Chapter 10 Section 1 And 2 Flashcards
Why study infancy in childhood?
- Childhood experiences affect people later in life
- studying early stages help psychologists learn about developmental problems
- look at psychological, social and cognitive development
Developmental psychology
Field in which psychologists study how people grow and change throughout their lifespan
Longitudinal method
Select a group of participants and observe some same groups over time
Cross-sectional method
Select a sample that includes people of different ages
Nature
Heredity
Nurture
Environment
Maturation
Automatic and sequential process of development that results from genetic signals
Critical period
Stage or point in development during which a person is best suited to learn a particular skill or behavior pattern
Arnold Gesel
Felt maturation played most important role
John Watson
Focused on behaviorism
John Locke
Said infants were blank slates
- the environment will help them write experiences on slates
- environmental explanations for behavior: nutrition, family background, culture and learning experiences, community, school
Stages
Like climbing stairs (distinct levels)
Examples: sitting, walking, crawling
Jean Piaget
Focused on cognitive development (happened in 4 stages)
Erik Erikson
Focused on the role of social relationships ( took 8 stages to master)
Continuity
Walking up an incline (gradual increase without top levels)
J.H. Flavell
Said cognitive development is continuos
Infancy
Birth to two years
Childhood
Two years to adolescence
Reflex
Involuntary reaction or response
- disappears when no longer needed
Rooting reflex
Babies turn towards a stimuli that cheeks or mouth (leads to sucking and swallowing)
Moro reflex
Babies withdraw from painful stimuli or loud noises
Babinski reflex
Babies raise big toes when soles of feet are touched
Motor development
Development of purposeful movement
Gross motor
Coordinating major muscle groups
Fine motor
Coordination of smaller muscles
4 months babies can…
Grab and shake toys
9 months babies can…
Pick up small objects between thumb and index finger
1 year babies can…
Stack blacks or turn pages
Perceptual development
Process by which infants learn to make sense of the sensations they are exposed to
Robert Fantz said
Infants preferred pictures of human faces to other pictures
Perceptual preferences at 5-10 weeks
Look at complex patterns
Perceptual preferences at 15-20 weeks
Stare longer at face like patterns
Visual cliff
Special structure with checkerboard pattern and sheet of glass with pattern a few feet below
