Developmental Psychology
*Unit 9
*prenatal development
*physical development
*cognitive development
*social/moral development
* Progress Before Birth:Prenatal Development
*3 phases
*germinal stage = first 2 weeks
*conception, implantation, formation of placenta
*embryonic stage = 2 weeks – 2 months
* formation of vital organs and systems
*fetal stage = 2 months – birth
*bodily growth continues, movement capability begins, brain cells multiply
*age of viability
* Stage Theories: Cognitive Development
*Jean Piaget (1920s-1980s)
*Assimilation/ Accommodation
*4 stages and major milestones
*Sensorimotor
*Object permanence
*Preoperational
*Centration, Egocentrism
*Concrete Operational
*Decentration, Reversibility, Conservation
*Formal Operational
*Abstraction
*Paiget
*cognitive development through stages
*driving force behind development: making sense of our experiences
*schemas
*assimilation
*accommodation
*sensorimotor stage*birth to 2 years
*infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
*object permanence
*the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
*preoperational stage* age 2 to 6-7
* child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
* conservation
* properties such as mass, volume and number remain the same despite changes in the form of objects
* lacking in the preoperational stage
* centration
* the tendency to focus on just one feature of a problem, neglecting other important aspects
*egocentrism
* the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
*concrete operational stage*age 6 to 7-11
*children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
*understand conservation and mathematical transformations
*formal operational stage*beginning at age 12, person can think
logically about abstract concepts
*thinking about actual experience to thinking about imagined reality and symbols
*Vygotsky
*children construct their knowledge
*development can not be separated from its social context
*learning can lead development
*language plays a central role in mental development
*scaffolding
*zone of proximal development
*social development
*attachment:
* an emotional tie with another person, shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
* intense parent/child bond
* stranger anxiety
* infants’ fear of strangers
* 8 months
* critical period
* an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces optimal development
* attachment differences and temperament
*secure attachment* 60% of infants
* explore environment in mother’s presence, distressed when she leaves, seek contact when she returns
*insecure attachment* less inclined to explore environment
* persistent distress when she leaves and/or indifference when she returns
*temperament
*a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
*parenting styles*authoritarian
*parents set rigid rules, enforce strict punishments, and rarely listen to their child’s point of view
*authoritative
*parents set firm rules, make reasonable demands, and listen to their child’s viewpoint while still insisting on responsible behavior
*permissive
*parents set few rules, make minimal demands, and allow their children to reach their own conclusions
* Stage Theories of Development: Personality
*Stage theories, three components
*progress through stages in order
*progress through stages related to age
*major discontinuities in development
*Erik Erikson (1963)
*Eight stages spanning the lifespan
*Psychosocial crises determining balance between opposing polarities in personality
*Social Development:Identity
*social tasks and challenges of adolescence
*psychosocial stages:
*Erikson’s theory that individuals pass through eight developmental stages, each involving a crisis that must be successfully resolved
*trust vs. mistrust
*a totally dependent infant will develop an optimistic, trusting attitude toward the world depending on whether his biological needs are adequately met by his caregivers and sound attachments are formed
*autonomy vs. doubt and shame
*child aged 2-3 years must begin to regulate some behavior, taking some personal responsibility for feeding, dressing, and bathing. The child will develop a sense of self-sufficiency or a sense of personal shame and self-doubt depending on whether his efforts are met with approval or dissatisfaction
*initiative vs. guilt
*a child aged 3-6 years begins to take initiative that conflicts with parental wishes. Over-controlling parents may instill feelings of guilt and damage self-esteem. Supportive parents encourage emerging independence while providing appropriate controls.
*industry vs. inferiority
*a child aged 6 – puberty extends social functioning beyond the family. The child must learn that productivity is valued in this sphere to achieve a sense of competence, or he will develop a sense of inferiority.
*identity vs. role confusion
*from ages 12- 20, the major task is to build a consistent identity, a unified sense of self. Failure of teens to achieve a sense of identity results in role confusion and uncertainty about the future
*intimacy vs. isolation
*from ages 21 – 40, the major task is to achieve intimacy (deeply caring about others and having meaningful experiences with them). Otherwise, we experience isolation, feeling alone and uncared for in life.
*generativity vs. stagnation
*from age 45 – 65, adults need to express their caring about future generations by guiding/mentoring others or producing creative work that enriches the lives of others. Failing this, people become stagnant and preoccupied with their own needs and comforts.
*integrity vs. despair
*from age 65 to death, people who look back on their lives with satisfaction develop a sense of wholeness and integrity. Those in despair look back with regret and disappointment in the lives they have led.
*The Development of Moral Reasoning
*Kohlberg (1976)
*Reasoning as opposed to behavior
*Moral dilemmas
*Measured nature and progression of moral reasoning
*3 levels, each with 2 sublevels
*Preconventional
*Conventional
*Postconventional
*3 major developmental issues
*nature and nurture
*continuity and stages
*stability and change