JL

Developmental Psychology

Brain Development

Structural changes of the brain

  • Neurogenesis
  • Migration
  • Differentiation
  • Pruning

The study of sturcture-function relationships

  • Cannot be studied by one method: using a combination of methods and studies enables us to make generalizations based on sound theory

Limitations of developmental neuroscience

  • Selection samples
  • Ability/ strategy controversy
  • Maturation/ learning controvery
  • Changing functions
  • Correlational nature of research

Cognitive development

Piaget’s theory

  • Cognitive development as a form of adaptation

  • Two processes: assimilation and accommodation

  • The idea that intelligence develops progressively in a series of stages

    1. Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years)
    • Object permanence
    • Egocentrism
    1. Pre-operational stage (2-7 years)
    • Conservation tasks
    • Egocentrism
    1. Concrete operational stage (7-11 years)
    2. Formal operational stage (11-16 years)

  • Evaluation of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development

    • The concept of clear-cute stages
    • Maturation as the driving force of development
    • Individual differences
    • Confounding variables in the methods
    • Strengths of the theory

  • Lev Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory

    • The role of culture
    • Higher-order functions
    • Culture provides the tools, the child internalizes them
    • The zone of proximal development (ZPD)
    • Teaching should follow maturation versus teaching should be ahead of maturation
    • Scaffolding
    • Using tools
    • The interpersonal becomes intrapersonal through the use of tools
    • The most important system of symbols is language
    • Culture is therefore internalized gradually through language
    • Speech is a tool of thinking
    • Evidence: egocentric speech gradually turns into silent inner speech

Development of empathy and theory of mind

Empathy and theory of mind

  • Theory of mind is broader and narrower than empathy
  • Manifestations of emotional empathy develop first

Early manifestations of emotional empathy

  • Children are capable of a variety of empathy-related behaviors
  • Infants are not able to differentiate the self from others

Childhood trauma

  • PTSD as a consequence of trauma
  • Resilience
    • Resilience of children depends on resilience of parents