Human Development
Developmental Psychology
Definition: field of study in psychology that
examines how people grow and
change throughout the life span
of a human
Types of Development:
- Cognitive
Life Span:
- Perceptual
- Conception
- Physical
- Infancy
- Social
- Childhood
- Adolescence
- Adulthood
- Aging
- Death
Why Study Human Development?
• our experiences in one stage affects later
stages
• studying early stages helps us learn about
developmental problems
• can learn what types of experiences which
foster well adjusted humans in later stages
How Do We Study It?
• Use Longitudinal & Cross-Sectional method*
(interested in people across life span)
Concerned with:
- hereditary & environmental
influences on behavior
- discovering if development
is gradual (inclined plane) or
in stages (climbing stairs)
Nature v. Nurture
Nature = heredity/genetics
• certain behaviors are “biologically programmed”
based on nutrition & social experience
• Maturation automatic & sequential process of
development resulting from genetic signals
• Critical Period point in development which a
human is best suited to learn
Nurture = environment
•
Mind is a “blank slate” and is
written on by environment
Nature v. Nurture
Q What’s side of the debate are you on?
Instructions
• Get into Lab Groups
• Nature on Left (near side chalkboard)
• Nurture on Right (near windows)
• Split a piece of paper in half and both sides
state their case
• Turn them into me and I will evaluate and
declare a winner
Birth
through
Childhood
Physical Development
So, what are you born with?
• Physical characteristics
(weight/height)
• Reflexes (involuntary response)
• Certain reflexes exist at birth:
- Moro extension of arms when
feel loss of support
- Palmar hand grasping
- Rooting turning to objects w/
check attempting to suck
Physical Development
Height & Weight:
most dramatic gains happen prior to birth
• Embryo Stage
– 1st 8 weeks = tiny embryo develops fingers, toes, eyes,
ears, nose, a heart, & circulatory system
• Fetal (Fetus) Stage
– lasts until birth & other vital organs form
• Infancy (birth to 23 months)
– double weight & height in 5 weeks (triple by 1 year)
– grow 10 inches a year
• Childhood (2 years to adolescence)
– gain an avg. of 2-3 inches & 4-6 lbs each year until
adolescence
Perceptual Development
• Definition: process by which infants make
sense of the senses to which they are exposed
• Five Senses are functional
at birth
– Newborns can utilize sight
(prefer to focus on objects 9
inches or less away from them)
– Focus on objects w/contour,
contrast, complexity, and
movement
• Infants prefer new & interesting
stimuli (take it all in and learn)
• Sense of hearing & smell are
better than eyesight at birth
Social Development
Focus on: the ways in which infants & children
learn to relate to other people
– Attachment: close emotional relationship
between an infant & their caretakers
• Secure Attachment: parent serves as a secure
base from which to explore
• Insecure Attachment:
– Insecure tend to cling to parent & be angry
when parent returns after separation
– Avoidant seek little contact with parent
– Contact Comfort:
instinctual need to touch &
be touched by something
soft (i.e. skin)
• Harry Harlow's experiment
with Monkeys (1959)
– Imprinting: process by which
immediate attachments are formed
by animals during critical period
• In humans it does not happen:
(takes months to form/no critical
period in humans)
Social Development
– Temperament: characteristic of a child’s
mood & activity level
• Easy Infants: 40%; adaptable to new situations;
predictable in schedule; positive in mood
• Difficult Infants: 10%; intense reactions; not
adaptable to new situations; negative mood
• Slow-to-Warm Infants: 15%; initially withdraw
when approached; may warm up later
• Average Infants: 35%; do not fit into any of the
above categories
Social Development
Parenting Styles are based on two dimensions:
• Warm-Cold
• Warm show lots of
affection & enjoyment
• Cold little affection &
enjoyment shown;
• Strict-Permissive
• Strict impose rules
& supervise closely
• Permissive less
rules & supervision
Social Development
Parenting Styles:
Authoritative: affectionate & loving;
sets limits; engages in
verbal give-and-take
Authoritarian: demands unquestioned
obedience; less affection
Permissive: few demands made;
children allowed to
make own decisions;
inconsistent discipline
Social Development
Self-Esteem: value or worth that people
attach to themselves
Factors which affect:
• Secure Attachment = High self-esteem
• Ways in which parent react to their children
• Love & Acceptance no matter what
(Unconditional Positive Regard)
• Love only shown when children behave as
expected (Conditional Positive Regard)
• Also…… Gender & Age
Cognitive Development
Definition: development of
thought process
Key Terms:
• Schema: basic thought process/structure
• Organization: combining & integrating simple
schemas
• Adaption: modifying existing schema to fit
new experiences
Theory & Theorist
Jean
•
•
•
Piaget (1896-1980)
Developmental Psychologist
Focus how children think
CreatedTheory of Cognitive
Development
Contributions & Focus:
• developed a theory of intellectual development
based on a stage oriented process of cognition
• Belief children will not learn a skill through
reinforcement or modeling unless they are
cognitively ready to do so
• Belief organized information through:
• Assimilation: interpreting new info/stimuli
based current knowledge known
• Accommodation: changing thoughts/ideas
through experiences
Student Activity
Task I
• Read & Highlight Piaget’s “Stages of
Intellectual Development”
• Complete the “Piagetan Tasks” activity
(Parts A,B,C)
• Complete the “Application of the Stages
of Cognitive Development” activity
• See me for answers
Theory & Theorist
Lawrence Kholberg(1927-1987)
• Developmental Psychologist
• Focus Mental Processing &
Moral Decisions
• Created Theory of Moral
Development
Contributions & Focus:
• Developed a six stage cognitive theory about
the development of children’s moral reasoning
• Belief a child’s stage of mental processing
influences the way they make moral decisions
• Belief child in a certain stage of development
make moral judgments consistently
• Stages follow a sequence that children do not
skip or go backwards in
Student Activity
Task II
• Read & Highlight Kohlberg’s “Stages of
Moral Development” (Part A)
• Complete Part B on the paper.
