Human Human DevelopmentDevelopment

Dancing BabyDancing Baby

Questions to Consider:Questions to Consider:

How to cover child development in 1 day?!!!How to cover child development in 1 day?!!!

Top things to know:Top things to know: What Shapes a Child? How do we know? What Shapes a Child? How do we know? What’s so important about attachment What’s so important about attachment

anyway?anyway? How Do Children Learn about Their How Do Children Learn about Their

Worlds? Worlds?

What Shapes a Child? What Shapes a Child? Development Starts in the Womb Development Starts in the Womb

Infants Have Early Knowledge about the Infants Have Early Knowledge about the World World

Brain Development Promotes Brain Development Promotes Learning Learning

Attachment Promotes Survival Attachment Promotes Survival Humans Learn from Interacting with Others Humans Learn from Interacting with Others

Attachment Promotes SurvivalAttachment Promotes Survival Attachment in other species:Attachment in other species:

Attachment Promotes SurvivalAttachment Promotes Survival Attachment is a strong, intimate, emotional Attachment is a strong, intimate, emotional

connection between people that persists connection between people that persists over time and across circumstancesover time and across circumstances

John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth described infant behaviors that engage described infant behaviors that engage adults and adult behaviors that increase adults and adult behaviors that increase attachmentattachment

Secure AttachmentSecure Attachment Securely attached Securely attached

infant (68%)infant (68%) Cried very littleCried very little Once comforted Once comforted

explored and played explored and played readilyreadily

Used mother as Used mother as secure basesecure base

Babies express EmotionsBabies express Emotions

Why is the expression of Why is the expression of emotions of significance? emotions of significance?

1) 1) Attracts adultAttracts adult’’s attentions attention

2)2) Brings adult to the infantBrings adult to the infant

3)3) Helps communicate Helps communicate expressions of affection, annoyanceexpressions of affection, annoyance

4)4) Helps establish relationshipsHelps establish relationships

Basic Emotions in InfancyBasic Emotions in Infancy

Joy, Anger and Fear are considered basic emotions

Smiles are Smiles are importantimportant……..because because

1)1) they help infant they help infant achieve a goalachieve a goal (keep (keep

caregiver interactive)caregiver interactive)

2)2) they they reinforcereinforce behavior of adultbehavior of adult

3)3) help infant help infant gain controlgain control of environment of environment

4) mutual smiling 4) mutual smiling fosters attachmentfosters attachment

***In sum, smiling may be an adaptive ***In sum, smiling may be an adaptive

(survival) behavior.(survival) behavior.Babies laughingBabies laughing

Nature AND NurtureNature AND Nurture GenieGenie

Infant-research techniques:Infant-research techniques: Natural ObservationsNatural Observations

The preferential looking technique The preferential looking technique • Length of time the infant looks at an object or Length of time the infant looks at an object or

event event

What Shapes a Child? How do we What Shapes a Child? How do we know?know?

How Do Children Learn about How Do Children Learn about Their Worlds?Their Worlds?

Perception Introduces the WorldPerception Introduces the World

Piaget Emphasized Stages of Piaget Emphasized Stages of

Development Development

Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development TheoryDevelopment Theory

Children gradually learn more about Children gradually learn more about how the world works by little how the world works by little “experiments” in which they test their “experiments” in which they test their understandingunderstanding

Children pass through predictable Children pass through predictable stages that allow them to see the world stages that allow them to see the world in qualitatively different waysin qualitatively different ways

PiagetPiaget

classify & labelclassify & label construct knowledge construct knowledge adapt to environmentadapt to environment

Adaptation - SchemeAdaptation - Scheme

file folder = schemefile folder = scheme Increase in # & complexityIncrease in # & complexity assimilationassimilation accommodationaccommodation

Piaget’s Account:Piaget’s Account:Assimilation and AccommodationAssimilation and Accommodation

When new experiences fit into existing When new experiences fit into existing schemes it is called assimilationschemes it is called assimilation

When schemes have to be modified as When schemes have to be modified as a consequence of new experiences, it is a consequence of new experiences, it is called accommodationcalled accommodation

