Developmental Psychology - Unit 7

nature v. nurture

who we are based on genetics (biological factors) vs. how we were raised (environment)

continuity v. stages

Development occurs gradually over time vs changes happen abruptly and in stages

stability v. change

Are we the same throughout our life or do we change substantially

Zygote

Fertilized egg

Germinal period (first 14 days)

From conception to implantation

Embryonic period (2-8 weeks after fertilization)

most vulnerable stage
initial stage of development once the organism is implanted in the uterine wall

Teratogens

Agents or factors that can cause abnormalities of a developing human embryo (alcohol, smoking, meds, chemicals, malnutrition, viruses & bacteria)

Fetal period (Fetus)

stages of prenatal development (week 9-birth)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

group of conditions that can occur in a person who was exposed to alcohol before birth

Habituation

A decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated exposure to the same stimulus

Maturation

the body's process of emotional, mental, and physical development

Neural network growth

In order for networks to grow, they must be used

Reflexes

actions that are performed as a response to a stimulus and without conscious thought.

Rooting

when babies are touched on the cheek, they instinctively turn their head towards the source of the stimulus

Suckling

when you put something in a baby's mouth, they will instinctively begin to suck on the object

Babinski

an action where the baby's big toe remains extended or extends itself when the foot is stimulated

stepping/dancing

when infants are stood up in their feet, they instinctively kick their feet as if stepping or dancing (helps practice motor coordination & movement)

Jean piaget

Believed cognitive development was due to biological maturation and interaction with the environment

Schema

the basic building block of intelligent behavior (cognitive models) - a way of organizing knowledge.

Assimilation

using pre-existing ideas/schemas to deal with a new object or situation

Accommodation

when the pre-existing schema does not work and needs to be changed to deal with a new situation

Support for Piaget

Changed methods of studying children
His ideas have been used in understanding and communicating with children

Criticism for Piaget

Failed to consider that the environment has an effect on cognitive development

Sensorimotor

first stage of piagets theory where babies are essentially scientists because everything is new to them (ages 0-2)

Preoperational

stage 2 of piagets theory
Deeply egotistical but start to realize other people have POVs roo
(Age 2-7)

Egocentrism

when a child can't distinguish between their own perspective and another persons

Theory of Mind

The ability to understand that other people have their own frame of reference..

Symbolic Thinking

the ability to recognize that symbols can represent real world objects and ideas (such as language)

Artificialism

false belief that all environments were created by people

Animism

belief that inanimate objects are capable of actions and have lifelike qualities

Concrete Operational

stage where children start to use logic appropriately
clear when child develops the idea of conservation and transitivity
(age 7-11)

Formal Operational

stage where individuals Think abstractly, reason logically, and draw conclusions
(age 11+)

Conservation

understanding that quantity, length or number of items is unrelated to the arrangement or appearance of the object or items.

Vygotsky's Theory

A sociocultural cognitive theory that emphasizes how culture and social interaction guide cognitive development. Cognitive development was a continuous process according to him

scaffolding

level-appropriate supports to a person's growth of knowledge

Zone of proximal development

Things an individual can do with help

Vygotsky

saw development as a continuous process

Attachment

emotional tie to another person

Harlow's research with monkeys

Created an environment with a wire mother that provided nourishment (food) and a cloth mother that provided emotional comfort.
The monkeys preferred the cloth mother overwhelmingly when in distress

secure base

Secure place or person from which a child can explore (behind moms legs)

Harlow's experiment

wire mother vs. cloth mother, Harlow showed that contact comfort - body contact with a mother/surrogate mother - is more important in fostering attachment than is the provision of nourishment

Critical period

Important period when certain learning must be taken for proper development

Imprinting vs attachment

Imprinting is the first moving thing a baby sees (chick, duckling) and attachment is the bond between a baby and its caregiver

Mary Ainsworth

created the strange situation
studied how different attachment styles

strange situation paradigm

Experiment studying attachment styles by examining a child's reaction to their mother leaving, a stranger entering, and then the mother coming back

insecure anxious attachment

the attachment style for a minority of infants; the infant may exhibit insecure attachment through various behaviors, such as avoiding contact with the caregiver, or by alternating between approach and avoidance behaviors

secure attachment

a relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver

Insecure, Avoidant/Ambivalent attachment

children become distressed when parents leave but do not feel comforted when they return.

