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

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