AP Psych Unit 3.2

developmental psychology

the study of how changes in our biology and social situations over our lifespan influence our development

chronological order of development and themes across the lifespan

What are the 2 ways to study developmental psychology?

stability and change, nature/nurture, continuous and discontinuous stages

What are the 3 themes in developmental psychology?

Stability

Stability and Change: Traits that remain constant throughout a person’s life. Is personality constant throughout a person’s life? Introversion/extroversion

Stability and Change

ex: personality

change

Stability and Change: traits that change throughout a person’s life. Does personality change throughout their life? Quiet child may grow to be an assertive person.

nature/nurture

Which is the greatest influence on our development: genetics (________) or environment (________)?

nature

Nature/Nurture: Genetics/DNA. Brain’s neurotransmitters work.

nurture

Nature/Nurture: Parenting style. Peer influences.

Continuous and Discontinuous stages

Do we develop in a more gradual way through maturation or do we go through distinct stages?

continuous development

Development is a slow and continuous process. A baby sits up, crawls, stands, and walks.

cross-sectional study

Research when people of different ages are compared with one another. Data collected at one point in time.

longitudinal study

Research when the same people are studied over a long period. Data collected repeatedly over time.

Female releases an egg (x chromosome) from ovaries. Sperm (x or y chromosome) penetrates the egg (x) one cell is created. Cell division begins.

What are the steps of conception?

amniotic sac/fluid

sac filled with fluid that surrounds the baby to protect it

teratogens, maternal illness, genetic mutations, hormonal imbalance, environmental factors

What are the factors of prenatal development?

teratogens

Agents that can harm the baby (drugs and tabacco). Fetal alcohol syndrome.

duration of exposure, amount of exposure, and time of exposure during pregnancy

The extent exposure of teratogens is harmful depends on what 3 things?

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Occurs from heavy drinking during pregnancy. Low birth weight. Delays in physical and mental abilities.

maternal illness

• Chicken pox

• diabetes

• high blood pressure

genetic mutations

• inherited genes

• down syndrome

• cystic fibrosis

• sickle cell anemia

hormonal imbalance

• estrogen

• testosterone

environmental factors

• exposure to toxins (pollution, hot tubs)

• medications

• maternal stress

gasping, rooting, sucking, Babinski, Moro

What are the 5 infancy reflexes?

touch palm = close fist

Infancy Reflexes: Grasping reflex

stroke cheek = open mouth

Infancy Reflexes: rooting reflex

touch mouth = sucks on object

Infancy Reflexes: sucking reflex

stroke foot = splays toes

Infancy Reflexes: Babinski reflex

Sudden sound = thrusts out arms

Infancy Reflexes: Moro reflex (startle reflex)

gross motor skills

Coordination on large body movements. Sitting (6mths), Crawling (8mths), Walking (1 year).

fine motor skills

pincer grasp (thumb and finger)

critical periods

time period when certain experiences are required for development

imprinting

animals develops close bond with animals it first meets (geese, yellow gloves). Ex: Konrad and his geese

sensitive periods

special time windows when animals experiences have a big effect on development

maturation (Don’t confuse with MATURING- the process of becoming more of an adult)

order of biological growth

Motor development is universal, ages of development are average ages, physical maturation is genetics but influenced by environment.

List the 3 developmental norms of maturation.

Child’s Brain development

• Overproduction of neurons

• hippocampus

Teen Brain development

• pruning (get rid of neurons)

• myelin

• frontal lobe vs. limbic system (frontal lobe is last thing to come in maturation; frontal lobe controls emotions)

infantile amnesia

The earliest age of conscious memory is around 4 years old. Hippocampus is developing.

Cognitive theory of development

• Piaget

• Cognition: all mental activities associated with thinking

• a stage model theory of cognitive development (discontinuous stages)

schemas

Created by the brain to organize and understand info. A framework to organize and tie info together.

schemas, assimilation and accommodation, 4 stages of cognitive development

What three key ideas is Piaget’s theory based on?

assimilation

when we add new info to a schema we already know.

accomodation

is adjusting our current schemas to incorporate new info.

four stages of cognitive development

the force behind cognitive development is maturation (biological development)

Sensorimotor stage, preoperational stage, concrete operational stage, formal operational stage

What are Piaget’s theory-four stages of cognitive development?

Sensorimotor stage

0-2 years old. The child cognitively develops using the 5 senses. Stranger anxiety. Object permanence.

stranger anxiety

crying when an unfamiliar person approaches

object penance

The awareness that objects continue to exist even when not perceived. Ex: peek-a-boo

preoperational stage

• 2-7 years old

• pretend play

• egocentrism

• theory of mind

• reversibility

• animism

• centration

• conservation

pretend play

The playful use of ideas and symbols. Animism.

