developmental psychology

Developmental

Psychology

Dr. Irene Karayianni

Developmental Psychology

Biological patterns – dynamic environment

Genetic background Behavior

Heredity limits potential

environment capabilities

world development

Encouraged to reach full potential

Nature - Nurture

Nature - Nurture

Maturation: unfolding of

biologically predetermined

patterns of behavior

Behavioral

genetics

Traits determined to some extent by genes Predisposition to respond in certain ways seek out environments

However, there is agreement that…

• Genetic factors and heredity…

– Provide the potential

– Place limitations

• Environment plays critical role in enabling people to reach the potential

capabilities that their genetic background makes possible

interactionist position

Determining the Relative Influence of Nature and Nurture

Same genes

(or similar)

Different genes

Same environment

(or similar)

Different environment

Determining the Relative Influence of Nature and Nurture

Same genes

(or similar)

Different genes

Same environment

(or similar)

Different environment

• experimentally control

genetic makeup of

laboratory animals

• Human identical twins,

each adopted by

different family

• nontwin siblings raised

in different environment

• Two adopted children in

same family

Developmental research techniques cross sectional

• Compares people of different ages at the same point in time.

Differences among groups of people.

– But: we cannot be sure that the differences in scores are due to age

differences alone

2015

Developmental research techniques longitudinal

• Traces the behavior of one or more participants as the participants age.

Change in behavior over time.

– But: takes too long; drop out rate; test-wise participants

1996 2015 2090

Developmental research techniques sequential

• Combo. Examining a number of different age groups at several points in

time

Year

Age

at

tim

e o

f o

bse

rvat

ion

1996 1998 2002 2008 2012

8 m

24 m

6 yo

To sum up…

YEAR OF TEST

Year of birth 1970 1980 1990 2000

1920 50 years 60 years 70 years 80 years



Cross-sectional = compare all age-groups at 1 year of test (vertical columns of table)

Longitudinal = follow one cohort across all years of test (horizontal rows of table)

Sequential = combo

Cross-

sectional

Longitudinal

Newborn first weeks of life

Newborn has strange appearance at first

squeezed bones of the skull together

skin secretes vernix

may have lanugo, a soft fuzz

eyelids may be puffy

Reflexes

rooting sucking gag startle Babinski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JVINnp7NZ0



Development of the senses

limited capacity to focus

follow objects moving

depth perception

Methods: heart rate, computer nipple, eye movement

habituation

prefer patterns with contours and edges

aware of size constancy

discriminate facial expressions


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2YdkQ1G5QI




• Vision

– first month - distinguish some colors from others

– after 4 months -focus on near or far objects

– 4 or 5 months - recognize two- and three-dimensional objects

– 7 months - neural systems related to the processing of information about

facial expressions are highly sophisticated and cause babies to respond

differently to specific facial expressions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0





• Sounds

– 2 days: can distinguish between their native tongue and foreign languages

– 3 days: recognize mothers’ voice

– 4 days: discriminate between closely related sounds

– 6 months: discriminate any difference in sound that is relevant to the

production of language.

• Tastes and smells

– built-in sweet tooth

Infancy through Childhood

Physical development

1st year

Development of social behavior

attachment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihh1xBXwt_0

imprinting




attachment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O60TYAIgC4

Harlow experiments




attachment

human attachment grows through the responsiveness of infants’

caregivers to the signals the babies provide


attachment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s608077NtNI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD771ASTMes

Ainsworth strange situation • Securely attached : mother as a home base;

explore independently but return to her. When

she leaves, they show distress, and they go to her

when she returns.

• Avoidant: do not cry when she leaves, and avoid

her when she returns. Doesn’t resist, doesn’t

initiate.

