Developmental Psychology Lecture Review

Piaget's Stages of Development

• Jean Piaget:

  • A foundational figure in developmental psychology, known for his theory on the cognitive development of children.

  • His model includes four stages from birth to adulthood.

1. Sensory-Motor Stage (Birth to 2 years)

• Focus on sensory interactions and motor activities.

• Key Concepts:

  • Development of object permanence: Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.

  • Develops stranger anxiety around 9 months: Recognizing familiar versus unfamiliar individuals.

2. Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years)

• Children use language and images but lack logical reasoning.

• Characteristics:

  • Egocentrism: Difficulty in seeing things from perspectives other than their own.

  • Lack of understanding of concepts such as conservation: Unable to grasp that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape/appearance.

  • Engages in pretend play: Imaginative play is rich but reasoning skills are still developing.

3. Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 years)

• Children develop logical thinking about concrete events.

• Key Characteristics:

  • Understanding of conservation concepts emerges.

  • Ability to perform mathematical operations and understand other perspectives.

  • Still struggle with abstract or hypothetical thinking and concepts.

4. Formal Operational Stage (12 years and up)

• Ability to think abstractly and hypothetically.

• Characteristics:

  • Development of moral reasoning and the capability to think about potential outcomes.

  • Can reason and imagine scenarios beyond the current reality.

Key Concepts in Developmental Psychology

• Theory of Mind:

  • Ability to understand that others have different beliefs or knowledge.

  • Develops significantly around ages 3 to 4.5, demonstrating a shift from naive beliefs to recognizing false beliefs in others.

• Egocentric Thinking:

  • Children often think that others see and know the world as they do, which can be tested through false belief tasks.

Prenatal Development

• Begins at conception but can be affected by factors before birth.

• Key Elements of Growth:

  • Differentiation of organs occurs during the embryonic stage and continues through to the fetal stage.

  • Environmental factors, including exposure to teratogens (e.g., drugs, alcohol), can significantly impact development.

  • Maternal stress can also lead to increased risks for various health problems in the child.

• Stages:

  • Embryonic Stage (2 weeks to 2 months): Initial rapid development of features.

  • Fetal Stage (9 weeks to birth): Continued growth and maturation.

Reflexes in Newborns

• Reflexes are automatic responses that allow newborns to interact with their environment from birth.

psychology week 11 part 2

PIAGET'S THEORY

0-2: sensorimotor

2-6: PREOPERATIONAL

7-11: CONCNRETE OPERATIONAL

12+ FORMAL OPERATIONAL

3-4.5 is when children can often see the hold of false beliefs

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