Psych Lecture 3/4

Tragedy in Prenatal Development

• A tragedy refers to factors or variables that can impede or completely stop prenatal development.

Common Teratogens

• Chemicals: Substances like alcohol and heroin can negatively impact fetal development.

• Viruses: Infections such as HIV can also pose risks during pregnancy.

• Radiation: Exposure to radiation can lead to developmental issues in the fetus.

• Maternal Age: The age of the mother at the time of pregnancy can affect fetal growth and development.

Critical Periods of Development

• Development is sensitive to timing; specific intervals when certain developments must occur are known as critical periods.

• Visual Charts: Online searches for "critical periods" will yield charts indicating high-risk times for developmental disruption (often marked in red).

• Red Areas: Introducing teratogens during these red-marked periods can lead to significant developmental issues.

• Blue Areas: Less critical periods where the effects of teratogens are less severe than during critical periods.

Example: Heart Development

• Heart Development: Takes place between the end of the third week to the end of the eighth week of pregnancy.

  • Introducing a teratogen before or after this period has no significant effect on heart development.

• Understanding teratogens involves considering both the substance and the timing of its introduction.

Brain Development Patterns

• After initial prenatal development, the brain exhibits patterns such as synaptic ballooning.

  • Synaptic Ballooning: Refers to an increase in synaptic connections which enhances neural communication.

  • The development of connections can facilitate faster learning and overall cognitive capacity.

Motor Development

• Two main categories of motor skills:

  • Gross Motor Skills: Involve large muscle movements such as rolling over and crawling. These skills typically develop before fine motor skills.

  • Fine Motor Skills: Smaller movements, often involving precision (like grasping objects).

Cognitive Development and Piaget’s Stages

• Cognitive abilities change over time and can be divided into distinct stages according to cognitive development theories.

• Stage Theory: Development occurs in a sequence of stages, each with specific challenges.

Concept of Schema

• Schema: Mental structures that help categorize and interpret information.

  • Can be of various types: object schemas, place schemas, and person schemas.

• Children constantly adapt their schemas through:

  • Assimilation: Incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.

  • Accommodation: Altering schemas to include new information.

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

1. Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years): Learning through physical interaction with the world; develops object permanence.

2. Preoperational Stage (2-7 years): Inability to think logically; struggles with conservation tasks.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years): Begins logical thinking with concrete objects and situations.

4. Formal Operational Stage (12 years and up): Ability to think abstractly and hypothesize.

Attachment Theories

• Influenced by studies like those of Harry Harlow, which illustrate the difference between attachment for nourishment vs comfort.

Types of Attachment

• Secure Attachment: Child explores but feels safe returning to parent; becomes upset when caregiver leaves but is easily comforted upon return.

• Avoidant Attachment: Child appears indifferent to caregiver; may resist comfort.

• Resistant Attachment: Child is clingy but still struggles with being comforted.

• Disorganized Attachment: Show confusion and lack of a clear attachment strategy.

Identity and Self-Concept

• As children grow, they develop a sense of self and identity, which is influenced by cognitive development stages.

  • Self-Concept: Refers to how individuals perceive and define themselves, evolving with age.

Parenting Styles and Their Effects

• Four main parenting styles characterized by the balance between expectations of maturity and responsiveness to the child:

  1. Authoritative: Balanced expectations and support.

  2. Authoritarian: High expectations but low support.

  3. Permissive: High support but low expectations.

  4. Neglectful: Low on both expectations and support.