1. Human Development Chapter 9
AP Psychology
Alice F. Short
Hilliard Davidson High School
Human Development = talking about developmental psychology

2. Discussion Question: At what age do you stop becoming more mature?
The text states that the “body, mind and emotion are interdependent.” Imagine the loss of function in one of these areas. What would it be like if one of these was at a diminished capacity?

3. Chapter Outline Exploring Human Development Child Development
Adolescence
Emerging Adulthood, Adult Development, and Aging
Human Development and Health and Wellness

4. Development
development - the pattern of continuity and change that occurs throughout the lifespan
physical processes
cognitive processes
socioemotional processes

5. Development biological processes cognitive processes
socioemotional processes

6. Research Methods in Development Psychology
Age-Related Differences
cross-sectional studies
cohort effects
DISCUSSION: What cohort effects exist within your generation?
faster
longitudinal studies
takes a LONG time
Very happy people? Old or young? What do you think? (p. 279)

7. Nature vs. Nurture nature – biological inheritance
nurture – environmental experiences
the developer – individuals take active roles in own development
Which leads to / influences optimal life experiences more?

8. A SHORT Time to Ponder
Critical Controversy: Genes or Superparents? (p. 281)
Judith Harris (1998) The Nurture Assumption – parents make no difference
Sandra Scarr – “superparenting” is unnecessary
Diana Baumrind – “good enough” is not good enough
W. Andrew Collins (2000) – even w/ genetic influence taken into account, parenting practices made a difference in children’s lives.
If you have decide to have children in the future, how might the information in this Critical Controversy affect your approach to parenting?
Why might today’s parents be more likely than parents in the past to try to be superparents?
How influential are your peers in your life? Is the influence positive or negative?
What should you do of your child falls in with the “wrong crowd”?

9. Resilient Children early experience versus later experience
resilience – a person’s ability to recover from or adapt to difficult times
resilient children become capable adults

10. Prenatal Development Germinal Period (weeks 1-2)
conception
fertilization
zygote
Embryonic Period (weeks 3-8)
Fetal Period (months 2-9)

11. Prenatal Development Teratogens… agents that cause birth defects
diseases (ruebella, German measles, etc.)
nicotine
alcohol
STIs
Effects of teratogens depend on…
timing of exposure
genetic characteristics
postnatal environment

12. Physical Development
reflexes - genetically wired behaviors that are crucial for survival
persist throughout life
coughing, blinking, yawning
disappear with neurological development
grasping

13. Physical Development perceptual and motor skills preferential looking
give “choice” and measure preferences

14. Brain Development myelination continues after birth
dramatic increase in synaptic connections
brain imaging techniques illuminate developmental changes in the brain

15. Cognitive Development
Jean Piaget ( )
Children actively construct their cognitive world using…
schemas – concepts or frameworks that organize information
assimilation – incorporate new info into existing schemas
accommodation – adjust schemas to new information

16. Piaget’s Theory sensorimotor stage preoperational stage
concrete operational stage
formal operational stage

17. Piaget’s Theory: Cognitive Development
Sensorimotor Stage (birth - 2 years)
coordinate sensations with movements
object permanence
Preoperational Stage (2 - 7 years)
symbolic thinking
intuitive reasoning
egocentrism
Concrete Operational Stage (7 – 11 yrs)
operational thinking (e.g., conservation)
classification skills
logical thinking in concrete contexts
Formal Operational Stage (11-15 yrs)
lasts through adulthood
abstract and idealistic thought
hypothetical-deductive reasoning
Piaget’s Theory: Cognitive Development

18. Evaluating Piaget’s Theory
some cognitive abilities emerge earlier than Piaget thought
Piaget overestimated formal operations
culture and education also influence development
Lev Vygotsky, Russian psychology (1962): Cognitive Development
is an interpersonal process.
happens in a cultural context.
is facilitated by the process of scaffolding.

19. Temperament
an individual’s behavioral style or characteristic way of responding
three clusters of temperament
easy
difficult
slow-to-warm-up
another perspective (effortful control/self-regulation, inhibition, and negative affectivity)

20. Infant Attachment Harlow Study – infant rhesus monkeys
is it nourishment or contact that matters?
chose between two surrogate “mothers”
cold wire mother versus warm cloth mother
-infants preferred cloth mother across situations
contact comfort is critical to attachment
the close emotional bond between an infant and its caregiver
may provide important foundation for subsequent development

21. Infant Attachment Mary Ainsworth – Strange Situation
Caregivers leave infant alone with stranger, then return…secure attachment or insecure attachment?
Criticism: cultural variations

22. Socioemotional Development
Erik Erikson ( )
theory emphasizes lifelong development
eight psychosocial stages of development
first four stages: childhood
each stage represents a developmental task
crisis that must be resolved
personal competence or weakness

23. Erik Erikson: Socioemotional Development
First Four Stages: Childhood
trust versus mistrust
autonomy versus shame and doubt
initiative versus guilt
industry versus inferiority
Erik Erikson: Socioemotional Development

24. Evaluating Erikson primary focus on case-study research
omitted important developmental tasks

25. Parenting Styles Authoritarian Authoritative Neglectful Permissive
parents are controlling and punitive
correlated with lack of initiative, poor communication skills, social incompetence
Authoritative
parents encourage independence with limits
correlated with social competence, social responsibility, and self-reliance
Neglectful
parents are generally uninvolved
correlated with less social incompetence and poor self-control
Permissive
parents are involved, but place few limits
correlated with poor social competence, lack of respect for others, poor self-control
Parenting Styles

26. Friendships talking over life problems co-rumination
worrying about a topic without finding a resolution.
girls co-ruminate more than boys
increased feelings of depression and anxiety

