Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY
(7th Ed)
Chapter 4
The Developing Person
James A. McCubbin, PhD
Clemson University
Worth Publishers
1
Developmental Psychology:
Branch of psych. that studies physical, cognitive
& social change throughout the life span
 Considers the 3 big developmental ?’s:
A) nature/nurture? B) stability/change?
C) continuity/stages?
2
Prenatal Development and the
Newborn:
Conception: As sperm enters, a barrier forms
Life is sexually transmitted
3
Prenatal Development &
the Newborn
 Zygote: fertilized egg; less than ½
survive!
 enters a 2 wk period of rapid cell
division
 = embryo after it attaches
 Embryo: the developing human
organism from 2 weeks thru 2nd month
 Fetus: developing human organism
from 9 wks after conception  birth 4
Prenatal Devel. & Newborns
40 days
45 days
2 months
4 months
5
Prenatal Devel. & the Newborn
 Teratogens (“monsters??): agents, such as
chemicals & viruses:
reaches embryo or fetus during prenatal devel. &
cause harm
 Sci. still trying to determine how much harm…
…smoking in preg. & male violent crimes?
 Can be drugs, diseases, radioactivity, or chemicals
 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): physical &
cognitive abnormalities in kids caused by heavy
drinking during pregnancy (1/750)
(See t-138, Judges quote)
 symptoms include mis-proportioned head
 The leading cause of retardation 
6
Fetal
Alcohol
Syndrome
7
Prenatal Development and the Newborn
 Rooting Reflex
 tendency to open mouth, & search for nipple
when touched on the cheek; aids survival
 Requires “tongue, swallow, breathe…”
coordination
In Notes: Explain each reflexes as we go over it…
a) grasping :
b) Moro (startle):
c) Babinski:
(Digi. Med. Arch. #1 )
8
 Newborn Preferences:
 human voices & faces
 face-like images *Which below do they prefer?
 smell & sound of mother (see 138)
9
Prenatal Development
& the Newborn
 Habituation (boredom?)
 Decreasing
responsiveness w/
repeated stimulation
 Novel (new) stimulus
gets more attention,
stronger response
 Indicates memory &
familiarity…using
senses to gain
knowledge &
experience
(Note: Stimulus:
something that causes a
10
reaction
Prenatal Development
and the Newborn
Once habituated to old
stimulus, newborns
preferred gazing at a
new one
(New experience…)
11
Infancy & Childhood: Physical Devel.
 Maturation
 biological growth
processes that enable
orderly (in particular
order) changes in
behavior
 Programmed: is like a
genetic blueprint
 relatively
uninfluenced by
experience…just
happens b/c it is
time…”wired in”
At birth
3 months
Cortical
Neurons
15 months
12
Infancy & Childhood: Physical Development
 3 month-old baby
learns kicking moves
a mobile--& can
retain that learning
for a month (RoveeCollier, 1989, 1997).
EFFICACY! I can
have effect!
 This helps them to
learn that they can
affect their world
13
Neural sequence of develop.:
 Birth: have most brain cells you’ll ever have
 0 – 2: growth spurt (wiring) allowing us to walk, talk, &
remember stuff
 3-6: networks sprout rapidly in frontal lobe: allows
rational planning (If I do this, this will happen…)
 Into puberty: pathways for language & agility
developing, “polishing up”
 After puberty: “pruning” process: trims out unused,
strengthen those being used
**Prior to 3yrs., can’t remember much at all b/c
haven’t connections for it
Known as “Infantile amnesia”
14
Infancy & Childhood: Cognitive Development
 Schema: Jean Piaget’s word for a concept or
framework we use to organize & interpret info
-“mental molds into which we pour our experiences”
(neural netwks.?)
EX: cats…vs. dogs; love; motherhood, etc.
Piaget said 2 ways we deal w/ new experiences:
Assimilation vs. Accommodation:
 Assimilation: interpreting one’s new experience in terms
of one’s existing schemas
--we have a set of ideas about 1 thing EX: a doggie
-dogs have 4 legs, are furry, & have a tail
-so a cat = a “doggie”…pony = BIG doggie…
Accommodation 
15
Infancy & Childhood:
Cognitive Development
 Accommodation: adapting (adjusting) our current
understandings (schemas) to incorporate new info
EX: we learn the cat is not a doggie…but a new
category—or schema—a “cat” or kitty
 Cognition: All the mental activities associated w/
thinking, knowing, remembering, & communicating
-as kids have more experiences in their world, they
adjust existing schemas & accommodate to bring in
new schemas…& they use these to develop
Meta-cognition: What we know about HOW we know
Piaget: Cognition goes thru 4 major developmental
stages…
16
Piaget’s 4 Stages of Cognitive Develop.:
(see p. 144) KNOW these!!
