Developmental Psychology

Defined• the study of the systematic changes that occur

throughout the lifespan of the organism

Nature/Nurture Controversy

Erikson’s Psychosocial stages

Trained as a Freudian Psychoanalyst One of the first theorists that looked at

development through the lifespan Came up with stages relating to the social

conflict Did feel early experiences leave a

permanent mark, but did not focus on unconscious.

Psychosocial stages

Trust vs Mistrust (birth to one) Autonomy vs Shame and doubt (1-3) Initiative vs Guilt (4-5) Industry vs Inferiority (6 – 12) Identity vs role confusion (adolescence) Intimacy vs Isolation (young adulthood) Generativity vs Stagnation (middle adulthood) Integrity vs Despair (late adulthood)

Kohlberg’s Moral Development

In Europe a woman was near death from cancer. One drug might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in the same town recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2000, ten times what the drug cost to make. The husband went to everyone to borrow money, but he could only get half together. He asked the druggist to sell it cheaper or let him pay later, and was told “no.” the husband broke into the man’s store and stole the drug. Was this morally right? Why?

Study Methods Specific to Developmental Psychology Cross Sectional Studies

• observing subjects of varying ages at one moment in time

Longitudinal• observing subjects of the same age at varying

times across their lifespan

Genetics

23 pairs chromosomes Dominant vs. Recessive Male XY, Female XX Down syndrome- extra chromosome There are abnormalities (XXY, XYY,

XXX, XO)- studies on behavioral differences

Prenatal Development

Zygote-conception to two weeks of gestation - placenta, teratogens

Embryo-from two to nine weeks of gestation- vulnerable, miscarriages

Fetus-from nine weeks to birth Age of Viability-the age at which a fetus

can survive outside the womb (about 24 weeks)

Infant senses

Hearing, smell, taste, sight Memory- age 3, but... Blink, Moro, palmer, rooting Motor development

• Maturation- genetically programmed biological plan

• Proximodistal- Torso out• Cephalocaudal- Head down

Childhood-Physical Development

Perception• Visual Acuity• Depth Perception-visual cliff

Motor-Large Muscle Development• Milestone development

• head support• rolls over• sits up• standing• walking

Childhood-Emotional Development Attachment

• Studies done by Harlow• Found infant monkeys would seek comfort from

terry cloth mothers even if they were not fed by them

Attachment

Separation anxiety (peaks at 13 months)• Mary Ainsworth study on attachment

Secure attachment Anxious-Ambivalent Avoidant

Effects of poor attachment

Temperament

Easy (40%) Adaptable Difficult (10%) Slow-to-warm-up infants (15%) Average (35%)

70% of difficult infants dev beh problems 18% of the easy infants dev beh problems

Parenting style

Authoritarian- rules and obedience Permissive- few demands, little punishment Authoritative- demanding but responsive

Authoritative seems to be best approach, but research is correlational.

Adolescence

Pubesence- two years before puberty Secondary sex characteristics Puberty-

• Males- sperm production 14, maturation 18• Females- menarche 12.5, maturation 16

Early puberty affects on gender

Adolescence

Physical beginnings of adulthood to independence

Physiological Changes • Puberty-stage when sexual functions reach

maturity, generally considered to be the mark of the beginning of adolescence

• Growth Spurt- earlier in girls, maturation• Maturation of secondary sex characteristics

Adolescence

Emotional Development• Erikson-search for identity

Physiological Changes • Puberty-stage when sexual functions reach

maturity, generally considered to be the mark of the beginning of adolescence

• Growth Spurt• Maturation of secondary sex characteristics

Gender development

Carol Gilligan- girls moral decisions “care perspective”

Females are more “interdependent” Most difference are attributed to gender

roles in society. Men do seem to have slightly better spatial

skills, women verbal and fine motor skills

Issues in Adulthood Psychosocial Development

• Erikson-intimacy, generativity, and integrity

Physical Changes/Aging• appearance• hormones• sensory sensitivity

Cognitive Changes• longitudinal vs cross sectional• crystallized vs fluid• recall vs recognition

Stage Theorists in Development

Erikson-Psychosocial Development Freud-Psychosexual Development Piaget-Cognitive Development Kohlberg-Moral Development

Piaget’s stages

Sensori-motor- object permanence Preoperational- symbolize, language,

imitation, egocentric, irreversibility, conservation

Concrete operations- can decenter and reverse, have trouble with hypothetical

Formal operations- abstract, logic and systematic thinking

Piaget’s terms for thinking

Schema- basic thought structure

Assimilation- Applying a schema to a new situation (all 4 legged animals= dog, all male adults= dad)

Accommodation- Changing schemas based on experience or understanding