PSY100 - Lifespan Development

Slide Deck 6

Developmental Psychology

Focuses on the physiological, cognitive, and social changes that occur in individuals acroos the lifespan

Advantage of Dependency on Caregivers

Despite being very helpless as babies, humans are incredibly adaptable.

Reflexes Present at Birth

Involuntary responses that newborns exhibit, such as grasping, rooting, and sucking reflexes, which help them survive and interact with their environment.

Face Recognition

Occurs early in infancy (newborns prefer their mother's face over unfamiliar female faces)

Windows of Plasticity

Critical periods during development when the brain is particularly receptive to learning and adaptation.

Preferential Looking Technique

A research method used to measure infants' visual interest by presenting two stimuli and observing which one they look at longer.

Habituation / Orienting Reflex

A learning process in which an infant becomes accustomed to a stimulus after repeated exposure, leading to decreased attention, while the latter is the automatic response to a novel stimulus.

Longitudinal Designs

Data from the same group of participants is collected at intervals across a long period of time (e.g. decades)

Cross-Sectional Designs

Data is obtained simultaneously from participants of different ages in order to make age-related comparisons.

Blooming

A stage in child development characterized by rapid growth in abilities and skills, particularly in language and social interaction. (36 weeks - 2 years old)

Pruning

The process during brain development where unused neural connections are eliminated, enhancing the efficiency of brain function. (4-6 years old)

Prefrontal Cortex

A 2nd period of overproduction occurs in the prefrontal cortex just before adolescence, followed by about a decade of pruning

Attachment Theory

Strong, emotional connection that persists over time and across circumstances (encourages proximity between child and mother/caregiver)

Oxytocin

A hormone that plays a crucial role in social bonding, maternal behaviors, and the formation of attachments between individuals. The “cuddle” hormone released when hugging

Harry Harlow

A psychologist known for his research on attachment in primates (Rhesus monkeys), demonstrating the importance of comfort and security in maternal care through his experiments. Monkeys preferred mom as “comfort” vs mom as “sustenance”. Contradicted the behaviourist perspective

Strange Situation Test

A procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth to observe attachment relationships between a caregiver and a child, assessing how children respond to separation and reunion.

Secure Attachment

A healthy attachment style where a child feels safe and confident in their caregiver's responsiveness. Children tend to explore their environment and can seek comfort from their caregiver when needed. (upset when caregiver leaves, easily comforted upon return)

Insecure-Resistant Attachment

aka anxious-ambivalent. A type of attachment style characterized by anxiety and uncertainty, where a child is clingy to the caregiver but is not easily comforted upon their return (both wants and resists comfort). These children may show distress during separation and ambivalence upon reunion.

Insecure-avoidant Attachment

aka anxious-avoidant. A type of attachment style where a child avoids or ignores the caregiver, showing little emotion when they depart or return. These children may not seek comfort or contact from their caregiver and seem indifferent to their presence.

Disorganized Attachment

A type of attachment style characterized by a lack of clear attachment behavior, often displaying confusing or contradictory responses towards the caregiver. Children may exhibit disorientation, hesitations, or a mix of avoidant and resistant behaviors.

Factors Affecting Infant-Caregiver Attachment

Caregiver sensitivity, infant temperament, environmental factors, cultural factors.

Authoritative Parenting Style

Parenting style characterized by high parental support and high behavioural regulation. (high expectations and structure/rules) Best/ most successful for child

Authoritarian Parenting Style

Parenting style characterized by low parental support and high behavioural regulation. Parents are demanding but not responsive, emphasizing obedience and discipline over warmth.

Indulgent Parenting Style

Parenting style characterized by high parental support and low behavioral regulation. Indulgent parents are responsive and nurturing but impose few restrictions or demands on their children.

Uninvolved Parenting Style

Parenting style characterized by low parental support and low behavioral regulation. Uninvolved parents are neglectful, providing little guidance, attention, or emotional support to their children. Worst style for child.

Eric Erikson's Psychosocial Model

A theory proposing eight stages of psychosocial development across the lifespan, where individuals face and resolve conflicts that shape their identity and social functioning.

