Psych 1101 Chapter 5 Development Through the LifespanDevelopmental Psychology: is the study of the systematic changes (physical, cognitive, and social) that occur throughout the lifespanThree issues pervade developmental psychology:1) Nature vs. Nurture2) Gradual and continuous vs. sequence of separate states 3) Whether personality traits remain stable or change of the lifespanAs people age, personality tends to stabilizeThere is also an underlying consistency to most people's temperaments and emotionality*Eric Erison, Sigmund Freud State (depression, anxiety symptoms) - temporaryTrait (personality, how we interact with people) - enduringResearch Methods Specific to Developmental PsychologyCross-Sectional Designs: observe participants of varying ages at one point in time -people of different ages are compared with one anotherLongitudinal Designs: observe the same individuals at varying ages; the same people are restudied and retested over a long periodPrenatal Development1. Germinal stage (conception to two weeks):-zygote (fertilized egg) cell division produces a zygote of some 100 cells --> cells begin to differentiate (to specialize in structure and function)2. Embryonic stage (2 to 8 weeks of gestation): -about 10 days after conception, the zygote's outer cells become the placenta and attach to the mother's uterine wall (the inner cells become the embryo)3. Fetal stage (9 weeks to birth):-*by 9 weeks after conception, the embryo looks human and is now a fetus*-at each prenatal stage, genetic and environmental factors affect development. The placenta transfers nutrients and oxygen from mother to fetusAge of viability: age at which a fetus can survive outside the womb - around 24 weeksTypes of Teratogens1) street/recreational drugs2) therapeutic drugs3) caffeine 4) nicotine5) alcohol - fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)6) environmental chemicals- lead7) maternal infectious diseases Natural Challenges: (Mothers have to pay attention to:)-nutrition-maternal stressInfancy and Childhood-Maturation, the biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, sets the basic course of development --> experience adjusts it.-Maturation accounts for commonalities (standing before walking) --> The sequence is universal;the timing varies-As the infant's muscles and nervous system mature, ever more complicated skills emerge. Infancy and Childhood: Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)-cognition: refers to all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating-the mind tries to make sense of experience by forming schemas (concepts or frameworks) that organize and interpret information - cats and dogs; cars and trucks1) assimilation: process of interpreting new information based on our current understandings/schemas 2) accommodation: to adjust our current understanding (or schemas) to incorporate new information...creating new categories - bears and SUVsInfancy and Childhood: Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)sensorimotor stage (birth to age 2): children experience the world through their senses and actions-by about 8 months, an infant exhibits object permanence, an awareness that things still exist even when they are out of sightpreoperational stage (3 to 6): cannot mentally manipulate info-marked by egocentricity, that is, they cannot perceive things from another's point of viewconcrete operational stage (7 to 12): about to think logically about concrete events, grasp concrete analogies, and comprehend mathematical transformations-principle of conservation - volume remains constant despite container's shapeformal operational stage (12+): reasoning expands from the purely concrete to encompass abstract thinking; hypothetical thinking Cognitive Development (Lev Vygotsky)-Vygotsky emphasized the role of the social environment in the child's cognitive development-the child was a young apprentice, mentored by parents and others who, by giving them new words, provided a temporary scaffold from which children can step to higher levels of thinkingVygotsky vs. Piaget: -while Piaget focused on how the child's mind grows through interaction with the physical environment, Lev Vygotsky emphasized the role of the social environmentSocial and Emotional Development: Attachment -attachment: the attachment bond is a survival impulse that keeps infants close to their caregivers-infants become attached to their parents/primary caregivers:-satisfy biological needs (nourishment)-provide body contact that is soft and warm --> failure to thrive*-Strange Situation (Ainsworth): children (roughly 60%) display secure attachment --> they playcomfortably in their mother's presence, are distressed when she leaves, and seek contact when she returns*-insecurely attached: less likely to explore their surroundings, and when their mother leaves, cry loudly and remain upset, or seem indifferent to her going and returning-parents' sensitivity and responsiveness to the child can influence attachment styleDevelopment of Children's Self-Concept-self-concept: our understanding and evaluation of who we are, develops gradually-at about 15 to 18 months, infants will recognize themselves in a mirror-by school age, children start to describe themselves in terms of their gender, group memberships, and psychological traits. They also compare themselves with other children.-by age 8 to 10, children's self images are quite stable. Children with a positive self concept are more confident, independent, optimistic, assertive, and sociable. Parenting Styles1) authoritarian parents impose rules and expect obedience2) permissive parents submit to their children's desires, make few demands, and use little punishment3) authoritative parents are both demanding and responsive. Children with the highest self-esteem, self-reliance, and social competence generally have warm, concerned, and authoritative parents.Adolescents-Adolescents is a period of transition from childhood to adulthood-Hormones triggers a two-year period of growth: begins in girls around age 11 and boys around age 13-During the growth spurt, the reproductive organs, or primary sex characteristics, develop dramatically-So do the secondary sex characteristics, such as the breasts and hips in girls, facial hair and a deepened voice in boys, and pubic and underarm hair in both sexes.-the landmarks of puberty are the first ejaculation (spermarche) in boys, usually occurs around age 14 and first menstrual period (menarche) in girls, usually occur