• Ambivalent: anxiety before separation and upset

when she leaves, but they show ambivalent

reactions to her return; mom can’t comfort in

reunion

• disorganized-disoriented; inconsistent and

contradictory behavior. Unresolved trauma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s608077NtNI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s608077NtNI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD771ASTMes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD771ASTMes


The securely attached

Cooperative, capable, playful, less disruptive, less aggressive, mature, high self esteem, trusting, seek out social support able to share feelings, successful relationships, empathetic, open and equal relationships, actual bond (not fantasy)


The avoidant

Don’t invest emotionally, little distress when a relationship ends, avoid intimacy - excuses Difficulty with intimacy and close relationships

Parents: withdrawn, unavailable, neglecting, depressed, with detached internal model (minimize the importance or effects of early experiences; may idealize own parents but poor recall of childhood; deny negative emotions; emphasis on own personal

strengths)


The ambivalent

Parents: inconsistent responses, sometimes reject / react baby’s bids for contact, neglect-make up for it Preoccupied internal attachment (reversed parenting, still caught up in family, struggling with anger / desire to please)

Suspicious of strangers, don’t trust easily, refuse comfort, self critical, insecure, seek approval, clingy, over-dependent, worry about feeling reciprocation, anger


The disorganized - disoriented


the father’s role

• Early developmental research focused

on the mother-child relationship

• More recent research highlighted the

father’s role in parenting

• Fathers’ play differs from mothers’

play: more physical, rough activities

• Despite play differences, nature of

attachment can be similar.

• Children can form multiple

attachments simultaneously


social relationships with peers

Elaborate games Teams, Rules

Socially competent

Enjoyment but also… Sharing materials and experiences Cognitive and social development

Emotional development, self control Interpret the meaning of others’ behavior

Physical self control

Interact with each other Role plays

Parallel play Pay more attention to toys

The Consequences of Child Care Outside the Home

Longitudinal study National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Benefits from social interaction and intellectual stimulation provided by

high quality child-care centers

More considerate, social, more positive interactions, compliant, regulate behavior

Low quality insecurity

Parenting Styles and Social Development Authoritarian

• Unquestioning obedience

• Expect their orders to be obeyed without explanation

• Status oriented

• Strict standards, rigid, punitive

• No warmth

• Unsociable, unfriendly, and relatively withdrawn

• Associate obedience and success with love

• Good at following rules

• Shy / fearful / aggressive

• May lack self discipline – no personal standards

Parenting Styles and Social Development Permissive

• Relaxed

• Inconsistent

• Warm

• Require little of child, low expectations

• More responsive than demanding

• Avoid confrontation

• Use bribery

• Immature, moody, dependent

• Low self control / self discipline

• Poor social skills, can’s share

• Less academically motivated

Parenting Styles and Social Development Authoritative

• parents try to reason and explain things

• set clear goals, set limits

• encourage independence

• Child centric, democratic

• Discuss options

• Warm

• Capable

• Emotional control

• high social skills

• likable, self-reliant, independent, and cooperative

Parenting Styles and Social Development Uninvolved

• show little interest, indifferent

• Emotionally detached

• Just food, clothing, and shelter

• Extreme case – neglect

• No responsiveness

• Few demands

• Too overwhelmed by own problems

• feel unloved and emotionally detached

• Physical, cognitive, social, emotional development are impeded

• Perform poorly

• Inappropriate behavior / no limits, misbehave

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

• Life is a series of lessons

• Interaction and understanding of self and others – ego identity

• 8 stages

• Conflict resolution move on


1st stage: Trust vs. Mistrust

Stage Issues Potential positive outcomes from crisis

Potential negative outcomes from crisis

Trust v Mistrust 0- 1½ y

feeding and being comforted, teething, sleeping

Hope and Drive Open to experiences

Sensory Distortion / Withdrawal

Feeding

Can I trust the people around me?

Consistently respond to needs


2nd stage: Autonomy vs. Shame & doubt



Autonomy v Shame 1½ - 3 y

bodily functions, toilet training, muscular control, walking

Willpower and Self-Control, self confident, autonomous

Impulsivity / Compulsion

Toilet training

Can I do things myself or do I need the help of others?

Encourage exploration and freedom


3rd stage: Initiative vs. Guilt

Exploration, play Initiate activities



Initiative v Guilt 3-6 y

exploration and discovery, adventure and play Purpose and Direction Ruthlessness / Inhibition, feel like nuisance

Am I good or bad?

Encourage initiatives


4th stage: Industry vs. Inferiority

School



Industry v Inferiority 6-12 y

achievement and accomplishment Competence and Method, pride in accomplishments

Narrow Virtuosity / Inertia, doubt ability to be successful

"How can I be good?

