Psychology Notes

Infant Senses and Development

Sharp Senses:

• Infants have sharp senses at birth, except for vision.

Hearing Ability:

• Babies can hear all sounds of humankind but start to lose some sound discrimination over time.

Language Preference:

• As they grow, infants show a preference for the language and dialect of their home country.

Communication with Infants

Motherese/Parentese:

• The way caregivers, typically women, speak to babies with a higher pitch and exaggerated intonation is known as "motherese" or "parentese."

• Engages infant’s attention.

Joint Attention:

• Important for learning; caregivers direct the child's attention to words or objects, crucial for early reading skills.

Fatherese:

• Males modify their voice as well, though differences in pitch and extent compared to mothers exist.

Importance of Engagement:

• Focusing attention helps infants in learning symbols and language.

Sensory Development

Taste:

• Infants have a preference for sweet tastes, which can be culture-specific.

Touch:

• Important for growth and development; babies feel pain.

Pain Perception:

• Infants experience various pain sensations (e.g., during circumcision); response to pain is observed through behavioral changes.

Motor Skills Development

Gross vs. Fine Motor Skills:

• Gross Motor Skills: Involves big movements like jumping; boys often excel here.

• Fine Motor Skills: Involve smaller, precise actions; girls often perform better in this area due to social practices.

Cultural Influences:

• Gender differences in skills often arise from practice rather than inherent ability.

Cognitive Development Overview

Attention Span:

• Increases as children grow, associated with the development of the reticular formation in the brain.

Cognitive Development Theories:

• Piaget's Theories on Cognitive Development:

  • Constructivist Approach: Piaget believed children actively create knowledge through interaction with their environment.

  • Stages of Cognitive Development:

    • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Infants learn about the world through their senses and actions.

    • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Characterized by symbolic thinking and egocentrism; children begin to use language and play symbolically.

    • Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): Logical thinking develops regarding concrete objects, and children understand the concept of conservation.

    • Formal Operational Stage (12 years and up): Abstract reasoning emerges, enabling complex problem solving and hypothetical thinking.

  • Schemas Development: Concepts in the mind act like tools guiding understanding and learning.

  • Assimilation vs. Accommodation: Important concepts in changing one’s understanding; assimilation incorporates new info without changing existing views, while accommodation alters existing schemas.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD):

• Accommodations in education address differences in attention span and processing speed.

Adolescence Cognitive Changes

Brain Development:

• Myelination of attention areas improves information processing speed and multitasking abilities.

Potential Vulnerabilities:

• Adolescence is a time of vulnerability for substance use disorders and mental health issues due to brain reorganization.

Aging and Sensory Decline

Hearing and Vision:

• Hearing issues linked to frequent headphone use and high volumes.

• Eye conditions may affect both younger and older individuals, making mobility and activities challenging.

Exercise and Stimulation:

• Regular physical and cognitive activity can mitigate age-related declines in sensory functions.

Testing Knowledge:

• Exam questions may present scenarios that require distinguishing between assimilation and accommodation.