DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY

Day 1: Physical Development & Parenting

Developmental Psych:

Physical Development & Parenting

¨  The Developmental Psych Approach

¨  Continuous vs. Discontinuous

¨  Stability vs. Change

¨  Stage Theory ¤  (same order for everybody / not necessarily the same age)

PRENATAL DEVELOPMENT

Zygote conception – 2 weeks

period of rapid cell division

Embryo 2 weeks – 3 months

cells attach to mother’s uterine wall & organs develop

Fetus 3 months - birth

developing human organism

Prenatal Development - TERATOGENS

¨  TERATOGENS: Agents that can reach the developing embryo or fetus and cause harm

n Alcohol n Nicotine n Drugs (both prescription drugs & “street” drugs) n Viruses (the flu) n Toxoplasmosis (contact with cat feces) n Food poisoning

¨  Teratogens and Prenatal Development (http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1619) - Click on Teratogens and Prenatal Development VOD

INFANT REFLEXES

¨ Rooting ¨ Grasping ¨ Startle (Moro Reflex)

INFANT VISION

¨  A baby’s vision improves dramatically during the first 6 months as children become able to accommodate (focus)

NEWBORN Babies’ vision is 40x less accurate than adults at seeing fine details

1 MONTH Most of the cells in the visual cortex are not yet coated in myelin. Poor contrast sensitivity & color recognition.

2 MONTHS A newborns rods are fairly mature but their cones are not, making it difficult to decipher fine lines and color.

ADULT Between age 6-7 years, a child’s vision reaches adult values

3 MONTHS Dramatic change occurs as the visual cotex begins to control vision better. Vision has caught up to other senses. Depth perception is still not accurate.

6 MONTHS A baby can focus at different distances as well as an adult can. Their ability to see fine details is only 8xworse than ours, 5x better than it was at birth.

Babies like to look at complex shapes & faces

IMPRINTING:

¨  Owen the baby hippo & Mzee, the 130-year-old tortise

the process by which animals form attachments during a limited critical period early in life

IMPRINTING

Tink the dachsand & her piglet “puppy”, Pink.

IMPRINTING: Koko’s Kitten

IMPRINTING: Duck with a Dog

(http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=imprinting&aq=f)

Newborn Capacities

¨ Habituation: describes infants’ decreasing responsiveness to repeated stimuli. Researchers infer that newborns have cognitive ability to differentiate between different visual stimuli.

¨  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiB2ZX1phmc)

 

What’s your earliest memory? Our earliest memories rarely predate our 3rd birthday. This is called “INFANTILE AMNESIA”.

EARLY MEMORY FORMATION

 

Why don’t we remember earlier events? Our brains are still developing Limited language before age 3 – we remember in words

MATURATION:

Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior that are relatively unaffected by experience

¨  In terms of brain development, natural maturation causes neural interconnection to multiply rapidly after birth.

¨  However, severe deprivation and abuse will retard development. Furthermore, increased stimulation will cause early neural connections.

¨  Maturation sets the basic course of development; experience adjusts it.

Normal Maturation

Diana BAUMRIND

key name 19

27 -

• Research on parenting styles

AUTHORITARIAN

PARENTING STYLES

rhymes with “Totalitarian” Authoritarian parents impose rules and expect obedience.

Permissive parents submit to their child’s desires, make few demands and use little punishment.

PERMISSIVE

Authoritative parents encourage open discussion and allow for exceptions when enforcing rules.

AUTHORITATIVE

“Because I said so.”

“Whatever.”

“Let’s talk about it.”

AUTHORITARIAN

PARENTING STYLES - consequences

rhymes with “Totalitarian” – anxious, withdrawn, and unhappy disposition – poor reactions to frustration

–  (girls are particularly likely to give up & boys become especially hostile)

– do well in school –  (studies may show authoritative parenting is comparable)

–  not likely to engage in antisocial activities

PERMISSIVE

PARENTING STYLES - consequences

-poor emotion regulation (under regulated) -rebellious and defiant when desires are challenged. -low persistence to challenging tasks -antisocial behaviors

AUTHORITATIVE

PARENTING STYLES - consequences

-lively and happy disposition -self-confident about ability to master tasks. -well developed emotion regulation -developed social skills

Dum Dums and Gloquex Activity