Encouraged, commended

Cognitive development Infancy and childhood: Cognitive development

Cognitive development Piaget’s theory


• Sensorimotor (0-2) – Sensations, motor movements, no mental symbols


• Peoperational (2-7) • Learn to use language

• Symbolic thought, still illogical

• Egocentric thought

• principle of conservation

Egocentrism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OinqFgsIbh0 Conservation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLj0IZFLKvg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OinqFgsIbh0



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLj0IZFLKvg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLj0IZFLKvg


• Concrete operational (7-12) – Reasons like adults, but not for abstract concepts

– reversibility - awareness that actions / logical propositions can be reversed. 5+2=7 7-2=5

– Conservation: quantity doesn’t change because of shape

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA04ew6Oi9M

What is love? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goq740lF1vg



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goq740lF1vg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goq740lF1vg


• Formal operational (12+) – Full adult cognition

– Abstract, formal, logical thinking

Is Piaget right?

Cognitive development Information processing approaches

• the way in which we take in, use, and store information

• quantitative changes occur

• Mental programs

• Speed of processing

• Less distraction

• Memory improvement

• Organization of knowledge

• Metacognition – planning, monitoring, revising cognitive strategies

Cognitive development

Vygotsky’s View of Cognitive Development: Considering Culture.

• Cognitive development as a consequence of social interactions

• Cognitive abilities increase when children encounter information

that falls within their zone of proximal development = level at

which a child can almost comprehend or perform a task on his or

her own - Scaffolding

Adolescence

Adolescence

Biological Social Emotional Cognitive

profound changes

Physical development

Primary & secondary sex characteristics

Production of sex hormones • By testes production of sperm cells, spermarche • By ovaries ovulation, menstruation

• Enlarged Adam’s apple, deeper voice, body hair, height

• Breast enlargement, wider hips, pubic,

Involved in reproduction Not involved in reproduction

Brain continues to develop Increase in height, weight

Sexual attraction

Teenage brain http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWUkW4s3XxY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zVS8HIPUng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzT_SBl31-s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWUkW4s3XxY



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zVS8HIPUng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzT_SBl31-s



Moral development Kohlberg’s theory

A woman is near death from a special kind of cancer. The one

drug that the doctors think might save her is a medicine that

a medical researcher has recently discovered. The drug is

expensive to make, and the researcher is charging ten times

the cost, or $5,000, for a small dose. The sick woman’s

husband, Henry, approaches everyone he knows in hope of

borrowing money, but he can get together only about $2,500.

He tells the researcher that his wife is dying and asks him to

lower the price of the drug or let him pay later. The

researcher says, “No, I discovered the drug, and I’m going to

make money from it.” Henry is desperate and considers

stealing the drug for his wife.

What would you tell Henry to do?

Moral development Kohlberg’s theory

• Preconventional: Concrete, unvarying

rules; rewards and punishments

– It is always wrong to steal

– I’ll be punished if I steal

– Good people don’t steal

• Conventional: what others will think of

me; pleasing others

• Postconventional: advanced morality

based my ethical principles, even if they

differ from societal rules.

Moral development Gilligan’s theory

• Different socialization experiences

• Girls pass through stages differently.

• Female moral reasoning is centered on

the needs of people, and social

relationships rather than concepts and

principles.

• Caring.

• Compassionate concern for the welfare

of others represents the highest level of

morality

Social development

“Who am I?” “How do I fi t into the world?” “What is life all about?”

seek to find their place in the broader social world


5th stage: Identity vs. Role confusion

Social relationships



Identity v Role Confusion

resolving identity and direction, becoming a grown-up

Fidelity and Devotion Fanaticism / Repudiation

Search for identity

Who am I?

declining reliance on adults


6th – 8th stage

STORMY ADOLESCENCE: MYTH OR REALITY?

• Adolescent egocentrism self absorption

makes relationships more difficult

– Highly critical of authority figures

– Don’t accept criticism

– imaginary audience – self conscious

– personal fable

– Hypocrisy

– Pseudostupidity

developmental psychology

Education