Development and Development and SocializationSocialization

Psychology 448 CPsychology 448 C10/8/0810/8/08

Changes in Class ScheduleChanges in Class Schedule 10/13: Ch. 510/13: Ch. 5 10/15: Ch. 710/15: Ch. 7 10/20: Ch. 3 cont’d10/20: Ch. 3 cont’d

• Movie Movie • Study Sheet distributedStudy Sheet distributed

10/22: Exam Review 10/22: Exam Review • No reading: Tsai (2007) canceledNo reading: Tsai (2007) canceled

AgendaAgenda Lecture Lecture

• 10/22: sleeping, attachment style10/22: sleeping, attachment style Guest Speaker: Sapna Cheryan, PhDGuest Speaker: Sapna Cheryan, PhD In-class assignmentIn-class assignment

Clifford Geertz (1973)Clifford Geertz (1973) ““We all begin with the natural We all begin with the natural

equipment to live a thousand kinds equipment to live a thousand kinds of life but in the end having lived of life but in the end having lived only one.”only one.”

Culture, Language, and Culture, Language, and DevelopmentDevelopment

Sensitive Window for Cultural Sensitive Window for Cultural Development: Language AcquisitionDevelopment: Language Acquisition

A sensitive window indicates a biological A sensitive window indicates a biological preparation for the acquisition of the preparation for the acquisition of the information.information.

Learning after the sensitive window is Learning after the sensitive window is difficult (Newport, 1991).difficult (Newport, 1991).

Sensitive Window for Cultural Sensitive Window for Cultural Development: Language AcquisitionDevelopment: Language Acquisition

Humans learn a language in a Humans learn a language in a particular period of lifeparticular period of life• Window begins very early Window begins very early

4-day-old infants prefer rhythm of own 4-day-old infants prefer rhythm of own languagelanguage

Phoneme distinctionPhoneme distinction• Window ends after pubertyWindow ends after puberty

Accent and grammarAccent and grammar

Phoneme DiscriminationPhoneme Discrimination Study compared infants from English Study compared infants from English

speaking and Hindi speaking parents speaking and Hindi speaking parents (Werker & Tees, 1984)(Werker & Tees, 1984)• Full phoneme spectrum at birthFull phoneme spectrum at birth• Phoneme categories with developmentPhoneme categories with development

Task was whether infants could Task was whether infants could discriminate between two Hindi discriminate between two Hindi phonemes that are indistinguishable phonemes that are indistinguishable to adult non-Hindi speakers.to adult non-Hindi speakers.

Grammar and AccentGrammar and Accent Adults may initially learn a second Adults may initially learn a second

language faster than children.language faster than children. This capacity declines with age, This capacity declines with age,

especially for grammar and accent.especially for grammar and accent. Militaries have made use of the Militaries have made use of the

sensitive window of language sensitive window of language developmentdevelopment• WW2: “Lollapalooza”WW2: “Lollapalooza”

Second Language Acquisition Second Language Acquisition among Taiwanese Immigrantsamong Taiwanese Immigrants

English Grammar as a Function of Age of Arrival

02468

1012

1-4 (n=11) 5-8 (n=19) 9-12 (n=30) 13-16 (n=19) 17+ (n=7)

Age of Arrival to US

Num

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f G

ram

mat

ical

Err

ors

(Leu, unpublished)

Bilingualism: Bilingualism: Early Brain PlasticityEarly Brain Plasticity

Early-in-life bilinguals and Later-in-life Early-in-life bilinguals and Later-in-life bilinguals listen to two languages.bilinguals listen to two languages.

For early bilinguals, same area of the For early bilinguals, same area of the brain “lights up”brain “lights up”

For later bilinguals, different areas of the For later bilinguals, different areas of the brain “light up”brain “light up”

Extreme ExamplesExtreme Examples Genie (US, 1970)Genie (US, 1970)

• Age 13Age 13• ““Stopit” and “Nomore”Stopit” and “Nomore”• Developed vocabulary, but not Developed vocabulary, but not

grammatical masterygrammatical mastery Wild Boy of Aveyron (France, 1800)Wild Boy of Aveyron (France, 1800)

• Age 12Age 12• ““Milk and “OhmyGod”Milk and “OhmyGod”

Development of Noun/Verb BiasDevelopment of Noun/Verb Bias Children around the age of 18 Children around the age of 18

months show a dramatic increase in months show a dramatic increase in vocabularyvocabulary• Noun bias among North American Noun bias among North American

children (Gentner, 1982)children (Gentner, 1982)• Verb bias among Chinese and Korean Verb bias among Chinese and Korean

children (Tardif, 1996; Choi & Gopnik, children (Tardif, 1996; Choi & Gopnik, 1995)1995)

Development of Noun/Verb BiasDevelopment of Noun/Verb Bias

North American North American parent & 1-yr-oldparent & 1-yr-old

““Look at this truck. Look at this truck. This is a yellow This is a yellow truck. It has black truck. It has black wheels.”wheels.”

Highlights object Highlights object traits traits

East Asian parent & East Asian parent & 1-yr-old1-yr-old

““Here comes Here comes Daddy truck. He’s Daddy truck. He’s saying hello to saying hello to older brother truck. older brother truck. They’re going to They’re going to the beach.”the beach.”

Highlights object Highlights object relationshipsrelationships

Cultural Differences in Cultural Differences in Developmental Stages?Developmental Stages?

Terrible Two’sTerrible Two’s North Americans see “Terrible Two’s” North Americans see “Terrible Two’s”

as an important developmental as an important developmental transitiontransition

Increase in non-compliant and Increase in non-compliant and oppositional behavior oppositional behavior • Establishing individualityEstablishing individuality• Foundation for mature relationshipsFoundation for mature relationships

Verbal assertion (i.e., “No!”)Verbal assertion (i.e., “No!”)

