Module 4: Lifespan Development

normative approach

This approach asks, “What is normal development?”

developmental milestones

approximate ages they should reach specific normative events

Continuous developmen

views development as a cumulative process, gradually improving on existing skills. there is gradual change.

discontinuous  development

 believe that development takes place in unique stages: It occurs at specific times or ages. With this type of development, the change is more sudden

object permanence

the idea that even if something is out of sight, it still exists

12 months

infants in Western cultures who begin to walk around

12 months

They begin babbling at about the same age and utter their first word around

psychosexual development.

According to Freud, children’s pleasure-seeking urges are focused on a different area of the body, called an erogenous zone, at each of the five stages of development: oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

Erikson’s psychosocial development 

emphasizes the social nature of our development rather than its sexual nature. Erikson proposed that personality development takes place all through the lifespan.

Ego integrity

Erikson’s “Sense of self”

Piaget

focused on children’s cognitive growth. He believed that thinking is a central aspect of development and that children are naturally inquisitive. However, he said that children do not think and reason like adults

Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development

theory of development holds that our cognitive abilities develop through specific stages, which exemplifies the discontinuity approach to development. As we progress to a new stage, there is a distinct shift in how we think and reason.

Schemata

concepts (mental models) that are used to help us categorize and interpret information. By the time children have reached adulthood, they have created this for everything.

assimilation

when children take in information that is comparable to what they already know.

Accommodation

describes children change their schemata based on new information.

sensorimotor stage,

which lasts from birth to about 2 years old. During this stage, children learn about the world through their senses and motor behaviour. Young children put objects in their mouths to see if the items are edible, and once they can grasp objects, they may shake or bang them to see if they make sounds.

stranger anxiety, happens around the time children develop ibject permanence.

is a fear of unfamiliar people. Babies may demonstrate this by crying and turning away from a stranger, by clinging to a caregiver, or by attempting to reach their arms toward familiar faces such as parents. results when a child is unable to assimilate the stranger into an existing schema; therefore, the child can’t predict what their experience with that stranger will be like, which results in a fear response.

 preoperational stage

Piaget stage that lasts from approximately 2 to 7 years old. In this stage, children can use symbols to represent words, images, and ideas, which is why children in this stage engage in pretend play.

conservation

the idea that even if you change the appearance of something, it is still equal in size as long as nothing has been removed or added.

egocentrism

the child is not able to take the perspective of others. A child at this stage thinks that everyone sees, thinks, and feels just as they do

 concrete operational stage

piaget stage occurs from about 7 to 11 years old. In this stage, children can think logically about real (concrete) events; they have a firm grasp on the use of numbers and start to employ memory strategies.

reversibility,

that objects can be changed and then returned back to their original form or condition.

formal operational stage

Piaget stage which is from about age 11 to adulthood. Whereas children in the concrete operational stage are able to think logically only about concrete events, children in the formal operational stage can also deal with abstract ideas and hypothetical situations

Neuroconstructivism

suggests that neural brain development influences cognitive development. Experiences that a child encounters can impact or change the way that neural pathways develop in response to the environment.

• genes

• neurons

• brain

• body

• social environment

Neuroconstuctivism. There is interaction between neural and cognitive networks at and between each level, consisting of these: [5]

Lev Vygotsky

a Russian psychologist who proposed a sociocultural theory of development.

Sociocultural theory of development. He suggested that human development is rooted in one’s culture. A child’s social world, for example, forms the basis for the formation of language and thought. The language one speaks and the ways a person thinks about things is dependent on one’s cultural background.

Vygotsky’s Theory

Kohlberg

claimed that more males than females reach higher stages and that females seem to be deficient in their moral reasoning abilities

Carol Gilligan

pointed out the obvious bias inherent in basing a theory on such a narrowly defined group of people. Using female-identified participants, she redefined Kohlberg’s stages to allow moral problems to be considered from different perspectives.

