chapter 12 Flashcards
Developmental psychology
examines the biological, physical, psychological and behavioural changes that can occur throughout life
debates
1- Nature vs nurture
2- Sensitive vs critical periods
3- Continuity vs discontinuity
4- Stability vs change
Prenatal development:
3 stages
1- Germinal stage: - First two weeks of development - Sperm fertilizes the egg - Cell division 2- Embryonic stage - Cell mass now embryo develops from the end of week two to the beginning of week 8 - Placenta and umbilical cord develop 3- Foetal stage - 9 weeks after contraception until birth - foetus attains the age of viability
what affects genetics and sex determination:
- the Y chromosome contains the TDF gene that triggers male sexual development
- TDF initiates the development of the testis is at about week 8
- Testes secrete androgens which further male development
- If the TDF gene is absent then in the prenatal critical development stage the testes will not develop and inherit female pattern of organ development ensues
Teratogens
- cause abnormal prenatal development
Maturation
the genetically programmed biological processes that govern our growth
Cephalocaudal principal
reflects the tendancy fro development to proceed in a head to foot direction
Proximodistal principal
states that development begins along the innermost parts of the body and continues to the outer most parts
Piaget
- Children’s thinking changes qualitivley with age as a results of the interaction between the brains biological maturation and personal experience
- Cognitive development occurs as children acquire new schemas and elaborate existing schemas
Assimilation
- in the process by which new experiences are incorporated into existing schemas
Accommodation
is the process by which new experiences cause existing schemas to change
Piagets 4 stages:
Stage 1: sensorimotor (0-2 years)
Stage 2: pre operational (2-7 years)
Stage 3: concrete operational (7-12 years)
Stage 4: formal operational (14+ years)
Criticisms of Piaget:
- Children acquired knowledge before Piaget predicted
- Didn’t correlate with other cultures
- Cognitive development within each stage seem to proceed unevenly
Theory of mind:
- Refers to a person’s beliefs about the ‘mind’ and the ability to understand other peoples mental states
Erikson’s psychosocial theory:
- Each involving a different crisis over how we view ourselves in relation to other people and the world
Erickson’s 8 psychosocial stages:
1- Trust vs mistrust 2- Autonomy vs shame and doubt 3- Initiative vs guilt 4- Industry vs inferiority 5- Identity vs role confusion 6- Intimacy vs isolation 7- Generativity vs stagnation 8- Integrity vs despair
Attachment
- Strong emotional bond that develops between children and their primary caregivers
Bowlbys 3 phases:
1- Indiscrimination attachment
2- Discrimination attachment behaviour
3- Specific attachment behaviour
An infants attachment becomes more focused two types of anxiety can occur:
1- Stranger anxiety: distress over contact with familiar people
2- Separation anxiety: distress from being separated from a primary care giver
Ainsworth developed what
strange situation: a standardised procedure for analysing infant attachment
Ainsworths 3 types of attachement
1- Anxious avoidant infant
2- Anxious resistant infant
3- Secure attachment
Baumrind two key dimensions of parental behaviour
1- Warmth vs hostility
2- Restrictiveness vs permissiveness
Authoritative parenting:
- Controlling but abit warm
- Stablish clear rules and reward compliance with love and affection
- Communication high expectations, concerns and support
Authoritarian parenting:
- Exert control within a cold unresponsive or rejecting relationship
- lower self esteem, less popular with peers and perform more poorly in school