Typical Age
Range
Description
of Stage
Developmental
Phenomena
Birth to nearly 2 years
Sensorimotor
Experiencing the world through
senses and actions (looking,
touching, mouthing)
•Object permanence
•Stranger anxiety
About 2 to 6 years
Preoperational
Representing things
with words and images
but lacking logical reasoning
•Pretend play
•Egocentrism
•Language development
About 7 to 11 years
Concrete operational
Thinking logically about concrete
events; grasping concrete analogies
and performing arithmetical operations
•Has
Conservation
•Mathematical
transformations
About 12 thru
adulthood
Formal operational
Abstract reasoning
•Abstract logic
•Potential for
17
moral reasoning
Infancy & Childhood: Cognitive Devel.
Sensori-motor stage: (birth- 2 yrs.) Object Permanence:
Awareness that things continue to exist even when not
perceived (able to see, hear, etc.)
 Games: Peek-a-boo? Where’s the bunny?
 Develop this during Piaget’s sensorimotor stage: what
ages do not? Most are getting by what age? (start p. 144)
 Difference betwn. Piaget’s view & present day view?
-How does this show “continuity vs. stages?” (top 145)
18
Infancy & Childhood: Cognitive Devel.
 “Baby Math”: Shown a numerically impossible
outcome, infants stare longer (Wynn, ‘92)
--Explain the 2 EX’s of “baby logic” on p. 145
-How do psy. measure how kids notice something
different or odd? (i.e., what is the operational
definition?)
4. Possible outcome:
Screen drops, revealing
one object.
1. Objects placed
in case.
2. Screen comes 3. Object is removed.
up.
4. Impossible outcome:
Screen drops, revealing
two objects.
19
Infancy & Childhood:
Preoperational stage (2-6):
Cognitive Devel.
Conservation: the principle that properties such as mass,
volume, and number remain the same despite
changes in the forms of objects…
EX: Tall thin glass vs. short fat glass= same amt.? Pla-doh
They don’t have at beginning…get toward end of stage…
Egocentrism: the inability of the preoperational child to
take another’s point of view EX: TV viewing? My brother?
Abusive parents often don’t realize this & they tend to see this
as “ornery” behavior
20
Infancy & Childhood: Cognitive
Devel.
Theory of Mind: “A not B”
(Note: still in pre-operational stage)
Just beginning to form this
People’s ideas about their own &
others’ mental states..
…about their feelings, perceptions
Also thoughts & the behavior
these might predict
 Still tend to be egocentric, but
improving on this
 Gaining empathy; learning
thoughts = feelings
When you show the kid these pictures &
tell the story, how will they respond? 
21
Theory of Mind & Autism
Autism: Disorder that appears
in childhood & marked by
deficiencies in
communication, social
interaction & understanding
of others’ states of mind
Extremely egocentric; little
or no “theory of mind” formed
Can’t read emotions in others
Can’t see that others do not
know what they know
EX: fig. 4.10 + text (147)
B/C of communication
limits, deaf kids may have
problems w/ theory of mind
also
22
Asperger’s
Syndrome is a
specific form of
“highfunctioning”
autism Syndrome
23
“ME!”
24
A
B
25
Cognitive Development:
Reflecting on Piaget’s Theory
 Influential theory
 Development is more continuity rather than
stages as Piaget believed
 Larger emphasis on social factors
 Vygotsky
 Zone of proximal development
Work of Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) has
become the foundation of much research
and theory in cognitive development over
the past several decades, particularly of
what has become known as Social
Development Theory.
Vygotsky's theories stress the
fundamental role of social interaction in the
development of cognition Vygotsky, 1978),
as he believed strongly that community
plays a central role in the process of
"making meaning."
27
Vygotsky:
28
Pre-op: learning to think in symbols: EX’s?
