Developmental Psychology
Study of how behaviour changes over a lifespan
-Biological, maturational, social changes
Bidirectional Influences
Human development is a 2 way street
-Development influences experience and vice versa
Cohort Effects
Systematic differences between people of different generations
2 Key Research Designs
1) Cross-Sectional: Examine people at different ages at the same time
- no cohort effects
2) Longitudinal: Track development of same group/person over long period of time
- Takes into consideration cohort effects
5 Issues for Developmental Psychology (SACCN)
1) Stability vs Change
2) Activity vs Passivity
3) Continuity vs Discontinuity
4) Culture
5) Nature vs Nurture
Gene Expression vs Gene-Environment Interaction
GE: Turning genes on or off based on environmental experiences
GEI: Effects of genes depend on environment and vice versa
David Reimer info
- Born a boy, injury in circumcision.
- Parents decided to raise him as a girl as a part of an experiment to see if nurture > nature for gender.
- Had to never tell David he was actually a boy
- Worked for a time and Dr. Money published that a person could be born one gender but raised another.
- Complications began, David never fit in with any girls or boys.
- Experiment failed when David was told truth and decided to go back.
3 Stages of Prenatal Development (GEF)
1) Germinal Stage (week 1)
- Zygote divides and forms blastocyst
2) Embryonic Stage (week 2-8)
- Blastocyst becomes embryo and limbs, organs, face develops(brain)
3) Fetal Stage (week 9-38)
- Embryo becomes fetus (organs form)
3 Ways Fetal Development is Disrupted (EGP)
1) Exposure to Teratogens
- Alcohol, drugs, smoking, anxiety
2) Genetic Disorders
- Cell errors leading to down syndrome/birth mark
3) Prematurity
- 36 weeks or earlier
What is a Teratogen?
Environmental factors that can cause birth defects
Features of Teratogens in Children
- Thin upper lip
- Flat midface
- short nose
- low nasal bridge
- Ears not formed
5 Newborn Reflexes (BMRSG)
1) Babinski
- fanning of toes
2) Moro Reflex
- loud noise causes limbs to stretch and crying
3) Rooting Reflex
- Head turns toward light touch
4) Sucking Reflex
- Finger/nipple in mouth
5) Grasping Reflex
- Object in palm
Infant Perception Method
Participants
-6-14 months, can crawl
Procedure
-Placed on platform and observe where they go
Results
-<9 months willing to crawl to deep side
->9 months not going to deep side, showing visual cliff
3 Theories of Cognitive Development (SDP)
1) Stagelike (spurts) vs Continuous (gradual)
2) Domain general (all at once) vs Domain Specific (independently)
3) Principal Source of Learning (physical experience, social interaction)
Jean Piaget Info
- Swiss psychologist
- Examined cognitive development in children
- Focused on how people think
- Domain-general belief
- “Children are not miniature adults”
Schema
Organized way of interacting with the environment
-A template in our head
Assimilation vs Accommodation
Ass: New ideas are incorporated into schema
Acc: Previously developed schema is modified to adapt to new experiences.
Piaget Stage 1: Sensorimotor Stage
- Birth to 2 years old
- Focus on here and now
- develop memory at 2-3 months
- Lack mental representation, object permanence, differed imitation.
Piaget Stage 2: Pre-operational Stage
- 2 to 7 years old
- Reality seen through symbolic thought (banana phone)
- Only see their view
- Animistic: attributing intentions to object (rain crying)
Piaget Stage 3: Concrete Operations Stage
- 7 to 11 years old
- able to understand constant factors and rules
- Conservation: objects can be changed and still the same
Pro’s and Con’s to Piaget Theory
Pro -Changed how we see cognitive development -learning is active, not passive -children aren't small adults Con -Develop is more continuous -culturally biased
**Ecological Systems Theory 4 Stages (MIMEEXMA)
Child (by Bromfnbrenner)
1) Microsystem: Small immediate relationship they interact with (parents school neighbourhood)
2) Mesosystem: How different parts of microsystem work together for sake of child (Parents coaching)
3) Exosystem: People/places that child doesn’t interact with lots but still has impact (parent workplace)
4) Macrosystem: Largest/most remote set of people/things to child but has great influence (laws, norms, culture)
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural theory
Dialogues between children fuels development
Private speech helps behaviour
No domain general stages
2 parts of Sociocultural theory
1) Scaffolding: Adults set up structure to help children solve problems
2) Zone of Proximal Development: Difference between where child is on their own and with help.
