Unit IX: Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology is a scientific approach, which aims to explain how children and adults change over time.

Includes the study of these types of development:

Biological Social Emotional Cognitive Moral

developmentdeveloping; growth; progress

stage theorydevelopment into specific, progressive stages.before you can get to the next

modelinga behavior

shapingbehavior

schemathat helps organize and interpret information.

Resources:

http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentstudyguide/p/devterms.html

http://allpsych.com/tests/psychology/personality.html

Review Questions:

1. What are some of the essential things we can learn from the study of developmental psychology? 

2. T/F Developmental psychology only focuses on development during early childhood.

3. T/F Developmental psychology explores all areas of development.

Jean Piaget He believed in the important differences

between the thinking of adults and children.

Theory of Cognitive Development. In this theory, Piaget introduced the

stages that a child passes through on his or her way to the development of formal though processes.

Cognitive Stage of Development:

Key Feature

Sensorimotor (0-2 years)

Object permanence

Preoperational (2-7 years)

Egocentrism

Concrete Operational (7-11 years)

Conservation

Formal Operational(11+ years)

Abstract reasoning

Sigmund Freud Psychoanalytical psychologist. Stages of Psychosexual Development. Unsuccessful completion of a stage

means that a child becomes fixated on that particular erogenous zone.

Psychosexual Stage of Development:

Description

Oral(birth -18 mos)

Focus on oral pleasures (sucking).

Anal(18 mos - 3 years)

Focus on eliminating and retaining feces.

Phallic(3 - 6 years)

Pleasure zone switches to genitals. Child develops Oedipus/Electra Complex.

Latency(6- puberty)

Sexual urges remain repressed.

Genital(puberty +)

Sexual urges are again awakened, focus of pleasure is the genitals.

Review Questions:

1. What are the four major stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development?

2. T/F: Freud's theory of psychosexual development has six stages that occur in the same order for all children.

Resources:

http://www.simplypsychology.org/developmental-psychology.html

http://allpsych.com/psychology101/development.html

Albert Bandura

Behavioral psychologist Bobo Doll Experiment Social Learning Theory stressed the

importance of observational learning, imitation and modeling:

1. People can learn through observation.

2. Mental stages are important to learning.

3. Learning does not necessarily lead to a change in behavior.

Erik Erikson

Psychoanalytic psychologist 8 Stages of Psychosocial

Development

Review Questions:

1. According to Erik Erikson, what major conflict is faced by adolescents?

2. What are the major differences between Freud’s theory of development and Erikson’s theory?

3. T/F: Erikson is to sexual development as Freud is to social development.

4. T/F: The initial struggle between autonomy and shame and doubt occurs around the ages of one and three according to Erikson.

Resources:

http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentstudyguide/p/devintro.htm

Age Name of Stage

Description

Birth - 1 year

Trust vs. Mistrust

Dependability of caregivers

Early Childhood

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Gain personal control

Preschool Initiative vs. Guilt

Assert their control through play and social interactions

School Age(5 – 11)

Industry vs. Inferiority

Develop sense of pride in abilities

Adolescence Identity vs. Confusion

Explore independence and develop sense of self

Early Adulthood

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Develop close, committed relationships

Adulthood Generativity vs. Stagnation

Contribution to the world

Old Age Integrity vs. Despair

Reflecting back on life

Lawrence Kohlberg

Stages of Moral Development

Level Stage DescriptionPreconventional(birth- 9 years)

1 Morality is defined as obeying rules and avoiding punishment

2 That which satisfies the child’s needs is seen as moral

Conventional(9- adolescence)

3 Morality is seen as achieving expectations set by parents

4 Moral law is fulfilling obligations and following expectations

Postconventional(adulthood)

5 Upholding the values of your group or culture

6 What is right and wrong is dependent upon the circumstances surrounding an action

Mary Ainsworth

Devised an assessment technique called the Strange Situation Classification (SSC) in order to investigate how attachments might vary between children.

Identified three main types of attachments:

1. Secure attachment- (70% of infants) feel confident that the attachment figure will be available to meet their needs.

2. Insecure avoidant- (15% of infants) are very independent of the attachment figure both physically and emotionally

3. Insecure ambivalent/ resistant- (15% of infants) exhibit clingy and dependent behavior, but will be rejecting of the attachment figure when they engage in interaction.

Resources:

http://allpsych.com/psychology101/moral_development.html

http://www.simplypsychology.org/mary-ainsworth.html

Review Questions:

1. T/F: Individuals who are focused on the punishment or rewards of their behavior are considered by Kohlberg to be in the preconventional level of morality.

2. The majority of infants in Ainsworth’s study showed what kind of attachment?

Lev Vygotsky

Stressed the fundamental role of social interaction in development of cognition

Socio-cultural approach to cognitive development

Every child has Elementary Mental Functions:

1. Attention2. Sensation3. Perception4. Memory

Develop Higher Mental Functions with the help of a More Knowledgeable Other (MKO)- someone with better understanding/higher ability level

Zone of Proximal Development- skills too difficult for a child to master on his/her own, but can be done with guidance and encouragement from a knowledgeable person

Motor Development:

2 months – able to lift head up on his own

3 months – can roll over 4 months – can sit propped up

without falling over 6 months – is able to sit up without

support 7 months – begins to stand while

holding on to things for support 9 months – can begin to walk, still

using support 10 months – is able to momentarily

stand on her own without support 11 months – can stand alone with

more confidence 12 months – begin walking alone

without support 14 months – can walk backward

without support 17 months – can walk up steps with

little or no support 18 months – able to manipulate

objects with feet while walking, such as kicking a ball

Review Questions:

1. How does Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development differ from Piaget’s?

2. T/F: Children should begin to walk alone around age one.

3. What are the four Elementary Mental Functions?

Resources:

http://allpsych.com/psychology101/development.html

http://www.simplypsychology.org/vygotsky.html

Prenatal Development & Birth

The Germinal Stage (zygotic period)- the first two weeks of development from the time of conception through the development of the cluster of cells known as the embryo.

The Embryonic Period- fertilization to the beginning of the third month. The human being begins to develop very distinctly. Cells begin to take on specific functions and structures in a process called differentiation.

The Fetal Period- the third to the ninth month of pregnancy. The fetus is now looking more humanlike and grows to resemble a baby more every day. The growth of the body begins to speed up.

Problems with Prenatal Development

Genetic Problems:

Down Syndrome - flattened facial features, heart defects, and mental retardation. The risk of having a child with Down syndrome increases with maternal age.

Sex-Chromosome Problems - includes conditions such as Klinefelter's syndrome (an extra X-chromsome) and Turner syndrome (a single X-chromosome).

Environmental Problems:

Harmful environmental elements that can affect the fetus are known as teratogens.

Maternal Drug Use - Smoking is linked to low birth weight, which can result in a weakened immune system, poor respiration, and neurological impairment. Alcohol use can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, which is linked to heart defects, body malformations, and mental retardation. The use of illicit psychoactive drugs is also linked to low birth weight and neurological impairment.

Maternal Disease - There are a number of maternal diseases that can negatively impact the fetus, including herpes, rubella, and AIDS.

Review Questions:

1. What is a teratogen?2. What are the three stages of prenatal

development?3. T/F Differentiation of cells occurs

Resources:

http://psychology.about.com/od/early-child-development/a/problems-with-

prenatal-development.htm

http://psychology.about.com/od/developmentalpsychology/a/

prenataldevelop.htm