-Again: a steady, continuous process (continuity)
-Private speech (Vygotsky): Pre-operational kids talking
to themselves to “think things out”
-allows them to process cognition…
How can this help w/ math? (c-148)
 Concrete operations stage (7-11): now understand
conservation (see “joke”)
-Understand things we have experience w/
-Beginning to understand math transformations:
8+4=12…so what is 12 – 4? Then…4 x 6 = 24, 24 div.by 6 = ?
 Formal operations stage (12 +): beginning abstract
thought…
-can theorize & plan various possibilities
(If this is true, then …)
BUT…again, Piaget underestimated abilities (t-149)
29
Piaget: Father of cognitive psych.”
 What he got right & wrong: (p.149…Reflecting…)
1. “What he…got right:
2.
“ “ ..missed…
3. Who can use this info?
4. How can they use this today?
30
Inf. & Ch-hd.: Social Develop. (150)
 Stranger Anxiety
 fear of strangers infants commonly display
 begins about 8 mos.
 Purpose: keep child close to care-giver…why could this
be important at this age?
 is cross-cultural, so…what does that indicate?
 Attachment
 Strong emotional tie w/ another person
 We attach to ppl w/ which we are comfortable,
familiar…& who are responsive to needs
 young kids show by seeking closeness to the caregiver
& showing distress on separation
 “home-base:” a secure base (safe haven)
31
 is it just those who give food? Or is it more?
Social Development
 H. Harlow’s Surrogate
Mother Experiments
(Harlow vid.)
 Preferred contact w/
comfortable cloth mother,
even though feed from the
nourishing wire mother
 Humans tend to attach to
those soft, warm, who
rock, pat, feed… (contact
comfort)
a secure base
 As we grow, attachment
changes from parents to
peers to partners
32
Social Development
 Monkeys raised by
artificial mothers were
terror-stricken when
placed in strange
situations without their
surrogate mothers.
Note: ethics no longer
allow such studies
 ATTACHMENT: secure
attachment is
important for later
relationships
 Involves trust &
expecting
responsiveness… (t-153)
33
Social Development
 Critical Period
 best period shortly after birth when an organism’s
exposure to certain stimuli or experiences
produces proper development
(EX: lang. & Genie)
 “window of opportunity”…if this is missed, will not
develop that aspect…either at all…or not
completely
 Imprinting
 process by which certain animals form
attachments during a critical period very early in
life
 Konrad Lorenz: studies w/ ducklings & 1st
moments after hatching…he was 1st creature they
saw; they attached to him
 will also attach to other things that
move…bouncing ball, etc.
34
Attachment:
Deep, caring, close, & enduring (long-lasting) emotional
bond between infant &
care-giver; forms in humans at about 6 mos.
--used Harlow’s “wire-mom” study for this info
Stranger anxiety: fear of stranger--even if mom
there
--is this normal?
Separation anxiety: upset if mom goes away suddenly
”Strange situation” experiment: Mary Ainsworth
1st : mom & kid in room w/ stranger & mom
leaves
2nd: no stranger in room when she leaves
-measures levels of attachment in kids: 
35
Psychologists have ID’ed 4 attachment patterns:
a) secure
b) avoidant
c) resistant
d) disorganized
1. Secure: need to explore, but have mom close;
mom leaves, they cry, but OK when she returns; no
anger; most kids (at least 70-80%) are securely
attached
2. Avoidant : cry when mom leaves; but avoid or
ignore mom when she returns
3. Resistant: not upset when she leaves, but angry &
reject her when she returns
4. Disorganized: often confused or act different ways;
don’t always act the same, but often not angry if
leaves, but avoid her when she returns; this is the
least “secure” type
**Most sensitive, responsive moms have securely
attached kids (well over 70% of all kids)
36
Fathers & children: Just a “mobile sperm banks?”
?: Elian Gonzales…Would the situation been the
same if it were reversed as to mom/dad?
Read & note the 3 studies on 153:
a) “pregnant dads”?
b) kids health & well-being & mom + dad love
c) non-married parents, separation, divorce:
increases risk for social & psychological pathologies
(“diseases”)
”Separation from parents”: home-care vs. day-care?
No major difference RE: stranger anxiety
-starts 6-8 mos., peaks (+ -) 13 mos. …then
declines
-at that point it eases (especially if we are
securely attached) & we can open to other
people…especially peers…
37
Here is the link to log onto the Companion
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t.asp?s=&n=&i=&v=&o=&ns=0&uid=0&rau=0
Log on as "Students". Give yourself your own
Password & User ID and include MY email so
that I can view quizzes if I decide to do for Ex
Cr. or something....