Sometimes what we say we’d do in a situation is not what we actually do. We might “talk the talk,” but not “walk the walk.”

How is moral reasoning different from moral behaviour?

prosocial behaviour

 defined as any behaviour done with the intention of benefiting someone else. includes acts such as helping, consoling, and sharing, and can be assessed using simple behavioural tests.

Germinal Stage

prenatal stage (Conception–Week 2)

embryo (Embryonic Stage)

prenatal stage (Weeks 2–8). organs form and begin to function, at this stage there is a detectable heart-beat. The neural tube forms along the back of the embryo, developing into the spinal cord and brain. Implants and is called an:

Fetal Stage

prenatal stage (week 9-8 onward)

during the fetal stage

When do sex organs differentiate?

(24 weeks),

at this point, Hearing has developed, so the fetus can respond to sounds. The internal organs, such as the lungs, heart, stomach, and intestines, have formed enough that a fetus born prematurely at this point has a chance to survive outside of the womb.

around 36 weeks. by week 37 all of the fetus's organ systems are developed enough that it could survive outside the uterus without many of the risks associated with premature birth.

when is fetus ready for birth

the germinal ridge

The first step in differentiation of the reproductive organs happens with a sexless collection of cells at an area called

the SRY gene on the Y chromosome

In mammals, the main determinant of the pathway the germinal ridge follows is

SRY gene on the Y chromosome.

This gene leads to the growth and specialization of cells in the inner portion of the germinal ridge, which eventually become the testes

This gene leads to the growth and specialization of cells in the inner portion of the germinal ridge, which eventually become the testes

reproductive organs that contain reproductive hormones and gametes (sperm or eggs)

A teratogen

any environmental agent—biological, chemical, or physical—that causes damage to the developing embryo or fetus. most have their greatest impact during early pregnancy

Many recreational drugs, like alcohol and tobacco

considered teratogens because they can cross the placenta and negatively affect the fetus.

newborn reflexes

inborn automatic responses to specific forms of stimulation.

Reflexes help the newborn survive until they're capable of more complex behaviours—these reflexes are crucial to survival.

Reason for newborn reflexes

They are present in babies whose brains are developing normally and usually disappear around 4–5 months old

When do newborn reflexes disappear?

rooting reflex

the newborn's response to anything that touches their cheek: When you stroke a baby's cheek, they naturally turn their head in that direction and begin to suck.

The sucking reflex

the automatic, unlearned, sucking motions that infants do with their mouths.

the grasping reflex

Reflex if you put your finger into a newborn's hand, they automatically grasp anything that touches their palms.

The Moro reflex

the newborn's response when a baby feels like they are falling. The baby spreads their arms, pulls them back in, and then (usually) cries.

vision

Least developed sense in newborns

During infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood

when is physical development rapid?

between the ages of 4 and 6

When does growth slow?

cephalocaudal and proximodistal

Two patterns of development:

cephoclaudal development

refers to the pattern of growth from the head down, also referred to as development from head to toe.

Proximodistal development

the tendency for growth to start in the centre of the body and move outwards to the extremities.

Blooming

Period of rapid neural growth between infancy and toddlerhood

Pruning

Period through childhood and adolescence after neural blooming where neural connections are reduced. allows the brain to function more efficiently, allowing for mastery of more complex skills.

School age. Brain is 90% of adult size and frontal lobes are more developed.

When are children developmentally capable of controlling their own hebaviour?

Piaget’s sequence of cognitive developent, so that significant changes in neural functioning are associated with cognitive activities.

The brain’s growth spurts through in childhood tend to follow what?

Motor skills

refer to the ability to move the body and manipulate objects

Fine motor skills

motor skills focus on the muscles in our fingers, toes, and eyes, and enable coordination of small actions (e.g., grasping a toy, writing with a pencil, and using a spoon).

Gross motor skills

motor skills focus on large muscle groups that control our arms and legs and involve larger movements (e.g., balancing, running, and jumping).

