Download Developing Through the Life Span

Developing Through the
Life Span
Chapter 5
What is Developmental Psychology?
A branch of psychology that studies physical,
cognitive and social changes from conception to
death.
 3 major areas of research

– Nature vs. Nurture
– Continuity vs. Stages – does development occur
continually or in distinct stages?
– Stability vs. Change – do our personality traits persist
throughout life or do we become different as we age?
Prenatal Development

Development begins at conception.
1st known photo of Michael Phelps
Prenatal Development

3 stages of prenatal development
– Zygote: conception to 2 weeks
 Less than ½ of all fertilized eggs survive beyond this period.
 Cells begin to divide and differentiate into specialized areas
(brain, heart, etc.)
– Embryo: 2 weeks to 8 weeks
 Organs begin to develop; heart begins to beat
 All major organs are present except sex organs
– Fetus: 9 weeks to birth
 By month 6 – organs are developed enough to survive a
premature birth.
 Fetus responds to sound and will shield eyes if light is
presented.
Prenatal Development
Genetic and Environmental Factors affect
prenatal development.
 The placenta, which transfers oxygen and
nutrients from the mother to the fetus,
also screens out potentially harmful
substances.
 Some environmental agents or viruses,
called teratogens, cross through the
placenta and can affect development.

Prenatal Development
Teratogens, include things like nicotine, alcohol,
drugs (prescription and illegal), environmental
pollution, bacteria, viruses (HIV).
 There are critical and sensitive periods for each
organ to risk major or minor defects.
 Research shows that teens who mother’s drank
during pregnancy run a higher risk for heavy
drinking and alcohol dependence.
 Babies of smokers are at greater risk for low
birth weight.

Infant and Childhood Development

Body Growth
– Rapid Growth occurs in the 1st two years of life
 Height will increase by approximately 75% by age 2 (36
inches)
 Weight will quadruple by age 2 (30 lbs)

Brain Growth
– Most of the brain cells (approx. 23 billion) you will
have in your life, are present at birth.
– Neural connections are immature, allowing for rapid
learning and development.
Infant and Childhood Development

Motor Development
– Sequence of motor development is universal although
timing differs.
 ¼ of all US babies walk by 11 months; ½ by 12 months;
90% by 15 months
– Skills emerge as the nervous system develops;
cerebellum (back of the brain) also develops rapidly
during this first year.
– Genes play a huge part
 Identical twins typically sit up and walk within days of each
other.
– If muscular and neural development hasn’t matured,
attempts to toilet train has limited effect.
Childhood Cognitive Development
Cognition: All the mental activities
associated with thinking, knowing,
remembering and communicating.
 Developmental psychologist Jean Piaget
began studying cognitive development in
children in 1920’s.
 Noticed while administering IQ tests that
most children gave the same wrong
answers based on age.

Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
Piaget believed cognitive development
occurred in distinct stages, as child’s
brains matured.
 An infant’s mind is blank at birth and
begins to form schemas: concepts or
frameworks that organizes and interprets
information

Piaget’s Cognitive Theory

As children experience the world, they
assimilate new information based on their
current understanding.
Schema
Dog
Dog
Dog?
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory

As we interact more with the world, we
accommodate (adapt our current
understanding to incorporate new
information) our schemas.
Dog Schema
Dog
Cat Schema
Dog
Cat
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
Piaget believes people move through 4
distinct stages of cognitive development.
 1st stage – Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2)

– Infants and toddlers “think” with their hands,
ears, eyes and other sensorimotor equipment.
– Thinking occurs outside of their head
– Object Permanence develops after about 8
months of age.
 An awareness that objects continue to exist
outside of our view.
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory

2nd stage – Preoperational stage (Age 2 -6/7)
– In this stage, children are not able to perform mental
actions that obey logical rules
– During preoperational stage, there is a huge increase
in representational, or symbolic thinking.
– Inability to comprehend Conservation – the idea that
certain physical characteristics of objects remain the
same, even when the outward appearance changes.
Egocentrism – difficulty taking another’s point of
view. (standing in front of TV, blocking your
view)
 Pretend Play, magical thinking emerges.

Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
 3rd
Stage – Concrete Operational Stage
(Age 7 – 11)
– In this stage, kids begin to think logically
about concrete events, can grasp concrete
analogies and perform mathematical
operations.
– Can master conservation and manipulate
mathematical problems mentally.
Piaget’s Cognitive Theory
 4th
Stage – Formal Operational Stage
(12+)
– In this stage, abstract reasoning becomes
possible. Ability to engage in hypothetical
thinking and deducing consequences.
– Formal operations begin before this stage but
become more fully developed in adolescence.
Theory of Mind and Autism
Theory of Mind: people’s ideas about their
own and others’ mental states – their
feelings, perceptions, and thoughts and
how behavior may predict these.
 Typical children develop the ability to take
other’s perspectives over time.
 People with Autism lack the ability to take
other people’s perspective, therefore
resulting in an impaired theory of mind.

Theory of Mind Test
Attachment Theory
Attachment: An emotional tie with another
person. Exhibited in young children by
seeking closeness to the caregiver and
showing distress on separation.
 Attachment begins at birth, through
trusting that their needs will be met.

