L5 Chapter 3 NotesIntroduction

Pg. 74 Developmental Psychologists- psychologists who study universal aspects of life-span development as well as cultural and

individual variations

Socialization- processes by which children learn the attitudes and behaviors expected of them by society

From conception to the 1st year

Maturation- the unfolding of genetically influenced behavior and physical characteristics

Pg. 75 Prenatal Development

Germinal stage- conception, male sperm unites with female eggZygote- fertilized eggPlacenta- serves as the embryo’s link to food, elimination of waste, screening out some harmful substances

Embryonic stage- embryo is 1and1/2 inches long; finger, toes, heart and circulatory system develops. Harmful effects most damaging during the embryonic stage

Fetal stage- 8 weeks now called a fetus. Greatest gains in brain and nervous system occur between 28th -40th week of prenatal development.

Cigarette smoking- increase chances of miscarriage, premature birth, under weight baby. Negative effects of smoking may show up long after birth such as hyperactivity, (SIDS) sudden infant death syndrome, learning difficultiesHIV infected- 13-30% of babies become infected

Pg. 76 The Infants World

Motor reflex- automatic behaviors which are necessary for survival

Rooting reflex- allows the infant to find a food source

Babinski reflex- response to touch on the bottom of the foot, infant’s toes will splay outward and then curl in

Newborns can discriminate their mother on the basis of sight, smell, and sound

Pg. 77 Attachment

By becoming attached to a care giver, children gain a secure base from which they can explore the worldContact comfort-innate pleasure derived from close physical contact

Pg. 78 Harlow’s monkey studies- baby monkeys ran to a terry-cloth mother when frightened and cuddled to calm down

Separation anxiety- 7 to 9 months, toddler becomes distressed when the primary care giver temporarily leaves them w/ strangers or a new situation.

Mary Ainsworth: Stranger Situation Experiment- A mother places her baby in an unfamiliar situation; a stranger comes in and plays with the baby, then the mother leaves. Mother returns and the stranger leaves; mother finally leaves the child alone for 3 minutes.

Mary Ainsworth: Stranger Situation Experiment-

Experiment measured the child’s reaction. 3 Categories:

Seriously attached- baby cries and protests & welcomes her back

Insecurity attached Avoidant- child not caring, little effort to seek contact upon return

Insecurity attached Anxious/Ambivalent-protests her leaving, but resists contact at reunion

Pg. 79 Insecurity attachment occurs during the 1st year of mother’s treatment. Mothers who are sensitive and responsive create secure attached infants.

Factors that also promote the development of insecure attachment

Genetic temperament- fearful/prone to crying

Rejection by parentsStress- divorce or family members chronic

illness

Pg. 80 Cognitive DevelopmentLanguage

From Cooing to CommunicatingProcess of acquiring language begins in the 1st month with crying and cooing.Babies understand the melody as a message, responding to pitch, intensity, and sound of language.

“Parentese”- adult use of baby talkSymbolic gesture- 11 months, baby learns a repertoire of symbolic gestures such as smacking the lips for “food”

Pg. 80 Telegraphic speech-(18 months to 2 years), a child’s 1st word combinations which omit unnecessary words. IE: “mama here”

Pg. 82 The Innate Capacity for language

Noam Chomsky- Language Acquisition Device- Humans have an innate ability that allows children to develop languageSurface Structure- the way a sentence is actually spoken or signedDeep structure- contains the meaning

Pg. 83 Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

Assimilation: the process of absorbing new information into an existing cognitive structure. IE: “After a child learns what a dog is, then seeing another dog, it will recognize it as being a dog”

Accommodation- Changing or modifying your existing schemas (associations, beliefs, and expectations about a category of things or people)

4 Stages of Cognitive Development

Sensorimotor Stage (birth –2 years): child learns through looking, touching, hearing, and putting things in heir mouth. Thinking is coordinating sensory information and bodily movements. The child is able to hold a concept in the mind. IE: the word,”fly” means an annoying, buzzing creature.

Pg. 84 Object Permanence: learning that an object continues to exist even when you cannot see or touch it. “Peek-a-boo” at 1 year of age

 Preoperational Stage- (2 to 7 yrs.): use of symbols and language accelerates. They are able to pretend. They are not capable of reason or cause and effect. Egocentric thinking- seeing the world only from your point of view

Egocentric thinking

Concrete Operations Stage (7-12 yrs.): Children come to understand principles of Conservation, reversibility, cause and effect

Operation- mental actions that are cognitively reversible. IE: 2x2=4,4divided by 2=2

Conservation-physical properties do not change when their forms or appearance change

Categorize things (IE: oak as a tree), order things from smallest to largest.

Nature of identity- girls will be girls even though they may wear boys clothing

Conservation

 Pg.85 4. Formal Operations Stage- (12 yrs. to adulthood): able to abstract reason, ideas can be compared just as objects, capable of reasoning about situations they have not experienced

Pg. 87 Moral Reasoning

Lawrence Kohlberg- Stage of Moral Reasoning/ Moral Stage can be determined by answers given to hypothetic dilemmas

Progress through 3 levels of moral development, each with 2 stages

Preconventional morality- Young children obey rules for fear of punishment, later because hey they think it is in their best interest to obey. What is “right” is what feels good.

Conventional Morality- 10-11 years old, based upon conformity and loyalty to others, later based upon understanding of law and justice

Postconventional Morality- based upon human rights, follows conscience rather than the law

Pg. 88 Carol Gilligan- men base moral decisions on principles of law and justiceWomen base moral decision upon compassion and caring

Pg. 89 Gender Development

Sex- anatomical attribute of M/FGender- cultural/psychological attributes that children learn are appropriate for the sexes

Gender identity- a sense of maleness/femaleness, around age 4 or 5 toddlers are able to label themselves as either boys or girlsGender typing- reflects societies ideas about which abilities, interests, traits and behaviors that are appropriately “masculine” or “feminine”

Pg. 90 Influences on Gender DevelopmentBiological factors

Preschool- boys and girls congregate primarily with other children of the same sex. Children all over the world prefer to play with same sex friends

Cognitive factors

Gender schemas- mental belief about what it means to be male or femalePg. 91 Boys desire to play w/ masculine toys is stronger than girls desire to play with feminine toys. Boys lose status when they play with girls, girls gain status when they behave like boys

Learning factors

Gender socialization begins at the moment of birth. Newborns are given the “right” color of blanket considered to be “male or female”

Pg.92 Gender over the Life span

At middle age, women often become more achievement oriented, men more nurturing and family oriented

Pg. 93 How Much do Parents matter

Power assertions-parents use punishment and authority to correct the child’s misbehavior (threats & scolding) taking advantage of being bigger and stronger. Children become aggressive (poor social skills) and have poor impulse control

Pg.9 Induction- a child rearing practice that appeals to the child’s own resources, abilities, sense of responsibility. Children are more likely to confess rather than lie

Permissive parenting- letting the child do what ever they want. Children often will be impulsive, unmotivated, and irresponsible

Authoritative parenting- listening to the child, set expectations

Limits on Parental Influence

Pg. 95 temperaments- siblings may respond differently to the same method of parental discipline.Peers- children often feel they must choose between what their parents want and what their peers wantPg. 96 The conflict a child feels between parents and peers reaches its peak during adolescence