LCT12: Human Development Flashcards
Developmental Psychology
the study of how people grow, mature, and change over their lifespan
We are influenced by…
biology and environment… aka… nature and nurture
Prenatal development starts with?
Conception
Zygote
first cell of new potential life; fertilized egg
Germinal period
weeks 1-2
Embryo
the developing human organism, from 2 weeks to 2 months after conception
Embryonic period
weeks 3-8
Fetus
the developing human organism from 2 months after conception to birth
What happens between age 6 and 7?
intense synaptic growth
Fetal period
months 2-9
Synaptic Pruning
the process, in later childhood, in which unused connections are eliminated
“use it or lose it”
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
pattern of birth defects (stunted growth, facial deformity, and mental retardation) associated with alcohol consumption
Another name for fetal alcohol syndrome is…
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Two ways that the brain matures
1) Myelination
2) Synaptic Pruning
Myelination
the formation of fatty sheaths around neurons that increases the speed of neuronal communication
Neuroglial cells
fatty sheath cells around neurons
What happens between age 6 and 7?
intense synaptic growth
What has happened around early adulthood? (early 20’s)
the frontal cortex is completely myelinated
Synaptic Pruning
the process, in later childhood, in which unused connections are eliminated
Synaptic connections
links between neurons that allow communication
Critical or sensitive periods
times during which specific skills or behaviors are most easily acquired
When are language skills best developed?
in the first 5-10 years
Case study of Genie
“see text book for details”
Socioemotional Development
maturation of skills and abilities that help people live with other people
Attachment
deep and powerful emotional bond between infant and primary caretaker
How is attachment important?
1) Biological function of attachment is survival = infant behaviors motivate caregivers’ attention and protection
2) The beginning of social and emotional development and therefore the basis of our future capacity for relationships
Imprinting
in ducks and geese, instinctive tendency to follow the mother
What did Harlow’s monkeys show?
the need for physical contact or contact comfort in attachment in primates
John Bowlby
- attachment provides a “secure base” for the child to explore the world and develop
- early relationship becomes a schema for our sense of self and world
Ainsworth’s “Strange Situation” Test
a parent-infant “separation and reunion” procedure that is staged in order to test the security of a child’s attachment
Schemas
mental representations of the world
Assimilation
new information is fit into existing schema
Accommodation
schema is changed in response to new information
Who developed a stage theory of development based on how children thought about the world?
Jean Piaget
Four stages
1) sensorimotor
2) preoperational
3) concrete operational
4) formal operational
Sensorimoter Stage
explore world through direct sensory contact
- birth to 2 years old
Object permanence
awareness that objects continue to exist when they cannot be sean
Preoperationl Stage
begin to think symbolically
- ages 2-7
Conservation
the concept that physical properties do not change even if their appearance changes
Centration
inability to think about more than one detail of a task at a time
Egocentrism
tendency to view the world through one’s own experience
Concrete Operational Stage
develop the ability to reason but only about concrete ideas
- ages 7-12
Formal Operational Stage
reasoning about abstract ideas
- ages 12 to adult
Criticisms of Piaget
- underestimates infants
- overestimates adolescents and adults
Theory of Mind
the ability to explain and predict another person’s behavior as a result of recognizing that person’s mental state
Empathy
understanding and feeling another’s emotional state
- feeling “with” someone
- beginnings of empathy begin early 1-2 years old
Moral Reasoning
the way people think about and try to solve moral dilemmas
Who presented moral dilemmas and developed a theory of moral reasoning?
Kohlberg
What are the 3 levels of Kohlberg’s moral reasoning?
1) Preconventional
2) Conventional
3) Postconventional
Preconventional Stage
- earliest level
- self-interest determines what is moral
- answers oriented toward : self-interest or pleasurable outcomes
Conventional Stage
- middle level
- rules and approval of others
- answers oriented toward : societal rules, law and order, and approval of others
Postconventional Stage
- highest level
- abstract principles/thinking
- answers oriented toward : social contracts, not laws; ethical principles, value of all life
More development is influenced by…
Parenting… by how they let their children -
- express negative emotions
- cope with negative emotions
- promote the understanding of others
Psychologist associated with Lifespan Development?
Erik Erikson
Lifespan Development
- theory emphasizes lifelong development
- eight psychosocial stages of development
- each stage represents a developmental task (crisis that must be resolved, personal competence or weakness)
First four stages
Childhood:
- trust vs. mistrust
- autonomy vs. shame and doubt
- initiative vs. guilt
- industry vs. inferiority
Last four stages
Adolescence to Adulthood:
- identity vs. role confusion
- intimacy vs. isolation
- generativity vs. stagnation
- integrity vs. despair
Secure Attachment
The attachment style for a majority of infants; the infant is confident enough to play in an unfamiliar environment as long as the caregiver is present and is readily comforted by the caregiver during time of distress. (60-65% of children)
Insecure Attachment
The attachment style for a minority of infants; the infant may exhibit insecure attachment through various behaviors, such as avoiding contact with the caregiver, or by alternating between approach and avoidance behaviors. (35-40% of children)
Gender Identity
Personal beliefs about whether one is male or female.
Gender Roles
The characteristics associated with males and females because of cultural influence or learning.
Gender Schemas
Cognitive structures that reflect the perceived appropriateness of male and female characteristics and behaviors.