Cultural VariabilityCultural Variability Nomadic hunting societiesNomadic hunting societies

• Aka Pygmies (Hewlett, 1992)Aka Pygmies (Hewlett, 1992)• Zinacantecans (Rogoff, 2003)Zinacantecans (Rogoff, 2003)

JapaneseJapanese• Noncomplaint behavior as immaturity, Noncomplaint behavior as immaturity,

not independencenot independence

AdolescenceAdolescence Developmental period between Developmental period between

childhood and adulthoodchildhood and adulthood Adolescent rebellion in N. America:Adolescent rebellion in N. America:

• ViolentViolent• EmotionalEmotional• StressfulStressful

Cultural Variability and Similarity:Cultural Variability and Similarity:

Survey of 175 non-industrial societies Survey of 175 non-industrial societies (Human Relations Area Files)(Human Relations Area Files)• Similarity: Adolescence as marking Similarity: Adolescence as marking

developmental change, and new role-learningdevelopmental change, and new role-learning• Difference: Difference:

only 44% societies expected adolescent boys to be only 44% societies expected adolescent boys to be rebellious (18% girls)rebellious (18% girls)

only 13% societies expected adolescent boys to be only 13% societies expected adolescent boys to be violent (3% girls)violent (3% girls)

What determines a difficult What determines a difficult adolescence?adolescence?

IndividualismIndividualism• Greater parent-child conflict Greater parent-child conflict

ModernityModernity• More choices of adult roles leads to More choices of adult roles leads to

greater stress among adolescentsgreater stress among adolescents

Culture, Categorization, Culture, Categorization, and Educationand Education

Socialization Through EducationSocialization Through Education

One of the primary sources of One of the primary sources of socialization is the school.socialization is the school.

Aside from the specific content that Aside from the specific content that people learn at school (e.g., learning people learn at school (e.g., learning about facts, and techniques), how about facts, and techniques), how does school shape the ways that does school shape the ways that people think?people think?

Schooling Affords CategorizationSchooling Affords Categorization Alexander Luria, a founder of the Russian-Alexander Luria, a founder of the Russian-

Historical School of cultural psychology, Historical School of cultural psychology, interviewed Russian peasants with no formal interviewed Russian peasants with no formal education. education.

The participants were given a list of four objects The participants were given a list of four objects and they were to identify the one that didn’t and they were to identify the one that didn’t belong.belong.

Often participants focused on concrete and Often participants focused on concrete and practical aspects of how the objects could be practical aspects of how the objects could be used together, and did not create any categories.used together, and did not create any categories.

Example question - “Hammer, saw, log, Example question - “Hammer, saw, log, hatchet. Which one doesn’t belong?”hatchet. Which one doesn’t belong?”• ““They’re all alike. I think all of them have to be They’re all alike. I think all of them have to be

here. See, if you’re going to saw, you need a here. See, if you’re going to saw, you need a saw, and if you have to split something you saw, and if you have to split something you need a hatchet. So they’re all needed here.”need a hatchet. So they’re all needed here.”

““Which of these things could you call by Which of these things could you call by one word?”one word?”• ““How’s that? If you call all three of them a How’s that? If you call all three of them a

‘hammer,’ that won’t be right either.”‘hammer,’ that won’t be right either.”

Another subject. “Hammer, saw, log, hatchet. Another subject. “Hammer, saw, log, hatchet. Which one doesn’t belong?”Which one doesn’t belong?”• ““It’s the hammer that doesn’t fit! You can always work It’s the hammer that doesn’t fit! You can always work

with a saw, but a hammer doesn’t always suit the job, with a saw, but a hammer doesn’t always suit the job, there’s only a little you can do with it.”there’s only a little you can do with it.”

““Yet one fellow threw out the log. He said the Yet one fellow threw out the log. He said the hammer, saw, and hatchet were all alike in some hammer, saw, and hatchet were all alike in some way, but the log is different.”way, but the log is different.”• ““If we’re getting firewood for the stove, we could get rid If we’re getting firewood for the stove, we could get rid

of the hammer, but if it’s planks we’re fixing, we can do of the hammer, but if it’s planks we’re fixing, we can do without the hatchet.”without the hatchet.”

““If you had to put these in some kind of order, If you had to put these in some kind of order, could you take the log out of the group?”could you take the log out of the group?”• ““No, if you get rid of the log, what good would No, if you get rid of the log, what good would

the others be?”the others be?” ““Suppose I put a dog here instead of the log?”Suppose I put a dog here instead of the log?”

• ““If it was a mad dog, you could beat it with the If it was a mad dog, you could beat it with the hatchet and the hammer and it would die.”hatchet and the hammer and it would die.”

Intelligence “Testing”Intelligence “Testing” In 1912, H. H. Goddard assessed the IQ of In 1912, H. H. Goddard assessed the IQ of

incoming immigrants to the US. Most of incoming immigrants to the US. Most of the immigrants had no schooling.the immigrants had no schooling.• 83% of Jews, 83% of Jews, • 80% of Hungarians, 80% of Hungarians, • 79% of Italians,79% of Italians,• 87% of Russians were classified as “morons” - 87% of Russians were classified as “morons” -

(Goddard’s term for IQ scored below 70)(Goddard’s term for IQ scored below 70) Today, debate about SAT as culturally Today, debate about SAT as culturally

biasedbiased

Many cognitive skills and habits that Many cognitive skills and habits that we are often not aware of, emerge as we are often not aware of, emerge as the product from formal schooling.the product from formal schooling.

In-class AssignmentIn-class Assignment