27. Moral Development
Kohlberg ( ) – presented moral dilemmas and analyzed responses
Preconventional
behavior guided by punishments and rewards
Conventional
standards learned from parents and society
Postconventional
contracts, rights and abstract principles

28. Moral Development: Kohlberg
3 Levels, 6 stages, 2 stages in each level

29. Evaluating Kohlberg’s Theory
moral reasoning ≠ moral behavior
what we say and do are not always consistent
women generally score lower than men
justice perspective (men)
care perspective (women) – Carol Gilligan

30. Current Research on Moral Development
Prosocial Behavior
correlated with supportive parenting
correlated with self-control
Conscience Formation
forms by age 3 and carries over into adulthood
parent-child interactions
clear, elaborate, rich with emotional content
shared positive emotion

31. Moral Development
Parenting strategies associated with morality in children…
warm and supportive rather than harsh
reasoning with child when disciplining
help child learn to take others’ perspective
involve child in decision making
model moral behavior and thinking

32. Understanding Adolescence
transition from childhood to adulthood
starts age 10-12
ends age 18-21

33. Adolescent Physical Development
Puberty
rapid skeletal and sexual maturation
puberty begins at beginning of adolescence
Testosterone (androgen) — boys
genital development, height, voice changes
Estrodiol (estrogen) — girls
breast, uterine, and skeletal development

34. Adolescent Brain Development
Early
amygdala
emotions
Late
prefrontal cortex
reasoning and decision making
risk taking

35. Adolescent Cognitive Development
Piaget’s Formal Operational Stage
Adolescent Egocentrism
the belief that others are as preoccupied with the adolescent as he or she is
sense of uniqueness
sense of invincibility --> risky behaviors

36. Adolescent Socioemotional Development
Erikson: Psychosocial Development
identity versus identity confusion (fifth stage)
Marcia’s Four Identity Statuses
exploration and commitment
identity diffusion
identity foreclosure
identity moratorium
identity achievement

37. Marcia’s Four Identity Statuses

38. Adolescent Socioemotional Development
Ethnic Identity
attachment to ones minority group
attachment to larger culture
biculturalism
Influence of Parents and Peers
parent as manager/counselor/monitor
balance involvement and allowing to explore
peer relations peak in importance

39. Adult Development and Aging
Emerging Adulthood
extended adolescence
five key features
identity exploration
instability
self-focus
feeling “in between”
age of possibilities

40. Physical Changes in Adulthood
Early Adulthood
most reach the peak of physical development
Middle Adulthood
most lose height, many gain weight
menopause for women (late 40s or early 50s)
Late Adulthood
accumulated wear and tear
less ability to repair and regenerate

41. Biological Theories of Aging
Cellular-Clock Theory
maximum # of cell divisions possible
predicts human life span of about 120 years
shortening telomeres
Free-Radical Theory
cause DNA and cell damage
Hormonal Stress Theory
stress hormones linger longer

42. The Aging Brain
some new brain cells grow in hippocampus and olfactory bulb
surviving/healthy neurons take up slack for their deceased/disabled neighbors
reduced lateralization of brain function: both hemispheres used more equally

43. Cognitive Development in Adulthood
Early Adulthood
idealism gives way to realistic pragmatism
reflection on worldview
Middle Adulthood
crystallized intelligence (vocabulary) peaks
fluid intelligence (inductive reasoning) peaks
numerical ability & perceptual speed decline
Late Adulthood
speed of processing generally declines
memory retrieval skills decline
wisdom increases in some individuals
strategy training and physical activity can improve cognitive function
Cognitive Development in Adulthood

44. Cognitive Development

45. Socioemotional Development in Adulthood
Erikson’s Theory
Last Four Stages
identity versus role confusion (adolescence)
intimacy versus isolation
generativity versus stagnation
integrity versus despair

46. Marriage Erikson’s Stage 6: intimacy v. isolation
women and men are marrying later
principles for successful marriages
nurturing fondness and admiration
turning toward each other as friends
giving up some power
solving conflicts together

47. Parenting Erikson’s Stage 7: generativity v. stagnation
wellness through contribution to next generation
contribution through rearing children
constructive engagement with children correlated with marital satisfaction, life satisfaction, career success

48. Winding Down Erikson’s Stage 8: integrity v. despair
wellness through reminiscence
seeking meaning through life review
confronting own pending death
importance of meaning: past and present!
more selective about social network
consider Bucket List

49. Human Development: Health and Wellness
Development during adulthood marked by
physical and psychological decline
conscious awareness of aging
Coping with life’s difficulties
assimilation and accommodation (Piaget)
Victor Frankl – Life Themes
the uniqueness of each person and the finiteness of life.

50. Chapter Summary Explain how psychologists think about development.
Describe children’s development from prenatal stages to adolescence.
Identify the most important changes that occur in adolescence.
Discuss adult development and the positive dimensions of aging.
Discuss important factors in successful adult psychological development.

51. Chapter Summary
Development occurs across the lifespan and is influenced by both
nature – biological inheritance
nurture – environmental experience
Physical Development
childhood
adolescence
adulthood

52. Chapter Summary Cognitive Development Socioemotional Development
childhood
adolescence
adulthood
Socioemotional Development

53. Chapter Summary Piaget: Cognitive Development
schemas, assimilation, and accommodation
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stages
Kohlberg: Moral Development
preconventional, conventional, and postconventional morality

54. Chapter Summary Erikson: Psychosocial Development
emphasizes lifelong development
eight psychosocial stages (crises) of development
Positive Psychology and Development
most report being happy across the life span
Coping, Life Themes, and Development