Egocentrism

Difficulty taking another’s point of view. Ex: shows mom your drawing, but face the picture towards you.

theory of mind

To understand that other people have their own thoughts and beliefs, different from our own. Ex: why someone else is angry, Ex: how to get a parent to buy a toy, Ex: people tell lies.

reversibility

To understand that things can be reversed (undone). Ex: Playdoh- “You ruined it”.

animism

Inanimate objects have feelings and act like they’re alive.

Centration

Focus on one aspect of a situation and exclude other parts. “sportlight”

conservation

The principle that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape.

Concrete operational Stage

• 7-12 years old

• logical though

• Concrete though

logical thought

thinking logically about concrete situations. Realistic, straightforward.

Formal operational stage

• 12+ years old

• Child begins to think about abstract concepts (love, freedom, faith)

• Hypotheticals

• Moral reasoning

• Metacognition

hypotheticals

Possible outcomes and consequences. What if questions with multiple solutions. Would you take medicine that removes your body’s need for sleep?

metacognition

The ability to think about how you think. Awareness of strengths and weaknesses and how to use or change them.

Cognitive theory of development (Lev Vygotsky’s)

• Vygotsky emphasized the environment in cognitive development of children.

• scaffolding

• ZPD

scaffolding

learners complete small, manageable steps to learn more difficult info.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

This is the sweet spot where learning occurs. It’s the gap between what a child can do and what they can not do.

Attachment

an emotional bond with another person

Look at Harlow’s monkey experiments and Mary Ainsworth’s Strange Situation experiment.

Secure Attachment

Infants explore environments in the presence of their mother. Caregiver Behavior: consistently responds to infants needs. Child’s Development: healthy relationships, trust, self esteem.

insecure attachment

• anxious attachment

• avoidant attachment

• disorganized attachment

anxious attachment

Caregiver Behavior: limited parent response. Child’s Development: craves attachment, low self esteem, jealousy/low trust in relationships.

avoidant attachment

Caregiver Behavior: emotionally distant response. Child’s Development: avoid getting close to others, minimize others’ feelings.

Disorganized attachment

Caregiver Behavior: confusing mix response. Child’s Development: crave relationships but avoid intimacy, confrontational.

temperament

• A person’s inborn emotional reactivity and intensity.

• Easy babies- cries little: good natured, adaptable

• Difficult babies- cries more: moody and irritable

• Nature impacts this which may impact parenting style. Correlation does not prove causation.

sex

Biological determined. Male or female. Determined by chromosomes and hormones. X chromosome (egg). Y chromosome (sperm).

testosterone

released from testes of male

estrogen

released from ovaries of female

puberty

Reproductive ability develops. Impact early maturing in boys/girls.

Popular confident, independent; higher alcohol use and premature sex

Effect of puberty in males (mixed effect).

teasing; sexual harassment; higher anxiety/depression

Effect of puberty in females (difficult).

primary sex characteristics

reproductive organs

ovaries, uterus, vagina

Primary sex characteristics of females.

testes, penis

Primary sex characteristics of males

spermarche (first ejaculation)

Secondary sex characteristics of males.

menarche (first menstruation)

Secondary sex characteristics of females.

testosterone levels slowly decline

Changes in reproductive ability in males.

menopause

Changes in reproductive ability in females.

Gender

Socially constructed roles of masculine and feminine. Ex: sit like a lady, put out the garbage, stop acting like a girl, man up, taking dance, playing with dolls.

physical aggression

What type of aggression do males most commonly have?

indirect aggression

What type of aggression do females most commonly have?

power dynamics

Occupations; Leadership (gender standards change)

ecological systems theory

Explores how different environments influence child’s social development. Closest to child has the most influence. Microsystems, mesosystems, exosystems, macrosystems, chronosystems.

Microsystems

Groups that have direct contact with individuals. Most influence. Ex: mom, teachers, neighbors, coaches, family, friends.

Mesosystems

The relationship between groups in the microsystem. How the parts of the microsystem work together to have direct influence on child. Ex: parent’s jobs, religious community and family, interaction between friends and parents, parent teacher communication.

Exosystems

Indirect factors in an individual’s life. Ex: mass media, extended family members.

Macrosystems

Cultural events that affect the individuals and others around them. Social and cultural events that affect the child (indirect). Ex: LA requires financial literacy in high school, students might take fewer electives. Ex: values, attitudes, laws, customs.

Chronosystems

The individuals’ current stage of life. Changes that occur over a lifetime that impact the child. Ex: Covid pandemic: zoom, online learning, social distancing, work from home. Ex: historical events (covid), aging, environmental changes.

Egocentrism

Heightened self-absorption during adolescence. Characterized by imaginary audience and personal fable.

imaginary audience

Belief that everyone is constantly watching and judging. Easily embarrassed. Thought rumination.

Personal Fable

Belief that you are so special you are invincible. Parents can’t understand problems. Increased risk taking.

identity

One’s own sense of self. It is the roles that define oneself. It changes throughout life. Prioritize what is important, form values (religious identity, occupational, familial, sexual, gender, racial). Focus is during adolescence (continuation of Erikson’s Identity Crisis development). Who am I?