to enable fertilisation.
Livestrong.com
Puberty is the period of time when children rapidly change
biologically, psychologically, socially and cognitively.
10.Textbook
Wikipedia
Menopause is the cessation of the menstrual cycle.
Webmd.com
Menopause is commonly used to describe any of the changes a
woman experiences either just before or after she stops
menstruating, marking the end of her reproductive period.
11.Textbook
Presbycusis is the inability to hear higher frequency sound, that
usually occur with aging.
Wikipedia
Presbycusis (also spelt presbyacusis, from Greek presbys
Menopause literally means the "end of monthly cycles"
(the end of monthly periods aka menstruation), from the
Greek word pausis (cessation) and the root men- (month).
Preferred
Preferred
Preferred
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Preferred
Preferred
Emedicine.com
“elder” + akousis “hearing”[1]), or age-related hearing
loss, is the cumulative effect of aging on hearing.
The term presbycusis refers to sensorineural hearing
impairment in elderly individuals
12.Textbook
Ageism is a form of prejudice against old people comparable to
racism and sexism
Wikipedia
Ageism, or age discrimination is stereotyping and
discriminating against individuals or groups because of
their age.
discrimination against persons of a certain age
group.
Preferred
Maturation refers to biologically based changes that follow an
orderly sequence, each step setting the stage for the next step
according to an age-related timetable.
Maturation is the emergence of personal and behavioral
Preferred
Dictionary.com
13.Textbook
Wikipedia
characteristics through growth processes.
Thefreedictionary.com
maturation - (biology) the process of an individual organism
growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events
involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a
more complex level
14.Textbook
The life-span developmental perspective is the perspective that
considers both constancy and change as well as gains and losses
in functioning that occur at different points over the entire
human life cycle.
Wikipedia
Life-span development perspectives emphasise that
development is not just the function of childhood , but that
coping with the changing internal and social environment
is a life long challenge requiring personal growth and
change.
Academicwritingtips.org
Lifespan development can be said to be the process whose
beginning is marked by birth and whose end is marked by
death.
15. Wikipedia
Development is the process of a human becoming biologically
mature
The lifecycle from conception to death. It focuses on change that
is cumulative. There are many aspects that shape human
development from biological, psychological and sociocultural
factors.
Development
Preferred
Preferred
Read more: What is the definition of human development? |
Answerbag
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1866577#ixzz2Lf61Mfxn
16. Textbook
The three issues that show a constant reoccurrence
Preferred
throughout all of developmental psychology are the roles
of the nature-nurture controversy, how important the early
experience of a child’s life is, and also the extent to which
development occurs in “stages.”
17.thrivetofive.blogspot.com
18.
19.
20.
21.
“The window of opportunity” is the time when the brain is
particularly efficient at specific types of learning. These are
critical periods where your child readily absorbs specific skills.
These "window of opportunity" occur when the connections of
the brain develops at the most rapid rate.
Preferred
Summary
PsychologyOn
Developmental Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Critical periods
Critical Periods
Sensitive periods
Sensitive Periods
Prenatal period
Missing
Teratogens
Teratogens
Germinal Period
Germinal Period
Embryonic Period
Embryonic Period
Fetal Period
Fetal Period
Puberty
Puberty
Menopause
Menopause
Presbycusis
Prebycusis
Ageism
Ageism
Maturation
Maturation
Life-span developmental perspective
Missing
three issues that show a constant reoccurrence
throughout all of developmental psychology
“window of opportunity”
Missing
Missing