Lecture 7 - Development Flashcards
three types of development
physical, cognitive and social/emotional
the newborn’s reflexes
rooting and grasping reflex
physical changes in infancy and childhood
nervous system development, motor development and gender development in childhood
nervous system development
in first 18 months of life the brain grows rapidly (growth in gray matter and neural cell bodies)
myelination begins around
gestational month six and continues through adolescence
motor development in childhood proceeds
in two directions simultaneously (from head to toe and from midline of the body to outward)
what theory relates to Gender development in childhood
Kohlberg’ theory
Kohlberg theory
gender identity - gender stability - gender consistency
gender identity
gender identity occurs at 2-3 and is the ability to label their own sex, recognise sex but don’t understand that sex is fixed
gender stability
occurs at 3-5 years - knowledge that gender is a stable personal characteristic - sex is stable overtime -
gender consistency
occurs 6-7 years - belief that people retain gender even if they adopt behaviours - realise sex is constant
Jean Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
has 4 stages (sensorimotor 0-2, preoperational 2-6, concrete operational 6-12 and formal operational 12 above)
sensorimotor stage
explore new objects by physical interaction, object permanence (ability to form mental representations of objects) and language ability development
preoperational stage
not able to solve conservation task (ability to understand that changing the form or appearance of an object does not change quantity), egocentricism and unable to distinguish fantasy from reality
concrete operational stage
problems of conservation are easily solved, thinking becomes more logical, unable to handle abstract concepts, hands-on learning most effective
formal operational stage
can handle abstract concepts, improved problem solving skills, burst of idealism
alternative approaches to cognitive development
lev vygotsky, information processing, naive theories and theory of mind
assimilation
incorporation of new learning into an existing schema without the need to revise the schema
accommodation
incorporation of new learning into an existing schema that requires revision of the schema
Leo Vygotsky
zone of proximal development; individual gains knowledge of the world by interacting socially and collaboratively with parents, teachers and the community (culture and cultural differences are important for development)
information processing
extension of Piaget describing specific changes in cognition - rate increases as we age - changes in frontal lobe and hippocampus - improved memory
naive theories
Piaget underestimated children’s ability to understand objects
theory of mind
elaboration of egocentrism - understanding that others have beliefs, desires and intentions different from our own, 3-4 years, critical to social development
social and emotional challenges in infancy and childhoord are due to
temperament, attachment and parenting styles
temperament
reflects prevailing patterns of mood, activity and emotional responsiveness - roots in genetics - predict adult personality
three categories of temperament
surgency/extroversion , negative affect/mood, effortful control (ability to pay attention and inhibit behaviour)
attachment
emotional bond linking an infant to a parent or caregiver
parenting styles vary along two dimensions
parental support and behavioural regulation
parental support
empathy and recognition of the child’s perspective
behavioural regulation
supervision of the child’s behaviour accompanied by consistent discipline and clear expectations
physical changes in adolescence
hormone release, development of secondary sex characteristics and sexual maturation - growth in grey and white matter
cognitive/moral development in adolescence
executive functions reach adult levels, think more logically, and have conventional morality
preconventional morality
moral choices are made according to expectations of reward or punishment
conventional morality
moral choices are made according to law or public opinion
postconventional morality
moral choices are made according to personal standards and reasons
midlife development
in females menopause and for males reduced sperm quantity but no decrease in testosterone
late adult development
physical changes and decrease in cognition
