Development
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Great Debates
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Nature vs. Nurture
Discontinuity (“steps”) vs. Continuity
(“waves”)
Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal
Designs
How do we study babies?
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We use what they
can do, such as . . .
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Sucking
Looking
Habituation
Language Development
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Babbling
Single Words
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Overgeneralization
Word / Naming Explosion
Grammar
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Errors tell us children are paying attention
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“Went” -> “Goed” -> “Went”
Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980)
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Studied cognitive development by looking at
the errors (his own) children made
Theorized distinct, discontinuous stages of
development
Schemes - Mental Representations
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Assimilation
Accommodation
Sensorimotor Stage
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Move from reflexes to problem solving,
discover object permanence
Six Substages:
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Reflex
Primary Circular Reactions
Secondary Circular Reactions
Coordination of Secondary Schemes
Tertiary Circular Reactions
Symbolic Thought / Insight
Preoperational Stage
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Thinking is intuitive, inflexible, based on
appearances
Characterized by several errors
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"A-not-B" Error
Egocentrism
Centration
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Special guest demo . . .
Concrete and Formal Operations
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Concrete Operations
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The child can deal with concrete,
perceptually visible objects, conservation
mastered
Formal Operations
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The child masters abstract thinking and
logic
Criticisms and Re-evaluations
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Case study method
Strict stage view
Phrasing of questions
Operationalizations
Cultural variations
Evidence that these transitions happen much
sooner than Piaget thought
Gender and Stereotyping
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“Welcome him with fresh flowers & love.
Rambunctious yellows, creams, blues and
pinks, for a soon-to-be rambunctious baby
boy.” ($41.99)
“Flowers as pink and delicate as baby's
cheeks. It's a girl! And she's pink and pretty
and peaceful, like this perfect bouquet in a
glass vase.” ($48.99)
(actual quotes and prices from FTD.com)
Culture and Child-Rearing
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Great variability in
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Sleeping arrangements
Amount of movement allowed
Beliefs about independence vs.
interdependence
Aging Quiz
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1. At least one tenth of the aged are living in longstay institutions such as nursing homes and
hospitals
2. Old people usually take longer to learn
something new
3. A person’s height tends to decline in old age
4. As women enter the workforce in greater
numbers, the gender difference in life expectancy is
getting smaller
5. More than 20% of older people are senile
Aging Quiz
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6. Older people are seldom bored
7. The majority of old people are socially isolated
and lonely
8. The elderly are more fearful of crime than
people under 65.
9. Older people are more politically conservative
than younger people
10. People are happiest in their 20’s, and
happiness decreases with age
It gets better from here . . .