Infancy and childhood
Developmental psychology- the study of how humans mature and why they develop how they do
grasping reflex- babies grasp objects when their palm is touched
Rooting reflex- when touched around the mouth, babies turn toward the touch
Babies born before week 37 are premature
Behavioral cues- measures infant’s abilities through behaviors
The strength of stimulus responses helps determine how babies perceive their environment
Maturation- complex growth
Babies learn language through imitation
Telegraphic speech- simple phrases that still show meaning
Grammar is unique to humans
Cognitive development- the growth of thought processes
Piaget studied how thinking develops
Schema- mental representations of the world
Assimilation- fitting new objects into existing schemas
Accommodation- changing schemas to fit new objects
Object permanence- realizing an object still exists even if it’s hidden
Representational thought- the ability to picture things in the mind
Representational thought also marks the shift between action based intelligence to symbolic thought
Conservation- a given quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance
Conservation shows up around 5-7 years old
Egocentric- only seeing things from one’s own perspective
Egocentrism decreases as children begin to see multiple viewpoints
Piaget’s stages of development
sensorimotor
Pre-operational
Concrete operational
Formal operational
sensorimotor is 0-2 years old
Pre-operational is 2-7 years old
Concrete operational is 7-11 years old
Formal operational is 11+ years old
Sensorimotor is learning through senses and actions
Proportional is the use of symbols and language, egocentric view
Concrete operational is logical thought with concrete objects
Formal operational is abstract thought and problem solving
Vygotsky’s approach
Zone of proximal development- children learn best from the help of others
Scaffolding- the support of others for help in learning
Scaffolding is gradually reduced as independence is gained
Imprinting- the tendency in some animals to follow the first moving object they see
Attachment styles
secure
Avoidant
Resistant
Disorganized
secure attachment leads to the best social and emotional development
Secure attachment is balance between exploration and closeness, the child welcomes the caregiver upon return
Avoidant attachment is independent, the child avoids the caregiver upon return
Resistant attachment is showing anger towards the caregiver upon return
Disorganized attachment is confused and inconsistent behaviors
Attachment occurs best between 6 months and 3 years
Parenting styles
authoritarian
Democratic
Permissive
Uninvolved
Authoritarian- parents are strict and expect obedience without explanation
Democratic- parents involve children in decision making and provide explanations and balance
Permissive- children make most decisions with few rules set by the parents
Uninvolved- parents are distant and uncommitted
With authoritarian parents the children may feel restricted with limited decision making
With democratic parenting children grow confident, responsible, and independent
With permissive parents children lack boundaries and struggle with self discipline
With uninvolved parents children experience emotional and developmental challenges
Socialization- learning acceptable behaviors in a culture
Identity formation is acquired through interactions
Freud’s theory of Psychosexual development
children are born with strong sexual urges
Phallic stage- children become aware of sexual differences
Identification- adopting the values and moral principles of the same sex parent
Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development
emphasized social approval and interaction
Development lasted throughout life
Social approval- a key factor in shaping an individual’s sense of self
Role taking- children’s play that is assuming adult rules
Lawrence Kohlberg on moral reasoning with the Heinz Dilemma
Stage 1:
Obedience + Punishment
moral decisions based on avoiding punishment
rules are fixed and must followed to avoid consequences
Heinz answer- Don't steal because he could get in trouble
Stage 2:
Self-interest
Focused on personal gain
Actions based on rewards
Heinz answer- steal because it will help him and his wife
Stage 3:
Social approval
Decisions based on what others think
Heinz answer -
should steal - think he's cruel if not
shouldn't steal-think he's a criminal if done
Stage 4:
Law + Order
Laws are moral rules that must be followed
Less on approval, but more of maintaining order
Heinz answer-shouldn't steal because it is against the law
Stage 5:
law is fair or just
Laws aren't absolute
benefit society as a whole
Heinz answer- theft may be excused because the price is unfair
Stage 6:
Accept universal ethical rules
golden rule
Ethical principles are more important than laws
May sacrifice personal interests