1. Overview of Developmental Psychology

• Main Issues:

  • Nature vs. Nurture: Examines how genetics and experience influence behavior.

  • Continuity vs. Stages: Is development a gradual, continuous process, or does it occur in distinct stages?

  • Stability vs. Change: Explores whether early personality traits remain constant or evolve over time.

• Focus: Physical, cognitive, and social development across the lifespan.

2. Prenatal Development

• Stages: Development progresses from a zygote to birth in a fragile, ordered sequence.

• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): Caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy, leading to brain abnormalities and developmental issues.

3. Newborn Abilities

• Reflexes for Survival: Newborns are born with survival reflexes, such as the rooting reflex, to locate food.

• Signaling Needs: Crying helps infants signal their needs, prompting parents to provide care.

4. Brain Development in Infancy

• Neural Growth: Brain cells are mostly present at birth, and neural networks multiply after birth, boosting physical and mental abilities.

• Maturation: Development follows genetic instructions, progressing through a sequence (e.g., standing before walking).

5. Motor Development

• Sequence: Motor skills develop in a specific order: rolling over, sitting unsupported, crawling, and finally walking.

• Genetic Influence: Motor development is largely guided by genetics, with limited impact from experience.

6. Cognitive Development (Jean Piaget)

• Schemas: Mental structures that organize and interpret experiences.

  • Assimilation: Incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.

  • Accommodation: Adjusting schemas to fit new information.

• Stages of Cognitive Development:

  • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Infants experience the world through senses; lack object permanence.

  • Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Egocentric and unable to perform mental operations.

  • Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): Understanding of conservation and ability to manipulate mental operations with concrete materials.

  • Formal Operational Stage (12+ years): Ability for abstract thinking, including reasoning with symbols and hypothetical situations.

7. Social Development

• Stranger Anxiety: Fear of unfamiliar people develops around 8 months as infants form schemas for familiar faces.

• Attachment:

  • Harlow’s Research (1971): Showed that infants bond through bodily contact, not just nourishment.

  • Attachment Types: Secure attachment (comfortable exploring with a caregiver present) and insecure attachment (clinginess and reluctance to explore).

• Prolonged Deprivation: Lack of stable caregiving can lead to physical, psychological, and social problems.

8. Adolescence and Brain Development

• Neural Changes: Increase in connections until adolescence, followed by selective pruning of unused neurons.

• Frontal Cortex Development: Growth of myelin in adolescence improves nerve conduction, though the frontal cortex lags behind limbic system development, which can contribute to impulsive behavior.

9. Adulthood and Aging

• Physical Changes:

  • Middle Adulthood: Decline in muscle strength, sensory abilities, and fertility (e.g., menopause in women).

  • Old Age: Reduced sensory abilities, muscle strength, and cognitive processing speed.

• Memory and Intelligence in Aging:

  • Memory: Older adults recall recent events well but have increasing difficulty with names.

  • Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence: Fluid intelligence (quick reasoning) declines with age, while crystallized intelligence (knowledge and skills) is preserved or improved.