CH 4 Understanding Developmental Psychology Flashcards
What is Developmental Psychology?
Developmental psychology is the study of how people change over time—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It looks at:
✔ How we grow from babies to adults
✔ How our thinking changes
✔ How our relationships and emotions develop
How Do We Study Development?
📌 Two main research methods:
1️⃣ Cross-Sectional Studies – Compare different age groups at one time.
✅ Quick & easy
❌ Can’t track how people change over time
2️⃣ Longitudinal Studies – Follow the same group of people for many years.
✅ Shows real changes over time
❌ Time-consuming & expensive
✅ Lesson: Each method has pros and cons, but both help us understand human development.
Nature vs. Nurture – What Drives Development?
✔ Nature = Genetics (things we inherit)
✔ Nurture = Environment (experiences, culture, learning)
📌 Maturation – Some parts of development follow a natural sequence (e.g., babies walking at a certain age).
📌 Epigenetics – Our environment can turn genes on or off (e.g., stress can affect gene expression).
✅ Lesson: Development is a mix of both genetics and experience.
Critical Periods – When Timing Matters
📌 Critical periods = Windows of opportunity when certain skills must develop.
✔ Example: Learning a language is easier in childhood.
❌ If missed, some abilities may never fully develop.
✅ Lesson: Early childhood experiences shape the brain significantly.
Stages of Prenatal Development
1️⃣ Germinal Period (0-2 weeks) – Egg is fertilized and implants in the uterus.
2️⃣ Embryonic Period (3-8 weeks) – Major organs develop.
3️⃣ Fetal Period (8-40 weeks) – Growth and development before birth.
The Impact of Teratogens (Harmful Substances)
✔ Teratogens = Anything that can harm a baby before birth (e.g., drugs, alcohol, infections).
✔ Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) – Caused by alcohol use during pregnancy, leading to brain damage and facial differences.
✔ The effect depends on:
How much exposure
When exposure happens (early = more dangerous)
✅ Lesson: The prenatal environment is extremely important for healthy development.
Physical Development in Infancy and Childhood
✔ Cephalocaudal – Growth from head to toe (babies’ heads grow first).
✔ Proximodistal – Growth from inside out (torso grows before fingers).
📌 Key Reflexes in Babies:
Rooting Reflex – Turns head toward touch for feeding.
Grasping Reflex – Holds onto fingers.
Moro Reflex – Throws arms out if startled.
✅ Lesson: Babies are born with built-in reflexes to help them survive
Cognitive Development – How Thinking Changes
📌 Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
Piaget believed children’s thinking develops in stages:
1️⃣ Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years) – Learning through senses and movement.
Key idea: Object permanence (knowing things exist even if they’re out of sight).
2️⃣ Preoperational Stage (2-7 years) – Imagination grows, but thinking is not logical yet.
Egocentrism – Can’t see others’ perspectives.
No conservation – Thinks bigger means more (e.g., wide glass vs. tall glass).
3️⃣ Concrete Operational Stage (7-12 years) – More logical thinking, but only about real things.
4️⃣ Formal Operational Stage (12+ years) – Can think about abstract ideas and hypotheticals.
✅ Lesson: Kids think differently at different ages, and logic develops over time.
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory – Learning from Others
📌 Key ideas:
✔ Scaffolding – Adults help children just enough so they can learn on their own.
✔ Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) – The difference between what a child can do alone vs. what they can do with help.
✅ Lesson: Social interaction plays a big role in learning.
Social & Emotional Development
📌 Temperament – Natural Personality Differences
✔ Easy Babies (40%) – Happy, adjust well.
✔ Difficult Babies (10%) – Cry a lot, struggle with change.
✔ Slow-to-Warm-Up (15%) – Shy but adjust slowly.
✅ Lesson: Temperament influences personality but can change with experience.
Parenting Styles & Their Effects
Different parenting styles affect children’s development:
Parenting Style Characteristics Outcome for Child
Authoritative Warm, supportive, sets clear rules High self-esteem, independent
Authoritarian Strict, not warm, controlling Anxious, low self-esteem
Permissive Few rules, very lenient Impulsive, disobedient
Uninvolved Neglectful, emotionally detached Poor communication, anti-social
✅ Lesson: Authoritative parenting leads to the best outcomes for children.
Attachment – Emotional Bonds with Caregivers
📌 Strange Situation Test (Mary Ainsworth) – Studied how babies react when their mothers leave and return.
✔ Types of Attachment:
1️⃣ Secure (60%) – Upset when mom leaves, happy when she returns.
2️⃣ Avoidant (15%) – Doesn’t care if mom leaves or returns.
3️⃣ Ambivalent (10%) – Very distressed when mom leaves, but angry when she returns.
4️⃣ Disorganized (15%) – Confused, mix of avoidant & resistant behavior.
✅ Lesson: Early attachment styles affect later relationships
