Developmental Lecture 1

Three Big Issues in Developmental Psychology

1. Nature vs. Nurture:

   • Examines whether development is primarily influenced by genetics (nature) or environment and experiences (nurture).

2. Early Experience vs. Later Experience:

   • Investigates the significance of timing regarding experiences in development (critical vs. sensitive periods).

3. Continuity vs. Discontinuity:

   • Explores whether development is a gradual (continuous) or abrupt (discontinuous) process.

Nature vs. Nurture

• Debate on whether genetics and biology or environment and experience play a more crucial role in shaping development.

Early vs. Later Experience

• Questions to Consider:

  • Is timing important for experiences in development?

  • Are there critical or sensitive periods in development?

• Examples:

  • Effects of teratogens during prenatal development.

  • Impact on perceptual development (e.g., congenital cataracts).

  • Effects of institutionalization on socio-emotional development.

Critical and Sensitive Periods

• Critical periods: Essential timeframes for certain developmental features.

• Sensitive periods: Optimal times for the development of specific functions, though later experiences may compensate.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

• Continuous Development:

  • Described as stable and gradual changes (quantitative).

• Discontinuous Development:

  • Characterized by distinct stages and abrupt changes (qualitative).

Metaphors of Development

• Starfish: Represents developmental continuity.

• Dragonfly: Represents developmental discontinuity.

Research Design in Developmental Psychology

• Key Research Methods:

  1. Longitudinal Studies:

     • Same participants observed across time.

     • Pros: Measures age-related changes.

     • Cons: Time-consuming, costly; attrition and practice effects.

  2. Cross-Sectional Studies:

     • Participants of different ages observed at a single time point.

     • Pros: Less time-consuming; snapshots of age-related differences.

     • Cons: Cohort effects can confound results.

Answering Questions About Research Designs

1. Determine if participants are from different ages or the same group observed over time.

2. Consider the generalizability of results.

3. Identify other variables that might influence age-related differences.

Developmental Abilities

• Noteworthy Aspect:

  • Some abilities improve from infancy to adulthood, while certain skills, like discrimination of other species' faces, may be better in infants than adults.

Methodology for Testing Discrimination Skills

• Visual Paired Comparison Task:

  • Tests face discrimination in infants through novelty preference.

Examples of Research in Developmental Psychology

1. Pascalis et al. (2002): Examined face perception across different age groups (6 months, 9 months, and adults).

2. Pascalis et al. (2005): Longitudinal study on the ability to discriminate monkey faces influenced by training.

Study Findings**

• Perceptual Narrowing:

  • Most apparent during 9 months age without prior training, showcasing reduced ability to discriminate faces from other species (monkeys) as experience increased.

Key Takeaways

• Both longitudinal and cross-sectional designs have advantages and disadvantages.

• Only longitudinal studies provide insights into age-related change.

• Perceptual narrowing emphasizes the importance of experience in development.

Assessment Exercise

• Example Question:

  • Understanding age-related differences in computer literacy across different age groups exemplifies a __________ design and highlights potential __________ effects.