Classify & labelClassify & label

Creating a categoryCreating a category

Piaget’s Periods of Cognitive Piaget’s Periods of Cognitive DevelopmentDevelopment

Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years)Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years) InfancyInfancy

Preoperational Period (2-7 years)Preoperational Period (2-7 years) Preschool and early elementary schoolPreschool and early elementary school

Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years)Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years) Middle and late elementary schoolMiddle and late elementary school

Formal Operational Period (11 years & up)Formal Operational Period (11 years & up) Adolescence and adulthoodAdolescence and adulthood

Piaget’s stages of cognitive Piaget’s stages of cognitive developmentdevelopment

SensorimotorSensorimotor 0-2 years0-2 years

Take in new knowledge through senses, Take in new knowledge through senses, coordinates with body movementscoordinates with body movements

Object permanenceObject permanence

Coming to Know the World: Coming to Know the World: PerceptionPerception

Newborns Newborns have a good have a good sense of smellsense of smell

Newborns Newborns can can differentiate differentiate between between tastestastes

HearingHearing Babies can hear in the womb during the Babies can hear in the womb during the

last trimesterlast trimester Startle reactions suggest that infants are Startle reactions suggest that infants are

sensitive to soundsensitive to sound

SeeingSeeing Newborn Infants can see approx. 12-14 Newborn Infants can see approx. 12-14

inchesinches Respond to light, can track objectsRespond to light, can track objects By 1 year, the infant’s visual acuity is By 1 year, the infant’s visual acuity is

the same as adultsthe same as adults

depth perceptiondepth perceptionvisual cliff studyvisual cliff study

2 months - perceive 2 months - perceive depthdepth Heart rate slowsHeart rate slows

7-8 months show fear 7-8 months show fear of depthof depth Heart rate acceleratesHeart rate accelerates Refuse to cross deepRefuse to cross deep

Object permanenceObject permanence

Piaget believed that it developed slowly Piaget believed that it developed slowly over the sensorimotor stageover the sensorimotor stage

Piaget’s Periods of Cognitive Piaget’s Periods of Cognitive DevelopmentDevelopment

Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years)Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years) InfancyInfancy

Preoperational Period (2-7 years)Preoperational Period (2-7 years) Preschool and early elementary schoolPreschool and early elementary school

Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years)Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years) Middle and late elementary schoolMiddle and late elementary school

Formal Operational Period (11 years & up)Formal Operational Period (11 years & up) Adolescence and adulthoodAdolescence and adulthood

Preoperational thinking (2-7)Preoperational thinking (2-7)

Begins to think symbolically Begins to think symbolically Appearance is RealityAppearance is Reality

Pre-op limitationsPre-op limitations

centrationcentration conservationconservation

Piaget’s Periods of Cognitive Piaget’s Periods of Cognitive DevelopmentDevelopment

Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years)Sensorimotor Period (0-2 years) InfancyInfancy

Preoperational Period (2-7 years)Preoperational Period (2-7 years) Preschool and early elementary schoolPreschool and early elementary school

Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years)Concrete Operational Period (7-11 years) Middle and late elementary schoolMiddle and late elementary school

Formal Operational Period (11 years & up)Formal Operational Period (11 years & up) Adolescence and adulthoodAdolescence and adulthood

Concrete operations (7-11)Concrete operations (7-11)

Develop the ability to reason but only Develop the ability to reason but only about concrete items about concrete items

Learn about self through mental Learn about self through mental manipulation of concepts in adapting to manipulation of concepts in adapting to worldworld

Become more reasonable, logicalBecome more reasonable, logical Bound by physical reality (what I see, here Bound by physical reality (what I see, here

& now)& now)

Formal operationsFormal operations

12 and up12 and up Abstract thinkingAbstract thinking

Hypothesis, what if…Hypothesis, what if…

Criticisms of Piaget’s TheoryCriticisms of Piaget’s Theory

underestimates cognitive ability in underestimates cognitive ability in infants infants

overestimates cognitive ability in overestimates cognitive ability in adolescentsadolescents

is vague about mechanisms and is vague about mechanisms and processes of changeprocesses of change

He does not account for variability in He does not account for variability in children’s performancechildren’s performance

His theory undervalues the influence of His theory undervalues the influence of sociocultural environmentsociocultural environment