• Complete the “Evaluation” activity.
• Be ready to discuss, share, and turn in
tomorrow.
Adolescence
Adulthood
through Aging
Young Adulthood
Life Span:
• age 20-40
Characteristics:
• Physical Change:
- height of strength & reaction time
- signs of aging begin to show
• Social Concern:
- forming intimate relationships
• Cognitive Skill:
- intellectual abilities stable
- processing skills stable
Developmental Tasks:
• Exploring adult roles
• Becoming independent of parents
• Developing intimate relationships
• Adjustment to living with someone else
• Starting a family
• Maintaining/managing a home
• Beginning a career
• Involvement in “community”
• Creation of “social network”
Reassessment:
• occurs in early 30’s
• reevaluation of choices &
decisions made while in 20’s
• life changes occur (careers,
divorce, move)
• Biological factors are considered
(women & childbirth)
Settling Down:
• occurs in late 30’s
• “planting roots”
• focus on career & life stability
Middle Adulthood
Life Span:
• age 40-65
Characteristics:
• Physical Change:
- number of active brain cells decrease
- vision decreases
- menopause begins in women
• Social Concern:
- more aware of own mortality
- caught between needs of their children
& their own parents
• Cognitive Skill:
- intelligence remains stable
- retrieval of long term memory slows
Developmental Tasks:
• Strengthening relationship w/spouse
• Helping children adjust from home to
real world
• Assuming roles in community to
improve overall world
• Achieving mastery in career
• Adjusting to physical changes
• Making decisions about future
• Pursuing Passions
• Coping with aging parents
Generality:
• ability to influence the world
around you
• interest in guiding the next
generation
•
Examples w/kids, w/co-workers,
w/community
Midlife Transition:
•
•
•
•
occurs in age 40-45
realize “life is half over”
realize “I’m not a kid anymore”
Result perspectives change
Midlife Crisis:
• 2nd period of reassessment
• Feeling of trapped in meaningless
life roles
• Result find new outlets (roles)
•
Middlescence: search for a new
identity (similar to adolescence
stage)
Empty-Nest Syndrome:
• occurs when children leave home
& start own live
• Result feelings of emptiness &
depression (old research)
• Result increase in freedom,
focus on career/spouse, new
things to focus on(new research)
Late Adulthood
Life Span:
• age 65-older
Characteristics:
• Physical Change:
- health problems begin to show
- aging takes place
• Social Concern:
- acceptance & adjustment
- opportunity for self-fulfillment
• Cognitive Skill:
- decrease in memory & cognitive ability
Developmental Tasks:
• Adjusting to physical changes
• Maintain concern for others while
balancing your own changes
• Shift focus from work to retirement &
leisure activities
• Adjustment to financial changes
• Adjustment to living with spouse in
retirement (fulfilling living arrangement)
• Adjustment to death of spouse
Why Do People Age?
1. Theory #1
2. Theory #2
Cognitive Changes?
•
•
•
•
Social Changes?
•
•
•
•
Stage of Dying
Kubler Ross Theory:
• proposed by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross (1969)
wrote “On Death & Dying”
• worked with terminally ill people
• Idea death happens in five stages in
which dying people pass
Stage of Dying
Stage of Dying
Stage 1 Denial
• defense mechanism
• deny the reality of the situation
• block out the words & hide from reality
Stage 2 Anger
• intense emotion & guilt
• possible resentment
Stage 3 Bargaining
• attempt to regain control of reality
• thoughts of “if we only…”
• try to postpone the inevitable
Stage of Dying
Stage 4 Depression
• Two types:
• 1 sadness & regret
• 2 quiet preparation of actual death
Stage 5 Acceptance
• not all reach this stage
• withdrawal and calm
• limited social interaction