AP Psychology Unit 6: Developmental Psychology

Teratogens

Teratogens

 Certain chemicals may cause harm if ingested by the mother

• Usually, the placenta filters out harmful things but these chemicals can pass through

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome / FAS

If a mother drinks lots of alcohol during her pregnancy, a baby may be born wit hthis, leading to small skulls and intellectual disability

Reflexes

 specific inborn automatic responses to specific stimuli

Rooting Reflex

Reflex in babies

When touch cheek, babies want to put in mouth

Sucking Reflex

Reflex in babies

Baby sucks on an object in its mouth, helping it eat

Grasping Reflex

Reflex in babies

Baby tries to grasp what is in palm/foot with fingers/toes

Moro Reflex

Reflex in babies

When startled, baby flings arms and legs out and retracts them to be small

Babinski Reflex

Reflex in Babies

Baby spreads toes when foot is stroked

Face-Like Objects

Babies have a strong preference for looking at _____

Attachment Theory

Proposed by Konrad Lorenz

Infant animals “Imprint” on individuals or objects they see during a critical period after birth

Harry Harlow

Experimenter who used the wireframe monkeys

Strange Situation

This experiment, conducted by Mary Ainsworth explored how attachment affects babies that are put into a novel situation

Secure Attachments

In Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment, these babies confidently explored with their parents, were very stressed when they left, and came to parents for comfort when they returned

Avoidant Attachments

In Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment, these babies resisted being held, but explored their environment. They did not go to their parents for comfort when they returned

Anxious / Ambivalent / Resistant Attachments

In Mary Ainsworth’s strange situation experiment, these babies were stressed when their parent left but did not go to them for comfort

Authoritarian

This parenting style, studied by Diara Baumrind, has Strict standards and punishments. Obedience > discussion. Punishment > reinforcement

• Distrust and withdraw as a result

Permissive

This parenting style, studied by Diara Baumrind, has no clear guidelines, rules and reinforcement inconsistent → unpredictable reactions

• Emotion control problems and more dependent

Authoritative

This parenting style, studied by Diara Baumrind, has Reasonable and explained consistent standards → rationale is discussed and praise and punishment are equal

• Most desirable and beneficial home environment, better academics

Continuity

Developing continuously from birth to death

Discontinuity

Fits and starts with different periods of development in life

Zone of proximal development

Explored by Lev Vygotsky  → range of tasks a child can do independently and those it need shelp with

• Parents / Teachers provide “scaffolds” in the upper end to encourage cognitive development

Psychosexual Stage Theory

Freud’s theory of development: stages when a person gets sensual pleasure through different ways

Oral Stage

In Freud’s Psychosexual stage theory:

Infants sense pleasure through mouths. Fixated: Overeat, smoke, childlike dependency on people

Anal Stage

In Freud’s Psychosexual stage theory:

Toilet training. Fixated: overly controlling or out of control

Phallic Stage

In Freud’s Psychosexual stage theory:

Realize gender: Oedipus / Electra Complex

Latency Stage

In Freud’s Psychosexual stage theory:

5-6 year olds. Period of calm. Low psychosexual anxiety

Genital Stage

In Freud’s Psychosexual stage theory:

People remain in this stage for the rest of their life → focus on sexual pleasure

Psychosocial Stage Theory

Studied by Erik Erikson, a stage theory of development:

• Trust vs. Mistrust: Need fulfillment: learn whether or not the world provides → learn to trust caregivers

• Autonomy vs Shame + Doubt: Toddlers exert will over their own bodies → potty training and controlling temper tantrums

  • Say “no” → try to control themselves and others → Develop healthy will

• Initiative vs Guilt: “No” → “Why” trust and control = curiosity about surroundings → want to understand the world

  • Take the initiative in problem solving

• Industry vs Inferiority: Beginning of formal education → expectations and feelings of competency

  • If realize that you're behind → inferiority complex → anxiety about performance further on

• Identity vs Role Confusion: Adolescence → what social identity we’re comfortable with (fit into groups)

  • Naturally try out different roles. If don’t find a fitting one → identity

• Intimacy vs Isolation: Young adults learn to balance work and relationship (time for self vs family, romantic vs platonic)

• Generativity vs Stagnation: Look critically at life → is this what I want for my family’s future?

  • Try to seize control of life and head in the right direction

• Integrity vs Despair: End of life → look back at accomplishments and decide if satisfied

  • If life was meaningful: “step outside” pressures of society and offer meaningful wisdom and insight

    • If regret → fall into despair over lost opportunities

Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory

This developmental theory comes from a well known cognitive psychologist

• noticed that many children gave the same answers even when they are wrong

  • Children’s way of thinking is different than adults think

• * Children view the world through schemata (cognitive rules)

  • Usually new information is added through assimilation: If information does not accommodate, then schemata is changed

Information Processing Model

• A more continuous alternative to Piaget’s stage theory

  • Ability to memorize, interpret, perceive, develop gradually as one ages

Heinz Dillema

Part of Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stage theory about Morality:

Whether or not a person may steal a drug to save his wife’s life

Preconventional

In Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stage theory about Morality:

youngest children make decision most likely to avoid punishment

• Limited to how the choice affects themselves (don’t steal drug because risk going to prison)

Conventional

In Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stage theory about Morality:

Move past personal gain/loss and look through others’ eyes. Make moral choices based on how others will view them. Conventional standards of right and wrong

• Try to follow to be viewed as good (steal because will seem like a hero)

Postcoventional

In Lawrence Kohlberg’s Stage theory about Morality:
Moral reasoning → evaluate a choice by examining rights and values

• Self-Defined Ethical Principles: (ie personal conviction to uphold justice)

  • Morality of societal rules is evaluated instead of blindly accepted (steal because life > personal property)

Gender Schema Theory

Internalize messages about gender into cognitive rules about how each gender should behave