PSYCH 202 1st Edition Lecture 21 Introduction to Developmental Psychology NEED TO KNOW NOT GONE OVER IN CLASS o Jean Piaget 4 stages of cognitive development Nature of intelligence how intelligence changes over lifespan o Lawrence Kohlberg 3 levels of moral development How people come to think about moral problems o Eric Erickson 8 stages of psychosocial development Across lifespan what are major challenges people face Stage 8 ego integrity vs despair In last stages of life has my life been a good one Ego integrity believe your life was a good one If not despair Developmental psychology defined o The study of the influence of maturation and experience on the emergence and activation of multiple psychological processes across distinct periods o Nature and nurture both take part in the development Developmental periods relates to Eric Erickson o Prenatal Before child is born o Infancy o Childhood o Adolescence o Early adulthood o Middle adulthood o Late adulthood The psychological processes o At each level of age developmental psychologists study multiple psychological processes as they relate to the adaptation of persons in their particular environments E g behavior genetic physiological sensory perceptual memory and learning emotional moral development thought language judgment problem solving personality psychopathology Nature vs Nurture o Biology vs environment o Maturation vs experience o One frame on these questions Genotypes phenotypes and heritability estimation o Genotype nature and biology maturation Genotypes are given constitutionally at moment of conception Our genotype is our genetic totality the biological blueprint that unfolds These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute o o o We cannot observe it directly Phenotype nature nurture Phenotypes are the product of or interaction between genotypes and experience environment They are observable characteristics of the organism Heritability Refers to a statistical estimate of what proportion of the variation in a trait e g IQ neuroticism shyness narcissism aggressiveness etc in a population can be accounted for by underlying genetic differences between individuals Estimated of heritability are derived from twin adoption and family behavior genetic studies Heritability estimates of personality characteristics e g show that around 50 of the differences between individuals on a variety of important characteristics aggression intelligence friendliness emotional stability etc can be attributed to genetic differences between persons Biological development prenatal Conception results in formation of the zygote and marks the beginning of genetic identity Your genotype is reflected here The zygote s DNA determines many of our physical mental structures which sets the stage for future physical and psychological developments 3 stages of prenatal development Germinal stage from conception until the zygote attaches to uterine wall around 10 days to two weeks later Embryonic stage weeks 3 to 8 Parts of body form organs begin function testosterone secreted in males 8 weeks 1 inch long Fetal stage 2 months until birth Teratogens in prenatal development Teratogen poison Preuterine defects They are chemical agents causing profound in utero damage effects Thalidomide effects in the 1950 s Alcohol cigarettes cocaine effects generally result in lower that average birth weights and detrimental effects on information processing capacities motor capacities Is there a safe drinking level for pregnant mothers Studies show moderate drinking as little as one a day can lead to defects in attention and alterness in infants with effects still being evident in early childhood No Video clip on teratogens Glial cells in early stage of development is to find developing neurons and bring them where they are supposed to be a guide Radiation makes these neurons stop short of where they need to be o o o Alcohol makes the neurons go too far and go beyond where they need to go Proliferation 0 7 weeks Migration 8 15 Differentiation 16 25 weeks Continued differentiation 26 29 weeks Both are critical stages in regards to radiation Heterotopias from fetal alcohol syndrome Brain elements that have been splattered outside of brain surface From neurons not stopping where needed to because alcohol made them go too far Biological development postnatal Reflexes are evident automatic unlearned reactions to specific forms of stimulation e g Rooting reflex turn toward something Ex Breastfeeding If something touches a newborn infant s cheek or mouth baby will turn toward it and search for the object to see what it was Grasping reflex new born baby grasps your finger with their hand very strong Sensory perceptual capacities emerge following a developmental clock a maturation unfolding and are associated with rapid physical changes in the CNS and PNS along with development of muscular and sensorimotor capacities Generally there is postnatal impoverishment in the interconnections between 100 billion existing nerve cells leading to extraordinary and prolific dendritic and synaptic branching out across the early days weeks months and years of development Enriched experiences result in more neural developments in young middleaged and older animals But explosive development occurs in the earliest periods in any event Note remember how Bill Greenough s work with older rats showed us about lifespan development of memory synapses dendrites vasculature The development of temperament and attachment Two themes wherein we begin to explore ideas about the origins of personality and individual differences Temperament behavioral and emotional style that is evident in very early development commonly thought of as being genetically determined Genotypic Attachment style emotional and behavioral style of interacting with significant early objects of attachment parents especially mothers believed to be due to an interaction between temperament and environmental influences Develops early in life and determines how you will interact with people later in life Phenotypic what we tend to see Videotape segment Harlow s Monkeys Harlow studies were done at UW Madison Motherless monkeys surrogate mother studies These were fake mothers Wired monkeys Version 1 cold wire Access to nourishment Version 2 cloth soft mom Gave security and comfort What motivates infant attachment to mothers Freudian legacy