Life Span Development Chapters 1 8 Chapter 1 Life Span Development Life Span Development the field of study that examines patterns of growth change and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span Topical Areas in Life Span Development Physical Development Cognitive Development development involving the body s physical makeup including the brain nervous system muscles and senses and the need for food drink and sleep and how it determines behavior intellectual capabilities influence a person s behavior that differentiate one person from another change over the life span relationships grow change and remain stable over the course of life the way in which individuals interactions with others and their social development involving the ways that growth and change in development involving the ways that the enduring characteristics Personality Development Social Development Conception Birth Age Ranges and Individual Differences Prenatal Period Infancy Toddlerhood Birth 3 Preschool Period Middle Childhood Adolescence Young Adulthood Middle Adulthood Late Adulthood Areas of Debate 1 Continuous Change vs Discontinuous Change 3 6 6 12 12 20 20 40 40 60 60 Death Continuous Change development is gradual with achievements on one level building on the previous level Discontinuous Change development that occurs in distinct stages or steps bringing about behavior different from prior behavior of earlier stages 2 Critical Periods vs Sensitive Periods Critical Period a specific time during development when a particular event has its greatest consequences and the presence of certain environmental stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally Sensitive Periods a point in development when organism are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environment but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences 3 Nature vs Nurture Nature refers to traits abilities and capacities that are inherited from one s parents It encompasses any factor that is produced by the predetermined unfolding of genetic information known as maturation Nurture refers to all the environmental influences that shape behavior Six Major Theoretical Perspectives used in life span development 1 Psychodynamic Freud Erikson Behavior throughout life is motivated by inner unconscious forces stemming from childhood over which we have little control 2 Behavioral Watson Skinner Bandura Development can be understood through studying observable behavior and environmental stimuli 3 Cognitive Piaget Emphasis on how changes or growth in the ways people know understand and think about the world affect behavior 4 Humanistic Rogers Maslow Behavior is chosen through free will and motivated by our natural capacity to strive to reach our full potential 5 Contextual Bronfenbrenner Vygotsky Development should be viewed in terms of the interrelationship of person s physical cognitive personality and social worlds 6 Evolutionary Darwin Lorenz Behavior is the result of genetic inheritance from our ancestors traits and behavior that are adaptive for promoting the survival of our species have been inherited through natural selection Identifying questions of interest Scientific Method the process of posing and answering questions using careful controlled techniques that include systematic orderly observation and the collection of data Involves 3 Major Steps 1 2 Formulating an explanation 3 Carrying out research that either lends support to the explanation or refutes it Hypothesis a prediction stated in a way that permits it to be tested An educated guess Two Major Categories of Research Correlational Research research that seeks to identify whether an association or relationship between 2 factors exists Experimental Research designed to discover casual relationships between various factors Types of Correlational Studies 1 Naturalistic Observation observation in a natural setting without intervention 2 Case Studies extensive in depth interviews with a particular individual or small group 3 Survey Research a group of people chosen to represent some larger population are asked questions about a given topic Experimental Studies Experiment a process in which an investigator called an experimenter devises two different experiences for subjects or participants Use independent variables variables that are manipulated and dependent variables variables that measure to see if change took place Choosing a Research Setting Field Study research investigation carried out in a natural setting Laboratory Study a room or building designed for research Type of Research Theoretical Research designed specifically to test some developmental explanation and expand scientific knowledge Applied Research meant to provide practical solutions to immediate problems Measuring Developmental Change 1 Longitudinal Studies the behavior of one or more participants in a study is measured as they 2 Cross Sectional Studies research in which people of different ages are compared at the same 3 Sequential Studies researches examine a number of different age groups over several points age point in time in time Chapter 2 Genetics Prenatal Development and Birth Genes DNA deoxyribonucleic acid molecules determine the nature of every cell in the body and how it will function the basic unit of genetic information the substance that genes are composed of that Genes are arranged in specific locations and order along 46 Chromosomes rod shaped portions of DNA that are organized in 23 pairs The 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs contain the genetic blueprint that will guide cell activity for the rest of the individual s life Multiple Births less than 3 of all pregnancies Once a sperm fertilizes the egg it becomes a zygote Monozygotic Twins Identical cluster of cells in the ovum split off from the zygote within the first 2 weeks after fertilization Genetically they are exactly the same Dizygotic Twins Fraternal 2 separate ova are fertilized by 2 separate sperm at roughly the same time No more similar than siblings of different ages Multiple births are more common in Women who take fertility drugs Older women Where multiple births run in the family It is clear the father s sperm determines the sex of the child The Basics of Genetics The Mixing and Matching of Traits Gregor Mendel middle 1800s cross pollinated pea plants Dominant trait is visible expressed Recessive trait is not expressed but remains present in the organism The genetic