Exam 2: Lifespan Development

nature vs. nurture

genetics/inherited or based on environment and upbringing, twin and adoption studies

continuous change

quantitative (size and movement)

discontinuous change

stages

crossectional methods

survey, all different people. cheaper, cohort effect (ages/generation)

longitudinal

same people but at different ages. more expensive, long period of time, people could drop out, historical confound

fertilization stages

germinal, embryonic, fetal

germinal

2 weeks, fertilized egg (zygote) divides and attaches to uterine wall

embryonic

2-8 weeks, major axis of body present, organs and limbs develop

anencephaly

top of neural tube doesn’t close (stillbor/death)

spina bifida

bottom of the neural tube doesn’t close (child paralyzed)

teratogens

harmful substances that cross placenta barrier (too much caffeine, nicotine, cocaine, heroin, accutane, diseases, radiation exposure, bacteria/toxins, red/rare meat, stress, alcohol)

fetal alcohol syndrom

caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, affects child and gives them disabilities/defects

perceptual development

• visual cliff experiment (depth perception)

• habituation technique and preferential looking

Piaget’s Theory

4 stages of cognitive development in infants/children

stage 1: sensorimotor

0-2 years, develop senses and motor skills, no object permanence, no mental representations

stage 2: preoperational

2-7 years, lack conservation (appearance changes/an objects properties), egocentrism (only think from their point of view)

stage 3: concrete operations

7-11 years, conservation, can manipulate mental representations

stage 4: formal operations

11 years, abstract thinking, hypothetical reasoning

problems with Piaget’s theory

kids develop earlier (juice box, footprints, monkey), some enter later, some jump back and forth

linguistic development: phonology

crying, cooing, babbling. Different languages have different crying. CDS (motherese, baby talk)

linguistic development: semantics

first word around 1 year. overextensions and underextensions (every 4 legged animal is a dog vs. only my schoolbus is a bus)

linguistic development: syntax

18-24 months, telegraphic speech (short, choppy sentences only using important words)

over regularization errors

adding grammar rules to everything

comprehension before production

understanding things before children can actually speak

attachment

cupboard theory, if babies attach to those who give them food (monkey experiment), comfort, not food, separation anxiety

strange-situation test

mom and baby

secure attachment

mom leaves baby cries, mom returns baby is happy

insecure attachment

avoidant/ambivalent

avoidant attachment

mom leaves and returns, baby doesn’t care

ambivalent attachment

mom leaves baby is distressed, mom comes back baby is angry/inconsolable

adolescence: physical development

puberty, secondary sex characteristics (facial hair, breasts). girls mature before boys

adolescence: cognitive development

abstract reasoning

adolescence: social and emotional development

raging hormones (media stereotype), egocentrism

egocentrism

personal fable, imaginary audience, spotlight effect

Barry Manilow t-shirt experiment

spotlight effect (everyone is looking at me)