Human development across the lifespan

developmental psychology

study of changes across the lifespan

period of the zygote

fertilized egg. Enters a 2 week period o rapid cell division. fertilization until implantation

period of the embryo

Developing human organism from 2 weeks through 2nd month. Most fragile stage, development of body parts (heart, brain, organs). Major body systems form

Period of the fetus

emergence of bone tissue until birth. Growth and finishing stage. Full term is 38-40 weeks.

Three stages of labor

1. dilation and effacement of the cervix (effacement means become soft)

2. expulsion of the fetus

3. expulsion of the placenta

Premature infants

survival rate:

23 weeks: 50%

25 weeks: 75%

39 weeks: 98%

Life long health issues:

23 weeks: 80%

25 weeks: 47%

39 weeks: 3%

Newborn reflexes

Permanant: breathing, blinking

Temporary: rooting (turning toward touch, helps with latching for feeding), grasping, planters grasp, Moro (startle) (when babies get scared they reach arms and legs out to hold on, derives from monkeys)

signs of neurological problems

• no reflexes at birth

• reflexes that last too long

social development

encompasses the changes

• feelings

• interpersonal thought

• interpersonal behavior

Attachment

strong emotional connection with another person. seek person out in times of stress for comfort or protection.

Also involves a sense of security around the caretaker and feelings of distress when the caretaker is absent.

Cupboard love

theory of attachment where child attaches to the person meeting their physiological needs (food and warmth). We know it doesn’t work

primary return to womb craving

another theory of attachment, child resents their extrusion from the womb and seeks to return there, cant, so attaches to womb owner. not true, theres evidence that children attach to other people than their womb owner

Bowbly’s ethological theory

theory of attachment, child attaches to person meeting their emotional needs (comforts them, protects them)

Strange situation

involves 2 separation and 2 reunions with caregiver. Like a baby stress test, used between 12-18 months (past that the situation isn’t stressful enough). Asses the quality of attachment, when the baby is scared it activates the attachment bond.

Secure

child welcomes the mothers return and seeks closeness to her; returns to play. 65% in US. This indicates that the parent is sensitive and responsive to childs emotional needs at home.

insecure-avoidant

child ignores mother, babys vitals elevated but they hide it. 20% in US. Indicates that the parent rejects childs emotional needs at home.

Insecure-Ambivalent

child exhibits anger at the mother while seeking to be close to her. Doesn’t return to play (pushes toys away). 10% in US. The baby doesn’t calm down because then the parent would leave. Baby wants to be put down when parent is holding it and vise versa. Indicates the parent inconsistently responds to the child’s emotional needs

Insecure-disorganized

Baby shows odd motor behavior (rocking) and dazed facial expressions. Baby spins or freezes when caregiver enters. 5% in US. parents may be abusive but not always. Parent is both comforting and hurtful, baby wants mom but is scared.

Why is secure attachment important?

securely attached kids have higher self esteem than insecure kids (feel worthy of having needs met). Have better peer relationships and maximize their cognitive potential (able to focus on school, don’t have to worry about relationships)

Adult attachment

attachment patterns are evident in adulthood. Reflect emotional connections to parents, significant others, etc., but NOT children

patterns of attachment:

Secure: 60%

Avoidant: 25%

Anxious (rejection, similar to ambivalent): 10%

Adult attachment predicts their childrens attachment pattern

Socialization

process by which we learn the beliefs, values, skills, and behavior patterns of their culture

Agents:

• parents

• siblings

• peers

• teachers

• media

Authoritarian

style of parenting, place a high value on obedience and respect for authority, hostile. Lots of rules,strict. N=nasty parent

Permissive

style of parenting, impose minimal controls on their children, warm. No control or discipline. Kids often have behavior problems, used to doing what they want

Authoritative

style of parenting, enforce standards but encourage verbal give and take, warm. Flexible rules but enforced. E=exellent parent.

Uninvolved

style of parenting, no rules, little involvment with kids, hostile. Child is parenting themselves

parenting style affects children’s behavior

• Authoritarian, Uninvolved, and permissive parents have children with low self esteem.

• children with uninvolved parents have the worst outcome.

• children with authoritative parents have high self esteem

meaning of friendship changes with age

• gratification from friends is important for young children (makes you happy)

• older children focus on intimacy with friends (connect on shared experiences, deeper)

  • self disclosure and mutual understanding

• influence of peers increases with age

Parents and teens

parents advice is more valued than peers on:

• life goals

• religion

• politics

• morality

• use of hard drugs

Parental influence highest when their is a good relationship

Peers more valued on

• music

• styles

• use of alcohol

• sex

Piaget’s stage theory

• sensorimotor

• preoperational

• concrete operations

• formal operations

• qualitative change'

Stages are universal. CAN’T skip stages

Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

• children construct their own reality through schemas (understand based on expiriences)

schemes deal with new info in 2 ways

1. assimilation (fitting new objects or events into existing schema)

2. Accommodation (modifying a schema to fit new events or objects)

Sensorimotor

0-2 years

• Understand world through senses and actions

• develop object permanence (objects continue to exist when you can’t see them), before 6 months they don’t have this.

Preoperational stage

preschool age (2-7)

• emergence of symbolic thought (ex: pillow in place of dog), pretend play

• egocentrism, cant take others perspective (cant put themselves into others’ shoes)

• lack the concept of conservation, if you have circles and then spread them out they will think there are more even though its the same.

concrete operations

elementary age (7-11)

• can do logical operations

• understand reversibility (can mentally go through backwards steps)

• can do conservation

• can’t think abstractly or hypothetically

formal operations

13 years old

• can do abstract and hypothetical reasoning

• primarily in people area of expertise (we are concrete with things we don’t know)

• adolescent egocentrisrism, imaginary audience

  • strong focus on self lead adolescence to feel that everyone else is focused on them ex: think everyone saw you trip, think your’e the main character

• personal fable

  • adolescents assume their thought and feelings are unique, that no one has felt them before. ex: no one understand how strongly they feel about their middle school relationship

• all powerful

  • take risks ex:alcohol

  • believe nothing can happen to them