Authoritative Parenting

parents are demanding and responsive
they set limits and enforce rules but are flexible and listen to their children

Authoritarian parenting

impose rules and expect obedience

Permissive Parenting

parents impose Few punishments and demands

neglectful parenting

a parenting style characterized by a lack of parental involvement in the child's life

Easy Temperament (40%)

regular, adaptable, and happy

difficult temperament (10%)

irregular in daily routines and adapts slowly to new experiences, often responding negatively and intensely.
irritable, intense, unpredictable

Slow-to-warm-up temperament (15%)

often inactive, adapt slowly and can be withdrawn and negative in mood

Puberty

The time when we mature sexually

primary sex characteristics

the reproductive organs and external genitalia

secondary sex characteristics

the nonreproductive traits such as breasts and hips in females, facial hair and deepened voice in males, pubic and underarm hair in both sexes

Pruning

Trimming down process in the brain during teenage years
"Use it or lose it" principle with neurons

Lawrence kohlberg

Wanted to describe development of moral reasoning
did a study by posing moral dilemmas and analyzed the answers for evidence of stages of moral reasoning

Preconventional Morality

Avoid punishment
Obtain reward
(3-7 years old)

Conventional Morality

Belong and be accepted
Obey rules and regulations
(8-13 years old)

Postconventional Morality

Make and keep promises
Live oral imperatives
(adulthood)

Carol gilligan

criticized Kohlberg's work, b/c he only studied privileged, white men and boys, she felt this caused a biased opinion against women.
culturally limited

Johnathan Haidt

Believed our morality is rooted in moral intuition

Moral intuition

quick gut feelings that drives moral reasoning

Erik Erikson

Believed our development occurred through handling of critical moments in our social relationships

Social identity

The way people's identities are based on how they fit into social groups

Emerging adulthood

The time from 18 to the mid-20s is an increasingly yet settles phase of life

Trust vs Mistrust

infancy 0-18 months

stage that children develop a sense of basic trust if their parents consistently meet their immediate needs.
Can I trust the world?

Autonomy v. Shame/Doubt

arly childhood 2-3

Identity stage where toddlers learn to exercise will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities.
Can I do things by myself or do I always need to rely on others?

competence v. inferiority

elementary school 6-11

Children need to adapt to new social and academic demands. Failure to do so results in feelings of inferiority, success results in a sense of competence. How can i be good?

Identity vs. Role Confusion

adolescent 12-18

teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are
Who am i and where am i going?

Initiative v. Guilt

preschool 3-5

children need to develop sense of personal control over physical skills
success--> sense of independence
failure--> shame/doubt

Am i good or bad?

generatively v. stagnation

Middle adulthood 40-65

striving to create or nurture things that will outlast them
Will i provide something of real value?

integrity v. despair

Maturity 65-death

Older adults need to look back on life and feel a sense of accomplishment. Success leads to a feeling of wisdom, while failure results in regret, bitterness, and despair.
Have I lived a fulfilling life?

intimacy v. Isolation

Young adults 19-40

young adults need to form intimate relationships
success--> strong relationships
failure --> loneliness, isolation
am i loved and wanted?

Menopause

Menstrual cycles and natural fertility end (around 50)

Life expectancy

The average period of time a person can expect to live

Dementia

Mental erosion / deterioration

Alzheimer's disease

a progressive and irreversible brain disorder leads to gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

5 stages of greif- deny, anger, bargain, depressed, accept

Gender Identity

How we feel about our gender

Gender Expression

Whats visible about you gender to other people (fem, masc, both, etc)

Sex Assigned at Birth

Body's physical characteristics

Physical Attraction

Characteristics of a person that might make you physically or sexually attracted to them

Emotional Attraction

Characteristics of a person that might make you emotionally or romantically attracted to them

Socialization

The process of a person acquiring norms, values, beliefs and behavior of group members

Binary

Concept that is exclusively composed of 2 parts (male/masculine or female/feminine)

Transgender

A gender identity that does not match their assigned sex