development
refers to the continuities and changes that occur within the individual between conception and death
what does nature and nurture say?
what does change and stability say?
sensitive period
the overlapping periods of child development where they’re sensitive to specific stimuli and affects if they develop “normally”
what does continuity vs stages say?
ways to study developmental psychology
longitudinal design
research in which the same individuals are studied repeatedly over some subset of their lifespan
pros and cons of longitudinal design
Pros:
- can assess developmental change
Cons:
- very expensive and time consuming
- selective attribution
- original research may become obsolete
- practice effects and cohort effects
cross sectional design
design in which individuals from different age groups are studied at the same point in time.
pros and cons of cross sectional design
Pros:
- less time consuming and expensive
- can uncover age differences
Cons:
- cant distinguish age effects from cohort effects
- can’t assess developmental change
sequential design
design in which individuals from different age groups are repeatedly tested over some subset of their lifespan
pros and cons of sequential design
Pros:
- less time consuming and expensive than longitudinal
- can assess developmental change
Cons:
- more expensive and time consuming than cross-sectional
- can’t generalize results to other cohorts
prenatal development stages
1.) conception
2.) germinal stage (10-14 days)
3.) embryonic stage (week 2-8)
4.) fetal stage (week 9 - birth)
conception
→ sperm and egg unite to bring genetic material together and form fertilized egg (zygote)
germinal stage
→ cell division occurs at an exponential rate
→ cells already begin to differentiate into specialized structures and locations
embryonic stage
→period when most vital organs are formed
→ an extreme period of vulnerability
→ cell differentiation continues as cells develop into organs and bones (heart, arm, leg etc.)
fetal stage
→ state of growth and refinement in all existing organs
→ 3 months = smile/frown, 6 months = sight and hearing, 9 months = increase in weight
→ age of viability is 6 months and may be able to survive outside of the womb
genetic problems inutero
Chromosomal abnormalities (ex: down syndrome)
environmental problems inutero
what is occurring in a newborn?
characteristics of a newborns visual system
reflexes in the newborn
rooting, moro, grasping
rooting reflex
touch around cheek and baby will orient touch
moro reflex
when startled by lack of support to the head, the baby will flail their arms out