38
Social Development
Percentage
of infants
who cried
when their
mothers left
 Groups of
infants left
by their
mothers in a
unfamiliar
room
100
Day care
80
60
(from Kagan,
1976)
40
Home
20
0
3.5
5.5
7.5
9.5 11.5 13.5
Age in months
20
29
39
Soc. Devel.
 Basic Trust (Erik Erikson): a sense that the world is
predictable & trustworthy
 formed in 1st yr. by good experiences w/ responsive
caregivers
 Debated, but most psy. say later has effect on
success in relationships
 Deprived of attachment:
-withdrawal
-easily frightened
-or v. aggressive (?)
-permanent emotional scars
- “unloved become unloving”--abused can be abusers
-BUT…most abused do not b/c of resiliency…(tough)
 Disruption of attachment: v. upset, even despairing
--most recover…foster kids?
 Day-care & attachment? If quality day-care, should
be no difference
”It takes a village…”
…But kids alone? NO
40
A) “Quality day-care”: What is this? & How
can you ID it?
B) Discussion topic:
Briefly discuss w/ a partner…
Think about kids’ different temperaments, etc.
-How could this allow a parent to do well
w/ 1 kid…& not as well w/ another?
41
Self-Concept (pp.156-7): Into notes…
 A sense of one’s identity & personal
worth
 According to Charles Darwin, when does
self-awareness begin?
1.
2.
3.
4.
How psych’s test when kids can do this…
Happens about when___ (age)?
Fairly stable by _____ (age)
Kids view of themselves affects what?
So how can parents help?

Soc. Devel.: Child rearing practices…
42
Parenting styles: 1st 3: too hard, too soft …& just right
1) Authoritarian (aka dictatorial): parents impose
rules & expect obedience
 EX: “My way or hi-way!!” “Because I said so!!”
2) Permissive (aka laissez faire): give in to kids,
make few demands, use little punishment
-No structure, no consistent rules, which kids NEED
EX: “I said NO!....Well, OK…ummm, just this once…”
3) Authoritative: Both demanding but responsive
 set rules, but explain reasons & encourage
discussion
 Allow kids to make some (limited) choices to
give practice… Best way…
4) Newer type… Unresponsive = the worst: no
attention, no caring, no involvement =
resentment, anger, & often social problems 43
Idea that loving, authoritative parenting style
= best is confirmed by many correlational
studies in more than 200 cultures worldwide
…BEST chances for kids….Below
44
Adolescence (p. 159)
 Adolescence: transition from childhood  adulthood…
begins w/puberty…goes to independent adult status
RITES of PASSAGE: Ceremony for a step into adulthood
How is it differ. now than say 1850 or so?
 G. Stanley Hall: “strum und drung” ...& are some
stresses, but _ out of _ HS seniors checked “on the whole,
I am satisfied w/ myself.” See Dave Barry  p. 160
 Puberty: period of sexual maturation when capable of
reproduction
--avg. ages? (b-159—some F earlier…possibly “whys”?)
 Primary Sex Characteristics: Body structures allowing
for sexual reproduction:
 Gonads: ovaries—female testes--male
 external genitalia in both
45
Secondary Sex Characteristics:
Non-reproductive sexual characteristic
F: breast & hips M: voice quality & body hair
F: Menarche (meh-NAR-key): 1st menstrual period
M: “spermarche”: 1st ejaculation
 Avg. ages for these: F: 11-13
M: 13
--Know problems & advantages for…
-early maturing M’s?
-early maturing F’s?
How does this shows interaction of heredity &
environment?
Adoles. brain development: Childhood: brain cells are
__?__
...In adoles. they begin to __?__
Use it or lose it!
Frontal lobe devel. vs. emotional limbic system:
How does this affect behavior…& how/when does it
change?
46
Adolescence
1890, Women
10
7.2 Year Interval
20
Age
1995, Women
12.5 Year Interval
10
20
Age
 1890’s:
Average interval
between a
woman’s
menarche &
marriage: just
over 7 years
 Now: Over 12
years!
 Why is this
significant?
47
Adolescence
Thru childhood, M &
F are similar in
height.
At puberty, F surge
ahead briefly (1113), but then M
overtake them at
about 14.
