© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 1 Developmental Psychology 9

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 2 Developmental Psychology Focuses on development across life span – a field of psychology that focuses on development across the life span. Development –More-or-less predictable changes in behavior associated with increasing age Nature or nurture? –Nature: behavior unfolds like a plant over time –Nurture: behavior is molded by experiences Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 3 Basic Processes of Development Maturation –Biological process of systematic physical growth –Experience plays a role in specific contexts Children change dramatically from birth to adulthood Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 4 Early Experiences and Critical Periods Imprinting (Lorenz) –Inborn tendency or instinct –Sensitive period – critical period Early social deprivation –Harlow’s monkeys, social isolation, and continuing detrimental effects –Controversy over effects on children Some abnormal effects may be irreversible Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 5 Variations in Development Normal for children to be variable in their development –Discontinuities in development are the rule –Parents make important decisions about raising children that impacts on development Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 6 Stage Theories of Development Stages – series of abrupt changes from one period to another – –All children must pass through in same order –Many advocate unfolds over time –More qualitative than quantitative (such as child mastering physical properties of object) Decentered thought allows conservation problem solutions Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 7 Piaget’s Developmental Theory Identified 4 stages of cognitive development –Sensorimotor stage – infant experiences world in sensory information and motor activities –Preoperational stage – children sometimes think illogically by adult standards –Concrete operational stage – increased abilities –Formal operational stage – use of full adult logic Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 8 Developmental Psychology Birth to 2 yrs Sensorimotor Uses senses and motor skills, items known by use; Object permanence yrsPre-operational Symbolic thinking, language used; egocentric thinking, imagination/ experience grow, child de-centers yrsConcrete operational Logic applied, objective/rational interpretations; conservation, numbers, ideas, classifications 11 yrs onFormal operational Thinks abstractly, hypothetical ideas; ethics, politics, social/moral issues explored Piaget’s cognitive development theory

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 9 Kohlberg’s Theory Moral development –Three level, six stage theory –Premoral level – child has no sense of morality as adults understand it –Child’s moral view based on what others think until highest level of development creates independent thinking Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 10 Developmental Psychology Level I: Preconventional moral reasoning Stage 1“might makes right” Punishment/obedience orientation: self-interest Stage 2“look out for number one” Instrumental/relativist orientation: quid pro quo Level II: Conventional moral reasoning Stage 3“good girl, nice boy” Proper behavior for the social approval Stage 4“law and order” Proper behavior of the dutiful citizen, obey laws Level III: Postconventional moral reasoning Stage 5“social contract” Mutual benefit to all, obey society’s rules Stage 6“universal ethical principles” Defend right/wrong, not just majority, all life is sacred (reflective) Kohlberg’s theory of moral development

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 11 Development Across the Life Span Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory –Focuses on the individual’s developing relationships with others in social world –Eight stages - development continues over life span –Crisis at each stage of development Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 12 Developmental Psychology Autonomy vs. Shame/doubt Initiative vs. Guilt Industry vs. Inferiority Identity vs. Role confusion Intimacy vs. Isolation Generativity vs. Stagnation Integrity vs. Despair Trust vs. Mistrust Erikson’s psychosocial theory

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 13 Development Across the Life Span Average ages at which changes in development take place portray pattern of age-related changes –Neonatal Period –Infancy –Early childhood –Middle childhood –Adolescence –adulthood Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 14 Early Childhood Growth less explosive and rapid than during infancy –Lasts 2 to 7 years of age –Cognitive development Children in preoperational stage show egocentric thought Animism Transductive reasoning – Orange/Ball Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 15 Early Childhood Emotional and social development –Most notable changes in peer relationships and types of play Solitary play Parallel play Cooperative play Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 16 Developmental Psychology Early Childhood Solitary play Parallel play Cooperative play

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 17 Middle Childhood Lasts from 7 to 11 years of age –Characterized by slow physical growth –Important cognitive changes occur –Conservation and reversibility –Child decenters – allows conservation problems to be solved; learns some matter changes shape but not volume Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 18 Middle Childhood Emotional and social development –Child enters with close ties to parents –Peer relationships become increasingly important Friendships more important, last longer Cliques or groups formed, mostly same sex Terms boyfriend and girlfriend have little meaning at this stage Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 19 Adolescent Development Adolescence –Physical changes of puberty –Adolescent growth spurt –Heightened sexual and romantic interest –Peers become more important than parents –Cognitively – capable of abstract reasoning Ponders abstract issues like justice or equality –No clear cut end to adolescence in society Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 20 Adolescent Development Physical development –Puberty becomes production of sex hormones –Primary sex characteristics appear Females – menarche: menstruation, ovulation –Secondary sex characteristics appear Females – breasts, pubic hair, wider hips Males – testes and penis growth, facial and pubic hair, broadened shoulders Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 21 Adolescence Cognitive development –Formal operations stage entered Ability to use abstract concepts Shift to stage varies among individuals; some never reach this stage, others reach it in early adulthood –Piaget’s classic experiment with weights Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 22 Adolescence Adolescent egocentrism –Imaginary audience – everyone is watching –Personal fable – belief that s/he is unique –Hypocrisy – okay for one to do it but not another –Pseudostupidity – use of oversimplified logic Social development –Time of drifting or breaking away from family Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 23 Adolescence Emotional development –G. Stanley Hall – time of storm and stress –Most adolescents are happy, well-adjusted –Areas of problems Parent-child conflicts Mood changes - self-conscious, awkward, lonely, ignored Risky behavior - aggression, unprotected sex, suicide, use of substances or alcohol Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 24 Adulthood Young adulthood through older adulthood –Developmental changes continue throughout adulthood: not a single phase of life –Taking on adult responsibilities in work and social relationships –Challenges: love, work, play continue changing Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 25 Adulthood Physical development –Growth and strength in early adulthood, then slow process of decline afterwards Speed and endurance Vision and ability to see in weak lighting Hearing and detection of tones Taste – intact until later in life; men tend to lose hearing and taste earlier than women –Decline affected by health and lifestyles Developmental Psychology

© 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Slide 26 Adulthood Cognitive development –Continues throughout adulthood; some abilities improve while others decline Fluid intelligence peaks in 20s,[to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge] Crystallized intelligence improves until 30s; [the ability to use skills, knowledge, and experience] Overall, individual rates vary depending on lifestyle and health Developmental Psychology