Psych 202 Lecture March 5, 2015Introduction to Developmental Psychology- What is developmental psychology?o Study of psychological growth of individualso Nature vs. nurture Nature: we unfold according to genetically predetermined processes Nurture: we are a blank slate at birth and the environment determines who we are- Critical periods: Nature Concepto A critical period in which experience must occur for normal developmento Language, visual information, attachmento *Cataracts at birth and later removal- normal seeing can never occur*o “Sensitive periods”- easier to learn (i.e. second language)- Important Developmental Theories:o Piaget- 4 stages of cognitive development Sensorimotor=birth to 2 years old- Develop schemas through senses/motor- Object permanence develops Preoperational= 2-6 years old- Ages 2-7- Significant language- Think symbolically- Cannot perform “operations” (mentally reversible processes, likeknowing that their brother has a brother)- Egocentric thinking Concrete operational= 6-11 years old- Ages 7-11- Can perform “operations” but concrete (ask a kid “don’t judge a book by its cover, and they take it literally)- Understand “conservation”- Not abstract in thought processes Formal operational= 11+ years- Can think abstractly/hypothetically (“what if?” kind of thinking; ex: algebra)o Kohlberg- 3 levels of moral development/reasoning Pre-conventional Level Conventional Level Post-conventional Levelo Erikson- psychosocial development (8 stages)- understand each stage but don’t memorize each specific thing Trust vs. Mistrust (0-1) Autonomy vs. shame and doubt (1-3) Initiative vs. guilt (3-6) Industry vs. inferiority (6-12)- am I competent or inferior at something? Identity vs. role confusion (12-20)- Who am I? people group together with others like themselves Intimacy vs. isolation (20-30)- capable of forming close friendships/romantic relationships  Generativity vs. stagnation (30-65)- careers am I doing something meaningful with my life work? Am I giving back to people? Ego identity vs. despair (65+)- Do I feel like I lived a successful, worthy life? (End of life crisis)- 3 Major Concepts of Piageto Schema- cognitive structure consisting for organized ideas; theories about or models of the way the world workso Assimilation- absorb new info into schemeso Accommodation- adjust schemas for new information (boys AND girls can be doctors)- Who is that in the mirror? (videoclip): around 18 months of age; kids figure out that it’s them in the mirror; kids and animals do this - Theory of Mind (videoclip): need self control and awareness of others in order to tell a lie; 3 year olds don’t realize that they can know something that someone else doesn’t know; 4 year olds do realize this (money in the box)- Piaget (videoclip): liquid poured into different sized glasses- kids under age 8 thought taller container meant more liquid; U of I studies how babies view object permanence (objects continue to exist when hidden); infants look longer at impossible/magical event (e.g. car going behind block on train tracks and coming out on other side)- Weakness of Piaget Theoryo Underestimated abilitieso Underestimated genetic and environmental influences- Kohlberg’s research dilemma: a woman near death from cancer; can’t afford drug to help; pharmacist making a lot of money on it, but he won’t work out a payment plan, etc., so husband breaks into store to steal the drug: is this moral?o Pre-conventional (birth to adolescence)- punishment/obedience; morality determined by consequences for the actoro Conventional (adolescence and young adult)- law and order/ good child: morality determined by extent to which it conforms to social rules (e.g. stealing is against the law)o Post-conventional (adulthood)- social contract/universal ethics; general principles that reflect core values (e.g. laws aren’t always moral, and life is more important than money)- Moral Reasoning of Children (videoclip): kids empathize better with people of their owngender; kid on way to party and not to talk to anyone; see a hurt child on the way there; what should they do? Younger children do what they’re originally told- don’t have their own sense of right and wrong, but older kids develop their own sense of right and wrong(older=after age 8)- Morality shaped by environment, parents, situation, natureo Concrete thought processes associated with intellectual issues impact moralityo Parents teach kids empathy and sympathyo Secure attachment promotes appropriate guilt, empathy, sympathyo Frontal lobes involved in morality- Changing goals and roleso The socio-emotional selectivity theory states that younger adults are oriented toward future-pertinent (useful) information while older adults focus on (positive) emotional satisfaction in the present, perhaps because of shortened futures- Negatively decreases over lifetime- Married men and women increase probability of living longer; widowed women have a higher probability of survival than widowed men- Married people are most unhappy when they have teenagers but as teens grow up, happiness goes back upSocial and Emotional Development: The Importance of Attachment- Attachment: strong emotional bond with others that continues over time- Lorenz and geese: imprinting concept- Bowlby: infants have traits that elicit certain nurturing responses (i.e. infants are cute; cry when need something- make us want to nurture them)- Harlow’s research on monkeys- The Harlow Monkey Studies: Motion Sequence Push Play (videoclip): young monkey preferred softer monkey (cloth monkey)- more important to be comforted than to have food and used cloth mother as a secure base; “contact comfort” important for attachment- Attachment and Temperament Important for Development into Adulthood- Different Levels of Attachmento Ainsworth’s research: “The Strange Situation”o 3 categories:  Securely attached (60%)- video example; type of attachment that we want Avoidant (20%)- indifferent about mother Anxious/ambivalent (15%)- more distressed than normal, but mad at parent when they return (hold grudge) Disorganized (5%)- The Strange Situation Test (videoclip)- record how child reacts when mother leaves and then returns to room- Lisa had secure attachment; mom was able to comfort her distressed