Developmental Psychology Study Guide

Study of physical, intellectual, social, and moral changes across the lifespan.
Three major controversies:
- Nature vs. Nurture: Influence of heredity vs. environment.
- Continuity vs. Discontinuity: Gradual vs. stage-like development.
- Stability vs. Change: Enduring traits vs. changes over time.
Research methods: experiments, naturalistic observations, correlational studies, case studies.
- Cross-sectional: different age groups tested at the same time.
- Longitudinal: same participants tested multiple times.
- Cohort sequential: combines cross-sectional and longitudinal to correct for cohort effect.

Critical period: time when specific stimuli have major developmental effects.
Prenatal development stages:
- Zygote: fertilized ovum with 46 chromosomes.
- Embryo: 2 weeks to 2 months, organ development begins.
- Fetus: 9 weeks to birth, organ systems interact, sex organs refined.
Teratogen: harmful substances causing birth defects.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS): abnormalities due to alcohol consumption during pregnancy.
Neonate: newborn baby (birth to 1 month), shows reflexive behavior.
Reflex: Simplest form of behavior
- Rooting: turn head when cheek is stroked.
- Sucking: automatic drawing in at the mouth
- Swallowing: automatic contraction of throat muscles to pass food into esophagus.
- Grasping: infant closes fingers around object in hand.
- Moro/Startle: arches back, flings limbs out when exposed to loud noise or sudden drop.
Habituation: decreasing responsiveness to repeated stimulus.
Development proceeds head to tail, center outward.
Puberty: early adolescence, accelerated growth, reproductive ability.
- Primary sex characteristics: reproductive organs.
- Secondary sex characteristics: non-reproductive sexual characteristics.
- Menarche: first menstrual period, female fertility.
- Male fertility: ejaculation of semen with viable sperm.
- Adolescent brain changes: pruning of dendrites, development of limbic system and frontal lobes.
Physical abilities peak in mid-20s.
Menopause: cessation of reproduction, decrease in female sex hormones (around age 50).

Schema: framework of basic ideas based on past experiences.
Assimilation: incorporating new information into existing schemas.
Accommodation: modifying schemas to fit new information.
Piaget's theory:
- Sensorimotor (0-2 years): reflexes to object permanence and symbolic thinking.
- Preoperational (2-7 years): uses symbols, egocentric.
  Animism: belief that all things are living.
  Artificialism: belief that all objects are made by people.
- Concrete operational (7-12 years): develops logic, masters conservation.
  Conservation concepts: changes in the form of an object do not alter physical properties of mass, volume and number.
- Formal operational (12+ years): abstract and hypothetical thinking.
Vygotsky's sociocultural theory: emphasizes environment and gradual growth.
- Internalization: absorbing information from social environment.
- Zone of proximal development (ZPD): range of problem-solving ability with assistance.
Alzheimer's disease: degenerative brain disease causing loss of cognitive functions.

Growth in ability to tell right from wrong and act ethically.
Kohlberg's theory: stages of moral thinking based on cognitive development.
- Preconventional: avoid punishment, seek reward.
- Conventional: conform to expectations, maintain law and order.
- Postconventional: promote society's welfare, promote justice.
Gilligan's criticism: Kohlberg's study focused on males; women follow ethic of care.