Height in
centimeters
190
170
150
130
110
90
70
50
0
2
Boys
4
6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Age in years
Girls
 Sequence (1st
2nd…) of changes
is more
predictable than
the timing…
 Onset time varies
w/ kids
48
Body Changes at Puberty
49
Kohlberg’s Moral Ladder
Postconventional
Level 3rd
Morality of abstract
principles: to affirm
agreed-upon rights and
personal ethical principles
Conventional
Level 2nd
Morality of law and
social rules: to gain
approval or avoid
disapproval
Preconventional
Level 1st
Morality of self-interest:
to avoid punishment
or gain concrete rewards
 As moral
development
progresses, focus of
concern moves from
the “how it affects
ME” to the wider
social world.
 Piaget’s formal
operations allows this
 “Heinz’s Dilemma” 164
- 2 ?’s
 Results vary crossculturally
-Depends on collectiv.
vs. individualistic
societies
50
Emerging Adulthood: Add this newer TERM!
For many ppl in modern, industrialized cultures:
A period from late teens to mid-20’s, bridging the
gap between
adolescent dependence
& full independence…
& responsible
adulthood.
Time when you are
an “adult” legally,
but not economically
b/c you still
depend on parents as
you go to college, etc.
Social intuition & Moral emotion (J. Haidt, 2001 p.165)
Our mind makes “aesthetic judgments” …
..What’s pleasing, not pleasing?
If we see ppl do a really rotten thing? We feel disgust
…See a really nice thing, feel “warm & fuzzy”
? = which comes 1st?
BASIC idea: Moral Emotions cause us to have moral feelings
Do “gut-level” feelings cause us to establish moral
ideas of right vs. wrong?
*See social intuitionalist’s dilemma: Which is OK? Both?
Neither?
So…Man walks into hosp.: ..save 5…again?(see Myers AP p. 450)
“Emotion areas” lit up on brain scans only w/ the
“pushing” situation
NOTE: New research SUPPORTS these ideas
52
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial
Development (Stages 1–4, p. 166)
Approximate
age
Stage
Description of Task
Infancy
(1st year)
Trust vs. mistrust
If needs are dependably met, infants
develop a sense of basic trust.
Toddler
(2nd year)
Autonomy vs. shame Toddlers learn to exercise will and
and doubt
do things for themselves, or they
doubt their abilities.
Preschooler
(3-5 years)
Initiative vs. guilt
Elementary
(6 yearspuberty)
Competence (industry)
vs. inferiority
Children learn the pleasure of applying
themselves to tasks, or they feel
inferior.
53
Preschoolers learn to initiate tasks
and carry out plans, or they feel
guilty about efforts to be independent.
Gender and Identity
(go back to pp 126-130)
Self-concept = our understanding & evaluation of who we are.
Gender = in psychology, the biologically & socially influenced
characteristics by which people define male and female.
Aggression = physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt
someone.
X Chromosome = the sex chromosome found in both men and
women. Females have two X chromosomes; males have one.
An X chromosome from each parent produces a female
child.
Y Chromosome =the sex chromosome found only in males.
When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it
produces a male child.
54
Gender and Identity…continued…
Testosterone = the most important of the male sex
hormones. Both males and females have it, but the
additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of
the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of
the male sex characteristics during puberty.
Role = a set of expectations (norms) about a social position,
defining how those in the position ought to behave.
Gender Role = a set of unexpected behaviors for males or
for females.
Gender Identity = our sense of being male or female.
Gender Typing = the acquisition of a traditional masculine or
feminine role.
Social Learning Theory = the theory that we learn social
behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded
or punished.
55
Kids & language… How kids translate info into
what they understand… (Read only)
A Sunday school teacher asked her class, "What was
Jesus' mother's name?“ Tammy answered, "Mary."
The teacher then asked, "Who knows what Jesus'
father's name was.”
Anthony said, "Verge."
Confused, the teacher asked, "Where did you get
that?"
Anthony replied, "Well, you know, they are always
talking about Verge n‘ Mary.''
3-year-old Reese: "Our Father, Who does art in
heaven, Harold is His name. Amen."
One particular four-year-old prayed, "And forgive us
our trash baskets as we forgive those who put
trash in our baskets.“
56
Amen…. 
Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Devel.