– Beyond basic needs, attachment forms
through touch, soothing, social interaction
and familiarity.
Attachment Theory

Mary Ainsworth developed The Strange Situation
experiment that studied attachment differences
among mothers and infants.
– Sensitive, responsive mothers who noticed what their
babies needed and responded appropriately, had
infants who were securely attached. Able to use the
mother as a secure base to explore the world. Easily
reattaches after separation.
– Insensitive, nonresponsive mothers who tended to
their infants needs when they wanted to and ignored
them at other times had infants who were insecurely
attached. Reattachment after separation results in
prolonged distress, anger and withdrawal.
Attachment, Neglect and Other
Factors
Studies on early trauma and neglect reveal
increased likelihood of impaired attachment in
adulthood, increased risk of aggression,
depression, substance abuse.
 Adoption after age 2 (especially from neglectful
environments) increase likelihood for attachment
problems.
 No research to support negative effects of day
care use. Better outcomes in better run daycare
centers.

Parenting Styles

3 main parenting styles
– Authoritarian: parents impose rules and
expect obedience.
– Permissive: parents make few demands and
use little punishment.
– Authoritative: parents who are demanding but
responsive. Set limits but provide expectations
for rules. Encourage open discussions when
making rules and allow expectations.
The Impact of Parenting Styles

Children with the highest self esteem, self
reliance and social competence usually have
authoritative parents.
Children with less self esteem and social skills
usually have authoritarian parents.
 Children who are aggressive and immature
usually have permissive parents.

– Effective parenting may vary by culture
– Studies reveal the relationship is correlational NOT
causal.
Adolescence

Adolescence is the transitional period between
childhood and adulthood.
– Physical changes of puberty
 Girls start puberty approximately 2 years earlier than boys
– Social independence evolves
– Brain development continues
 Frontal lobe continues to develop but at a slower rate than
the emotional limbic system.
 Helps explain moodiness, impulsiveness, and risky behavior.
Moral Development
As children age, they begin to discern
between right and wrong.
 Building off of Piaget’s theory that moral
development is an extension of cognitive
development, Lawrence Kohlberg posed
moral dilemma’s to children and
adolescence in order to determine how
moral thinking is formed.

Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral
Development
Preconventional Morality: Before age 9, morality
focuses on self interest. Rules are obeyed and
punishment is avoided.
 Conventional Morality: By early adolescence,
morality focuses on caring for others and on
upholding laws and social rules, and maintaining
social order.
 Postconventional Morality: Using abstract
thought processes, actions are judged “right”
because they take people’s rights or self defined
ethical principles into account.

Social Development
Social Development occurs throughout life,
from birth to death.
 Erik Erikson believed that at each stage of
development there is a psychosocial crisis
that needs resolution.
 How each person resolves this crisis will
determine how they interpret their sense
of self and the world around them.

Social Development and Identity

Teens struggle with the crisis of identity
vs. role confusion.
– Many roles as a teen; child of a parent, friend
of a peer, friend on Facebook, employee,
student.
– Overlap of those roles may cause discomfort
is teen acts vastly different in different roles.
– As teens age, a desire to form a single
identity leads to decision making to answer
the question “Who am I?”
Social Development and Identity
Studies reveal that college seniors generally
have a clearer identity and more positive self
concept than when they were freshmen.
 Teen girls generally have a dip in self esteem in
early and mid teens, which rebounds in late
teens and 20’s.
 As identity becomes more firmly developed, it
allows for the capacity to develop intimate
relationships (Erikson’s stage of young
adulthood, intimacy vs. isolation.)

Emerging Adulthood
Historically, teens quickly became adults after
leaving high school by finding a job, marrying
and having children.
 As society has changed, and a college education
has become more of a requirement for financial
security, independence has been occurring later.
 People are taking longer to finish college, move
out of their parents homes and establish
careers.
 This gradual transition into adulthood may
decrease likelihood of depression, anger and
increase self esteem.

Social Development in Adulthood

Significant life events drive social development
across all phases of adulthood.
– Careers, relationships, marriages, children, divorce,
illness, etc.

The social clock: the “right time” to _____ varies
culture to culture/era to era
– While looser than in previous years, the social clock
may trigger life crises.
– Contrary to popular belief, “midlife crisis” do not occur
in midlife. Generally triggered by a life crisis in
general regardless of age.
Physical Development in Adulthood

Physical Development generally peaks in
our mid 20’s and then begins a gradual
decline.
– Athletes notice 1st, and women peak before
men.
– Physical fitness plays large role in decline in
health.
– Fertility declines; women experience
menopause around age 50.
Physical Development in Adulthood

Life Expectancy worldwide has increased from
49 in 1950 to 67 in 2004 (80 and older in some
developed countries).
– Women outlive men by 4-6 years on average.
– At age 100, women outnumber men 5 to 1.

Human spirit may effect life expectancy.
– Death-deferral phenomenon: In a recent 15 year
period, 2000 – 3000 more Americans died in the 2
days after Christmas than the 2 days before.
 Death rate increase after a person’s birthday.
Physical Development in Adulthood
Senses decline sharply after age 70.
 Neural processing begins to slow in later
adulthood; memory is affected by brain
atrophy that occurs over time.

– More active older adults have better
memories.
Cognitive Development in
Adulthood

Overall, intelligence remains relatively stable
throughout life.
– Difference lie in the type of intelligence that is being
tested.
 Crystallized intelligence: our accumulated knowledge as
reflected in vocabulary and analogies increases up to old
age.
– Writers, historians and philosophers thrive in old age
 Fluid intelligence: our ability to reason speedily and
abstractly, as when solving novel logic problems decrease
slowly up to age 75.
– Mathematicians and scientists thrive in 20’s – 30’s