Unit 9:
Developmental
Psychology
Mr. McCormick
A.P. Psychology
Essential Question
How do people develop
physically, cognitively,
socially, and morally
throughout the lifespan?
Unit 9 (A):
Prenatal Development
and the Newborn
Mr. McCormick
A.P. Psychology
Developmental Psychology
 What
is
Developmental Psychology?
 What
aspects of
human development do
developmental psychologists study?
Issues of
Developmental Psychology
Issue
Nature/Nurture
Continuity/Stages
Stability/Change
Details
How do genetic inheritance
(our nature) and experience
(the nurture we receive)
influence our behavior?
Is development a gradual,
continuous process or a
sequence of separate stages?
Do our early personality
traits persist through life, or
do we become different
persons as we age.
Nature Vs. Nurture
“Nature is all that a
man brings with him
into the world; nurture
is every influence that
affects him after birth.”
–Francis Galton, English
Men of Science, 1874
Conception
When
does “life” begin?
How
does
conception occur?
Conception

A single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer
coating of the egg (female) and fuses to form one
fertilized egg
Prenatal Development

Zygote:

The fertilized egg

Enters a two-week period
of rapid cell division and
develops into an embryo
Prenatal Development

Embryo:

The developing human
organism from about two
weeks after fertilization
until the second month
Prenatal Development

Fetus:

The developing human organism from nine weeks
after conception to birth
Controversies of
Fertility and Conception

Some women harvest their eggs to conceive later
in life, building a career before having children.
What are the pros and cons of having children later
in life?
 What societal implications will this practice
produce?



What should become of unused frozen embryos?
Explain.
Should human cloning be allowed? Why or why
not?
Prenatal Development:
Abortion

Until when is abortion legal in the US?


At what point are fetuses viable (can survive outside of
the womb)?



Abortions are legal in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy (6 months)
Typically 24-28 weeks (6-7 months)
Youngest child to survive premature birth in the US: 21 weeks,
6 days (5.5 months)
The Unborn Victims of Violence Act (“Laci and
Connors Law”) was passed in 2004

A “child in utero” is recognized as a legal victim, if he or she is
injured or killed through violent crime
Prenatal Development
What
kind of
complications
can occur during
prenatal development?
Prenatal Development:
Complications

Teratogens:
Agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach
the embryo or fetus during prenatal development
and cause harm
 E.g. HIV, Nicotine


Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS):
Physical and cognitive abnormalities in children
caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking
 Can include noticeable facial misproportions

Prenatal Development:
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
The Competent Newborn
“I felt like a man
trapped in a woman’s body..
Then I was born!”
-Comedian Chris Bliss
Video Clip:
Testing Competency in the Newborn
How
are vital signs
tested in newborns?
What
types of things do
medical doctors test for?
Video Clip:
Reflexes in the Newborn
What
types of reflexes are
newborns born with?
Why
do they have such
reflexes?
The Competent Newborn

Infants are born with reflexes that aid in
survival, including rooting reflex which helps
them locate food.
The Competent Newborn

Offspring cries are important signals for parents
to provide nourishment. In animals and
humans such cries are quickly attended to and
relieved.
Newborns’ Preference for Faces

When shown these two stimuli with the same elements,
newborns spent nearly twice as many seconds looking at
the face-like image (Johnson and Morton, 1991)
Review



What is Developmental Psychology?
How does conception occur?
Discuss the three stages of prenatal
development:
Zygote
 Embryo
 Fetus


What types of reflexes are newborns born with?
Homework

Unit 9 Key People:


Unit 9 FRQ:


(R) 2/2/12
Research Study Response # 17: “Discovering Love”
(Pgs. 126-134)


(W) 2/1/12
(F) 2/3/12
Unit 9 Quiz: “Developmental Psychology”

(T) 2/6/12