Chapter 9: Human Development

Developmental Psychology

Field of study that investigates change over the life span in physiology, cognition, emotion, and social behavior

Periods of development 

Prenatal period - pre birth

Infancy → birth

Chilhood

Adolescence

Adulthood (Emerging adulthood) 

Conception

Egg is fertilized in the fallopian tubes

Human development

conception → zygote (2 weeks)→ embryo (2 weeks - 2 months) → fetus (2 months after) 

• 38-42 full term

Teratogen

Environmental agent that disrupts or causes to developing embryo/fetus 

Ex: Drugs, alcohol, bacteria, viruses, chemicals

Age of viability 

Premature 

Theoretical Foundation 

Altruism, tendency to help

Dynamic Systems Theory

Development is a self organizing process where new behaviors emerge from interactions with environment/culture

Ex: Stepping reflex → walking (12 mon) emerges as nervous system matures, muscle mass is unproportional in newborns which is why the stepping reflex doesn’t come first in newborns

Habituation

Decrease to response to a stimuli, scientifically bored

Perception

Taste - sweet

Hearing - pretty strong

Vision - takes longer

High contrast - prefer

Faces - prefer

Infant diverted speech (IDS)

Infantile amnesia

inability to remember things before age 3 or 4, could be due to maturity of brain, incomplete development of autobiographical memory/language, or inability to perceive contexts well to store memories well 

Attachment styles

Secure: Increased responsive and sensitive, “safe base”

Insecure: Avoidant & Ambivalent

Evolutionary Theory: Internal Working Model

Babies develop this meaning “I am a person who deserves care” setting the stage for future relationships

4 stages of development

1. Sensorimotor - object permanence ( Peek a boo), acquire information through sensor and motor skills

2. Preoperational stage - do not understand law of conservation ( same amount), can understand symbiotically, reason based on intuition rather than logic

3. Concrete operations - can conserve, not fooled by appearances, understands law of conservation

4. Formal operations - can think critically, abstractly and hypothetically

Theory of mind 

Understanding of others intentions, beliefs and desires 

Moral development

Preconventional level: determined by self interest

Conventional level: determined by strict rules & approval of others

Postconventional level: Abstract principals & values of life

Stages of identity

1. Infancy: Trust vs mistrust

2. Toddler: Autonomy vs shame & doubt

3. Preschool: Initiative vs guilt

4. Childhood: Industry vs inferiority

5. Adolescence: Identity vs role confusion

6. Young adulthood: Intimacy vs isolation

7. Middle adulthood: Generativity vs stagnation

8. Old age: Integrity vs despair

Socioemotional selectivity theory

As people age, they shift their focus to meaningful happiness (transition to older age can be satisfying)