7 months old. (between 5-9 months)

When do most babies sit alone?

6 weeks old (between 3 weeks - 4 months)

When do babies hold their head up?

6-9 motnsh

When do infants shake their head no?

9-12 months

When do infants respond to verbal requests?

children come to understand that people have thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that are different from their own. This is known as theory-of-mind (TOM).

Cognitive change that occurs between 3-5 ears old

Cooing

one-syllable combination of a consonant and a vowel sound (e.g., coo or ba).

Babbling

begins with repeating a syllable, such as ma-ma, da-da, or ba-ba.

about 12 months old

when do babies say their first word for meaning?

When do babies start combining their words for meaning?

Vocabulary spurt (at a rate of 10–20 new words per week.)

During the early childhood years, children's vocabulary increases at a rapid pace. This is sometimes referred to as theL

7

At what age do kids speak fluently and use slang and cliches?

Attachment

long-standing connection or bond with others and is often used to describe the emotional bond between child and caregiver. is more easily established during the early years of a child's life and is therefore thought to be reflective of a sensitive period

sensitive period.

Attachment is more easily established during the early years of a child's life and is therefore thought to be reflective of a:

A secure base

a parental presence that gives the child a sense of safety as he explores his surroundings.

The caregiver must be responsive to the child's physical, social, and emotional needs; and the caregiver and child must engage in mutually enjoyable interactions

Bowlby said that two things are needed for a healthy attachment:

the Strange Situation procedure

The primary caregiver and child (age 12-18 months) are placed in a room together. There are toys in the room, and the caregiver and child spend some time alone in the room. After the child has had time to explore their surroundings, a stranger enters the room. The caregiver then leaves the baby with the stranger. After a few minutes, the caregiver returns to comfort their child.

secure, avoidant, and resistant; disorganized attachment,

three types of parent-child attachments: (and a fourth later described)

secure attachment

In this type of attachment, the toddler prefers their parent over a stranger.

avoidant attachment,

in this type of attachment, the child is unresponsive to the parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not appear to care if the parent leaves. The toddler reacts to the parent the same way they react to a stranger.

resistant attachmen

in this type of attachment, children tend to show clingy behaviour, but then they reject the attachment figure's attempts to interact with them. in the Strange Situation, they became extremely disturbed and angry with the parent. When the parent returns, the children are difficult to comfort. is the result of the caregivers' inconsistent level of response to their child.

Disorganized attachment

attachment behaved oddly in the Strange Situation. They freeze, run around the room in an erratic manner, or try to run away when the caregiver returns. This type of attachment is seen most often in kids who have been abused. Research has shown that abuse disrupts a child's ability to regulate their emotions.

Authoritative

parental behaviour: Warm, sensitive to their child’s needs, nurturing, makes reasonable demands, and encourages autonomy

Authoritarian

Parenting style: Cold, rejecting, makes coercive demands, and frequent criticism

Permissive

parenting behaviour: Warm, accepting, over indulgent but inattentive

Uninvolved

Emotionally detached, depressed, little time or energy for their child

18 months

When do babies recognize themselves in the mirror?

Formation of a positive self-concept begins in Erikson's toddlerhood stage, when children establish autonomy and become confident in their abilities.

when does formation of self concept begin?

A circular definition

a definition that uses one or more of the terms being defined as part of its definition.

spermarche

the first ejaculation

teenage years

When are people capable of abstract thought? (formal operations)

Cicely Saunders

created the first modern hospice in England.

denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

five stages of grief

adrenarche

maturing of the adrenal glands

advance directive

a written legal document that details specific interventions a person wants

critical (sensitive) period

time during fetal growth when specific parts or organs develop

do not resuscitate (DNR)

a legal document stating that if a person stops breathing their heart stops, medical personnel such as doctors and nurses are not to take steps to revive or resuscitate the patient

health care proxy

a legal document that appoints a specific person to make medical decisions for a patient if they are unable to speak for themselves