Trust vs. Mistrust

“Is the world a safe place?” The first stage in Erik Erikson's psychosocial model, occurring during infancy, where caregivers provide consistent care or fail to do so, leading to the development of a sense of trust or mistrust in the world. (birth - 2 years old)

Identity vs. Role Confusion

“Who am I?” The fifth stage in Erik Erikson's psychosocial model, occurring during adolescence, where individuals explore their personal identity and sense of self, leading to either a strong sense of identity or confusion about their roles in society. (adolescence)

Intimacy vs. Isolation

“What type of partner/relationships do I want?” The sixth stage in Erik Erikson's psychosocial model, occurring during young adulthood, where individuals seek deep connections and intimate relationships, leading to either a sense of closeness or feelings of isolation.

Robert Waldinger

A psychiatrist and researcher best known for his work on adult development and the significance of relationships in well-being, particularly through the Harvard Study of Adult Development. Came to the conclusion that good relationships keep us happier and healthier and are a better predictor than intelligence/money

Jean Piaget

A Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development in children, emphasizing how they construct knowledge through interaction with their environment. Believed that children had a different way of viewing the world (weren't just “dumb adults”)

Piaget's Model of Cognitive Development

A framework outlining the stages of cognitive growth in children, including sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages, illustrating how children progress from basic reflexes to advanced reasoning.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new experiences into existing cognitive schemas, facilitating understanding and adaptation to the environment.

Accomodation

The process of altering existing cognitive schemas or creating new ones in response to new experiences, allowing for more effective understanding and adaptation to the environment.

Equilibration

An active self-regulatory process by which a child progresses through the stages of development.

Equilibrium

A state where cognitive schemas are balanced and effectively represent the child's understanding of the world, facilitating adaptation to new experiences.

Disequilibrium

A state of confusion or imbalance in understanding when new information cannot be assimilated into existing cognitive schemas, prompting the need for accommodation.

Sensorimotor Stage

0-2 years old. A developmental stage where infants acquire information only through the sense (direct info), form representations of the kinds of actions that can be performed on certain objects

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard, typically developing during the sensorimotor stage. (younger than 8 months struggle with this)

Primary Circular Reactions

Repetitive actions centered on the infant's own body that occur between 1 and 4 months, allowing infants to learn about their own movements (kicking legs/waving arms)

Secondary Circular Reactions

Repetitive actions focused on the environment, occurring between 4 and 8 months, enabling infants to interact with and learn about objects outside their own body (infant is now interested in toys)

Tertiary Circular Reactions

Repetitive actions involving experimenting with different behaviors to see results, occurring between 12 and 18 months, allowing infants to explore their environment in more complex ways. Involves trial and error, dubbed “little scientist” stage (stacking/knocking blocks down)

Preoperational Stage

2-6 years old. This is the stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development where children begin to engage in symbolic play and learn to manipulate symbols, but do not yet understand concrete logic (particularly the law of conservation)

Law of Conservation

Refers to the understanding that certain properties of objects, such as volume, mass, and number, remain the same despite changes in their form or appearance. This concept typically develops in the concrete operational stage of Piaget's theory, around ages 7 to 11.

Egocentric Thinking

A concept in Piaget's theory where children in the preoperational stage have difficulty understanding perspectives other than their own, believing that everyone sees the world as they do.

Theory of Mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives that differ from one's own. This development typically occurs in early childhood and aids in social interactions.

False-Belief Task (Sally-Ann)

A psychological test used to assess theory of mind, where a child must understand that another person can hold a belief that is incorrect. This task typically demonstrates the development of understanding others' perspectives around ages 4 to 5. Does the child understand that their knowledge is distinct from others?

Concrete Operational Stage

6-11 years old. A stage in Piaget's theory where children begin to think logically about concrete events and understand the concept of conservation, gaining skills like classification and seriation, but reasoning is limited to concrete objects (need math manipulatives to explain concepts)

Formal Operational Stage

12+ years old. A stage in Piaget's theory where individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and use deductive reasoning, allowing them to understand hypothetical situations and solve problems systematically.

Lev Vgotsky

A Russian psychologist who emphasized the role of social interaction in cognitive development. He proposed the concept of the Zone of Proximal Development, highlighting the importance of cultural tools and language in learning. Places more emphasis on sociocultural factors

Zone of Proximal Development

The range of tasks that a learner can perform with the help of a more knowledgeable other, illustrating the difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can achieve with guidance.

Scaffolding

A teaching method that involves providing support and guidance to learners as they tackle new tasks, gradually diminishing assistance as competence increases.