psych 03/12 pt.1

Introduction to Development

• Discussion begins with the speaker referencing the music group Beastie Boys, used as a prompt to discuss innate behaviors.

• Speaker shares a personal anecdote about children spontaneously breakdancing to highlight innate forms of development.

Core Cognition and Development

• Innate vs. Learned Behaviors: Discussion on how some behaviors may not require extensive learning or role modeling.

• Introduces the concept of core cognition: the idea that certain understandings and abilities may be present at birth.

• Contrasts with Piaget's notion that children are like scientists learning through experience.

Evidence of Innate Knowledge in Infants

Preferences at Birth

• Infants show preference for their mother's voice shortly after birth due to experiences in the womb.

• Studies indicate familiarity with sounds and stories read by mothers during pregnancy.

  • Example: Newborns preferred stories that their mothers read during pregnancy.

Understanding Gravity

• Discussion involving Sir Isaac Newton and Galileo as historical examples of understanding gravity.

• Infants exhibit an intuitive understanding of gravity; they look longer at impossible scenarios (e.g., a floating object) indicating a basic grasp of physical laws.

Visual Attention and Object Permanence

• Object Permanence: The concept that objects continue to exist even when out of sight is developed earlier than Piaget suggested.

• Newer studies utilize experimental setups to demonstrate how infants expect certain outcomes (e.g., a ball rolling into a barrier).

• Babies' differing responses to possible vs. impossible scenarios indicate their understanding of object permanence at around three and a half months old.

Critiques of Piaget's Stages of Development

Limitations of Piaget's Theory

• Piaget's perspective on developmental stages (e.g., object permanence not understood until 8-9 months) is challenged by newer research.

• Emphasis on measuring visual attention rather than just physical movements; reaching is limited in infants compared to their ability to look.

Modern Research Techniques

• Usage of eye tracking technology helps researchers better understand infants’ cognitive abilities and preferences.

• Habituation studies demonstrate infants' ability to differentiate between novel and familiar stimuli effectively.

Concepts of Morality in Infants

• Recent research suggests infants possess early moral understanding; they can differentiate between good and bad actions.

  • Example: Anecdote about a child's empathetic behavior towards a sibling in distress.

• Highlighted studies show that infants show preferences for helpful characters in puppet scenarios, supporting an innate sense of morality.

  • Infants prefer characters who help over those who hinder, suggesting early ethical inclinations.

Conclusion on Developmental Psychology

• The discussion challenges the notion of the blank slate theory (tabula rasa) in infants.

• Infants are born with some core knowledge and cognitive capabilities, which are inherited and do not solely stem from experiential learning.

• Research shows that infants possess sophisticated preferences, concepts of morality, and physical knowledge, all present from a young age.