(Stages 5-8)
Adoles.  Late Adulthood:
Approximate
age
Stage
Description of Task
Adolescence
(teens into
20’s)
Identity vs. role
confusion
Teenagers work at refining a sense of self by
testing roles and then integrating them to
form a single identity, or they become
confused about who they are.
Young Adult
(20’s to early
40’s)
Intimacy vs.
isolation
Young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain the capacity for intimate
love, or they feel socially isolated.
Middle Adult
(40’s to 60’s)
Generativity vs.
stagnation
The middle-aged discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family
and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose.
Late Adult
Integrity vs.
(late 60’s & up) despair
When reflecting on his/her life, the older adult
57
may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure.
 Identity: one’s sense of self
 the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by
testing, “trying on,” & integrating various roles-peer groups affect this (HS? college?) (survey, b167, t-168)
 Eventually form a consistent, stable sense of self,
but does change w/ situations
 Intimacy: the ability to form close, loving
relationships; a primary developmental task in late
adoles. & early adulthood
Separating from parents: In US, compare early vs.
late adolescence: Consider conflicts: length?
intensity? frequency?
 Compare parent vs. peer influence: EX: “drug talk”?
& what is influenced mostly by peers? by parents?
58
 The changing parent-child relationship:
Percent w/
positive, warm
interaction
with parents
100%
80
60
40
20
0
2 to 4
5 to 8
9 to 11
Ages of child in years
59
How Developmental Psy’s study Human
Development:
Longitudinal vs. Cross-sectional Studies
Cross-sectional studies: test & compare grps of
differing ages at the same time…
EX’s:
Longitudinal studies: retest same grp of ppl over
long period of time… at 2yrs., later at 6, at 10,
etc.
Ex’s:
Cohort groups: grp of ppl you share time, culture,
etc., with
60
Adulthood: Physical Development
 Menopause:
the time of natural cessation of menstruation in women
Also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences
as ability to reproduce declines
 Men: gradual (continuity) lessening of sperm production, then
some prostate concerns
 F: gradual decline in fertility: 35-39 ½ as likely to become
pregn. w/ 1 act of intercourse than F 19-26
 Usually around 50; hot flashes common
 Most F do not have intense emotional reactions
 Expectations & attitude influence effects
 Most experience positive effects…few (2%) = “regret”
 Sex after 60: 78% either said satisfied w/ amt., or wished
for more
61
Physical changes in later life: Ans. T/F quiz? (174)
Worldwide life expectancy:
1950: 49
1995: 67
But in developed countries: 75+
Sensory ability: vision: diminishes
--pupil shrinks, lens less transparent, reduced amt. of
light to retina, so need more light…& don’t understand
when others don’t
Hearing: weakens--can be heredity or experience-why?
Sense of smell (which strongly affects taste)
weakens, which = using more flavorings like salt, etc
-Muscle strength down, reaction time down, stamina
down, distance perception affected
62
Health:
 Immune system does weaken, so more
susceptible to more severe illnesses like cancer,
pneumonia, etc
 But…have built up more antibodies thru life so
resist more minor illnesses like colds, etc.
 Those over 65 are ____ as likely as 20-yr. olds
& ____ as likely as preschoolers to suffer from
respiratory flu each yr. = 1 reason older
workers miss less work
 “Nursing homes”, etc.: only ___% of those
over 65
63
2 Theories of aging:
 “Biological clock” theory of aging: if other factors
eliminated, ppl still deteriorate at 85+ & die by about
110…b/c cells stop reproducing
 “Wear & tear” theory: We age b/c we use & misuse
bodies
*Dementia: substantial loss of brain cells, generally late
adulthood…
Up to 95, rate of mental disintegration doubles every
__?_ years
Possible causes:
-series of “mini-strokes”
-tumors
-alcoholism,
-arteriosclerosis
-Alzheimer’s
These bring on dementia:
loss of usual mental ability (not same as senile) 64
Alzheimer’s Disease:
 At 75 what % has Alz.?
 progressive, irreversible brain disorder
 gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning,
language….& finally, physical functioning
 Majority of elderly do NOT have this…
What % ?
 Causes: ACh loss, plaques (globs of
degenerating tissue), shriveled protein
filaments…brain actually shrinks
p.178 Who’s at risk?? …who’s less likely?
65
Normal Brain
vs.
