Lifespan and Social psych Lecture

Importance of understanding developmental milestones from infancy to older adulthood.

Definition of Temperament:
- A relatively stable aspect of the emotional disposition in young children and infants.
Differences in Temperament:
- Some infants are easy to soothe, while others are difficult.
- Infants can be either:
  - Messy and Easily Distracted:
  - Engage in multiple activities without focus.
  - Focused:
  - Concentrate on a few activities with sustained attention.
Stability of Temperament:
- Generally maintains a consistent disposition over time.
Connection to Personality:
- Infant temperament reflects adult personality traits.
- Example: Offspring of introverted parents are often introverted as well.

Schemas and Relationships:
- Infants begin learning about relationships and what to expect from them early in life.
- Early relationships impact emotional schemas, including feelings of security and trust.
Harry Harlow’s Attachment Study (1950s):
- Objective: Investigate the effects of social isolation and the importance of comfort versus food.
- Methodology:
  - Monkeys isolated from their mothers at birth.
  - Offered two surrogate mothers:
  - One made of wire that provided food.
  - Another made of cloth that provided warmth.
- Findings:
  - Monkeys preferred the cloth surrogate for comfort and warmth over the wire one for nourishment.
  - Concluded that comfort and security are crucial for attachment, beyond just meeting physical needs.
Conrad Lorenz’s Imprinting:
- Demonstrated that certain animals (e.g., ducks) imprint on the first moving object they see, establishing essential attachment behaviors from a young age.

Ainsworth’s Attachment Styles:
- Described various attachment styles based on observational studies.
  - Secure Attachment:
  - Healthy, with children showing trust that a caregiver will return.
  - Avoidant Attachment:
  - Child shows little interest when the caregiver leaves and ignores them upon return.
  - Different but not necessarily unhealthy.
  - Anxious/Ambivalent Attachment:
  - Child displays mixed behaviors—distress when the caregiver leaves and difficulty feeling reassured upon return.
Parental Factors Influencing Attachment:
- Emotional awareness and sensitivity of the caregiver play an essential role in the formation of healthy attachments.

Characteristics of Adolescence:
- Rapid physical, emotional, and cognitive changes.
Puberty:
- Marks the onset of sexual maturity and can vary widely among individuals.
- Emotional and social maturity may not progress as quickly as physical development.
- Historical Shift: The average age at first menstruation has decreased over time:
  - 19th Century: ~$16.4 years.
  - 1960: ~$13 years.
  - Present: About $12 years (4.5 years younger compared to the 19th century).
Impact of Early Development on Social Dynamics:
- Physical advancement can lead to social complications for early developers, especially females.
- Late-developing boys might face social challenges and internalizing disorders due to being out of sync with their peers.

Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence:
- Discussion of various forms of intelligence with aging considered.
Cognitive Declines in Older Adults:
- Common cultural perceptions claim older adulthood brings memory loss and disinterest in engagement, but many older adults maintain quality lives and activities.
Marital Satisfaction:
- Research has examined marital satisfaction at different life stages, particularly through transitions like the empty nest phenomenon.

Dispositional vs. Situational Factors:
- When assessing behaviors, we tend to overemphasize internal factors (dispositional) while underestimating external influences (situational).
- Example of Fundamental Attribution Error: Attributing someone's actions to their character rather than their environment.
Cognitive Dissonance:
- Conflict arises when there is a disconnect between one’s self-schema and behavior.
- Individuals can respond to dissonance by reevaluating their self-image or rationalizing behaviors.
- Social and group behavior can influence individual perceptions and reinforce cognitive dissonance, especially in groups known for exclusivity or of high demand to gain membership.