Developmental Psychology (definition)
Study of continuity and change in physical, cognitive and social abilities across the life span
Zygote (and survival rate)
Fertilized egg that contains chromosomes from both
a sperm and
an egg
Germinal Stage
Two-week period that begins at
conception
Embryonic Stage
Period that lasts from the 2nd week
until about the 8th week
Fetal Stage
Period that lasts from the 9th week until birth
Chromosomes (number)
46 in total
Male
provides an X or Y Chromosome (23) and determines if the child will be male or female.
Female
provides the x chromosome (23)
Teratogen
Agents that damage the process of
development, such as drugs and viruses
Nutrition = health psychologically and physically
the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Developmental disorder that stems from heavy alcohol use by the mother during pregnancy
Tobacco Smoke
Premature birth, low birth weight,
bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia
Habituation
defined as a behavioral response decrement that results from repeated stimulation and that does not involve sensory adaptation/sensory fatigue or motor fatigue
Piaget (Father of Developmental Psychology)
created stages of cognitive development
Stages of Cognitive Development (order)
Sensorimotor stage (birth–2 yrs.) ,Preoperational stage (2–6 yrs.) , Concrete operational stage (6–11 yrs.), Formal operational stage (11 yrs. +)
Sensorimotor
Infants acquire information about the world by sensing it and moving around within it
Preoperational
the stage of cognitive development that begins at about 2 yrs and ends at about 6yr, during which children develop a preliminary understanding of the psychical world.
Concrete Operational
the stage of cognitive development that begins at about 6yr and ends about 11 yrs, during which the children's learn how various actions, or operations, can affect or transform concrete objects.
Formal Operational
the final stage of cognitive development that begins around the age of 11, during which children learn to reason about abstract concepts.
Assimilation
Process by which infants apply
their schemas in novel
situations. new experiences are incorporated into existing schemas.
Accommodation
The process by which infants revise their schemas in light of new information. Broadening their understanding of the world.
Sensorimotor
Infants acquire information about the world by sensing it and moving around within it.
Object Permanence
Idea that objects continue to exist
even when they are not visible
Preoperational stage 2-6yr)
Children have a preliminary understanding of the physical world
Egocentrism
difficulty viewing world from another person’s perspective.
Conservation
Notion that the quantitative properties of an object are invariant (doesn’t change) despite changes in the object’s appearance
Theory of Mind
Point at which a child understands that they and others have minds and that these minds represent the world in different ways
Schemas
Theories about or models of the
way the world works
Abstract Thinking
capacity to understand hypothetical concepts
Hypothetical Thinking
Thinking that is based on what is possible, and not just what is real; sometimes referred to as "if-then" thinking.
Lev Vygotsky
believed children develop
through interactions with members of
his/her own culture.
Joint Attention
Ability to focus on what another person is focused on
Harry Harlow and Attachment Theory
studied infant attachment using monkey buit with wire and cloth
Socially Isolated Rhesus Monkeys (long-lasting and severe)
not allowed any social contact for the 1st 6 months of life, developed behavioral abnormities. incapable of learning from others and communicating.
Wire “Mother” vs. Cloth “Mother”
had food/nourishment; cloth mother did not have food, but the monkeys attached to the cloth mother despite the lack of nourishment.
John Bowlby and Attachment Theory
Two factors that babies (both human and animal) need for
survival:
1. Protection
2. Exploration
Crying, Smiling and Cooing
response that human adults normally respond to
Month that direct attachment signals noticed in children (primary caregiver)
at about 6 months they begin to target the best and fasts responder . this person quickly becomes the emotional center of the infants universe.
Attachment
Emotional bond that forms
between newborns and their primary
caregivers (secure, insecure: avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized
attachment styles)
Secure Attachment
When the caregiver leaves, secure infants may or may not be distressed. When she returns, the distressed infants go to her and are calmed by her presence, while non- distressed infants acknowledge her with a glance or greeting
Avoidant Attachment
When the caregiver leaves, avoidant infants are not distressed, but when she returns, they don’t acknowledge her
Ambivalent Attachment
When the caregiver leaves, ambivalent infants are distressed, and when she returns, they rebuff her, refusing any attempt at calming while arching their backs and squirming to get away
Disorganized Attachment
When their caregiver leaves and returns, disorganized infants show no consistent pattern of response.
Temperament
Characteristic patterns of emotional reactivity
Day Care’s effect on attachment
depended on the quality of mother-infant attachment.
Internal Working Model
Set of beliefs about the self, the primary caregiver, and the relationship between them
Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development
developed a theory of three stages in moral development
Preconventional
(childhood): Morality of an action is
primarily determined by
its consequences for the actor
Conventional
(adolescence): Morality of an action is primarily determined by the
extent to which it conforms to social
rules and/or norms.
Post Conventional
(rare at any age but mostly in adults): Morality of an action is
determined by a set of general principles that reflect core values or
inner moral guidelines apart from
society
Adolescence
Period of development that
begins with the onset of sexual
maturity (about 11–14 years of age) and lasts until the beginning of
adulthood (about 18–21 years of age)
Age onset of adolescence and Gap between childhood and adulthood
Adolescence is the period of transition between childhood and adulthood. Children who are entering adolescence are going through many changes (physical, intellectual, personality and social developmental). Adolescence begins at puberty, which now occurs earlier, on average, than in the past.
Consequences of early onset
early puberty is associated with more depressive disorders, substance use disorders, eating disorders and disruptive behavior disorders.
Adulthood
the stage of development that begins around 18 to 21 years and ends at death
Age onset of adulthood
Adulthood is generally thought to begin at age 20 or 21. Adulthood is the period of human life when full physical and intellectual maturity has been attained.
Happiness in adulthood
This graph shows the results of four independent studies
of
marital satisfaction among men and women. All four
studies
suggest that marital satisfaction is highest before
children
are born and after they leave home
Effects of Having Children
Having a baby is a completely life-changing experience, and it can take time at first to adjust. This can be because of a lack of routine, lack of sleep and getting to know your baby. Up to one in five women and one in ten men are affected by mental health problems during a pregnancy and in the first year after birth