Alzheimer’s
Brain:
PET scans 
66
Adulthood: Physical Development: Aging Senses
Vision
1.00
0.75
0.50
Proportion of normal
(20/20) vision when
identifying letters on
an eye chart
0.25
0
10
30
50
70
90
Age in years
67
Adulthood: Physical
Development
 The Aging Senses: Smell (olfactory)
90
Percent correct when
Identifying smells
70
50
10
30
50
Age in years
70
90
68
Adulthood: Physical Develop.
 The Aging Senses: Hearing
90
Percent correct when
identifying spoken
words
70
50
10
30
50
Age in years
70
90
69
70
Adulthood: Phys. Devel.
Reaction Time:
Fatal
accident 12
rate
10
8
6
4
2
0
16
 Slowing
reactions
Fatal accidents
per 100 million miles
contribute to
Fatal accidents
increased
per 10,000 drivers
accident risks
among those
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 and 75 and older.
over
Age
71
Adulthood: Phys. Devel.
 Incidence of Dementia by Age
What is % at...65? 75? 85? 95?
Percentage
with dementia
Risk of dementia
increases in later
years
40%
30
20
10
0
60-64
70-74
65-69
80-84
75-79
Age Group
90-95
85-89
72
Adulthood: Cognitive Development:
 Aging & memory: Recall (greater decline) vs.
Recognition (minimal decline)
--Type of info matters: meaningful (means a lot to you &
can use) = lot less decline:
Can you relate this to biological psy?
 Aging & Intelligence: how psy. study:
Cross-sectional studies: test & compare grps of differing
ages at the same time…
-showed great declines in intelligence in aging
-for a long time this was prevailing idea…
….so old were out, young were in
Longitudinal studies: retest same grp of ppl over long
period of time… at 2yrs., later at 6, at 10, etc.
-findings: until late in life, IQ & mem. fairly stable
…..& that those losses were fairly slow
KNOW! Why the difference?? (b-180 – 181)…also IQ tests?
73
Adult Cognitive Devel.
100
Percent
90
of names
recalled 80
70
60
50
40
 Recalling new
names
Older age groups have
introduced once,
poorer performance
twice, or three
After three times is easier
introductions
for younger
adults than for
After two
older ones
introductions
(Crook & West, 1990).
30
20
 (What kind of study
After one
10 introductions
0
18
40
50
60
Age group
70
does this look like—
Longitudinal or
Cross-sectional?)74
Adult Cog. Devel.:

Recall vs. recognition:
Number
24
Of words
remembered
20
Number of words
recognized is
stable with age
16
12
8
4
Number of words
recalled declines
with age
0
20
30
40
50
Age in years
60
70
In a study by
Schonfield &
Robertson (1966),
the ability to recall
(EX: essays) new
information
declined during
early & middle
adulthood
 But the ability to
recognize (M-C,
matching, etc.) new
information did not.
 BUT...other factors
can influence
memory at other
75
times..... 
Cognition in
Adolescence... 
76
Adulthood: Cognitive Development
 Cross-Sectional Study
Reasoning
ability
score
60
Cross-sectional method
suggests decline
55
50
45
Longitudinal method
suggests more stability
40
35
25 32 39 46 53 60 67 74 81
Age in years
Cross-sectional method
Longitudinal method
 a study in which
people of different
ages are
compared with
one another
 Suggests more
change b/c of grp.
differences
 Longitudinal Study
 a study in which
the same people
are restudied and
retested over a
long period
 Suggests more
stability
77
Adulthood: Cognitive Development
 Type of info learned: vocab., knowledge, & ability
to integrate info = little decline
But non-verbal & quick responses: don’t do as well
?: What confounding variable could longitudinal studies
not have taken into account (c-181)?
(& it did affect data a little when taken in to acct.,)
-------------------------------------------------------------
 Crystallized Intelligence (181): accumulated
knowledge & verbal skills
 tends to increase with age
 Fluid Intelligence: ability to reason speedily &
abstractly
 tends to decrease …slowly to 75, then
faster… ..esp. after 85
78
Adulthood- Cognitive
Development (t-182)
Intelligence
(IQ) score
105
Verbal scores are
stable with age
100
95
90
85
Nonverbal scores
decline with age
80
75
20 25
Verbal scores
Nonverbal scores
35
45
Age group
55
65
 Verbal
intelligence
scores hold
steady with
age, while
nonverbal
intelligence
70
scores decline
(adapted from
Kaufman & others,
1989).
79
Adult social development: In predictable stages?
 Ages & stages: 40’s = transition to middle adulthood
Do NOT MOST have “mid-life crisis” —regret—struggle..
Divorce: More likely when?
Suicide when?
-------------------------------------------------------
Social Clock: culturally preferred timing of social
events…
 Marriage:
(see EX’s t-183)
 Parenthood
 Retirement
B/c these vary so by cultures & eras, not much evidence
for “stages”
Life events & chance encounters: More important than
“social clock” idea b/c these can happen at varying
times for varying people…w/ some limitations
-chance plays a part—b/c deflect us from 1 road to
another EX: ID twins & romantic partners? 80
Adulthood: Social Development
 Do ppl in early-forties mostly have a midlife
crisis?
NO for great majority
Emotional
instability
24%
No early 40s
emotional crisis
16
Females
8
Males
0
33
36
39
42
45
48
Age in Years
51
54
81
Adulthood: Social Changes
 Commitments: Erikson’s 2 main adulthood tasks
 intimacy & generativity (called different things by
different researchers)…basically love & work
 Love: cross-cultural strong tendency toward “pairbonding”…flirting, falling in love & marrying
Evolutionary psy. see this as necessary for species
-When is love strongest & more likely to last?
Similar interests & values, sharing emotional & material
support, “intimate self-disclosure” (?), marry after 20,
well-educated…but….
-in Western countries have those last 2…but 2X as likely
to divorce…why might this be?
--Canada & US = 1 divorce for each 2 marriages
-Might living together 1st help? Actually no…(184)
-but 9 out of 10 marry…& married report being happier
82
 Commitment (cont’d.)
Which marriages last? What factors affect this?
-“5-to-1-ratio” (?) b-184… EX: of what to do & not to do?
-sharing household duties if both work?
-Kids: can bring joy, but lots of stress…and they leave,
so need more for a marriage to last
Work: This is what often defines us in much of adulthood
-How does the Western idea of work for women differ
from many other places?
Well-being across the life-span: positive vs. negative
feelings…regret? If anything, positive feelings
increase w/ age for most…highs not as high, but lows
not as low
-moods more stable, not as extreme, but more enduring
-more contentment & more spirituality
83
 Multinational
surveys show
Adulthood: Social Changes
age differences
in life
satisfaction are
trivial
Percentage
“satisfied”
with life
as a whole
(Inglehart, 1990).
80
60
40
20
0
15
25
35
45
Age group
55
65+
 When are they
the highest?
Lowest?
 What might
affect these
small
changes…which
occur in small
%’s?
84
Death & dying: usually the worst is death of a
spouse (F--5X more than M), especially if sudden
Can last for 1+yr. intensely, & mild depression years after
-way we grieve varies w/ culture, but grief is crosscultural…and AIDS is wiping out resources of all kinds
in many places, esp. Africa
3 common misconceptions RE: best way to deal w/ grief:
- get it out
-talk it out
-stages
(p. 187)
Last of Erikson’s stages: Integrity vs. despair:
We don’t deny death as we used to...we see it more as a
cycle... even if we are not thrilled
-but integrity allows more of a feeling that life was
meaningful & worthwhile
85
Adulthood: Social Changes:
-loss of spouse & friends/family can affect
life satisfaction…Why might it go down
before the death?
86
Continuity and Stages
The
Rolling
Stones’
2030
Tour!!
88
When the
“Boomers”
Age...
89
QK Review!
=====================
1. T/F: By the time you are about 20, your personality is set
and there is not much that will change it.
2. In order: How are the 3 stages of prenatal growth
referred to?
3. Explain the following terms:
habituation
maturation
secure attachment
stranger anxiety
4. Which psychologist studied the following?
Social intuition/morality
moral development
Cognitive Development
psychosocial development
5. Difference betwn. The following:
accommodation
assimilation
6. The following are related to WHICH stage of cogn. devel.
& HOW?
conservation obj. permanence abstract thought

egocentrism
theory of mind
separation anxiety
90
QK Review! (continued...)
7. Explain how the following relate to beliefs about
intelligence as we age.
--recall vs. recognition
--crystallized vs. fluid
--memory of new info vs. memory of older info
8. Autism and theory of mind/socialization?
91