Child Development

Review Developmental psychologists study age-related changes that occur throughout the lifespan, from conception until death (mostly focusing on childhood) Nature vs. Nurture debate motivates the study of development

Social Development Temperament: refers to a child’s characteristic mood and activity level

Social Development Easy infants- adaptable to new situations Positive mood Predictable in their rhythm/schedule

Temperament Cont. Difficult Infants Intense in their reactions Not very adaptable to new situations Slightly negative mood Irregular body rhythms

Attachment: Close emotional relationship between an infant and its caretakers ~Initially, infants attempt to attract attention of no one in particular ~Eventually develop ability to discriminate familiar and unfamiliar people                                                       

Attachment: Close emotional relationship between an infant and its caretakers Secure Attachments: Children use parent as a secure base from which they explore their environment (know parent will be there) Insecure Attachments: Tend not to use parent as secure base and may often cling to or refuse to leave parent.                                                       

Cognitive Development Jean Piaget Schema: action, strategy- helps people understand and interact with the world Children are born with simple schemas (basic reflexes like sucking) Schemas change and adapt to new needs and demands

Piaget Adaptation: process by which people adapt and change to function more effectively and meet challenges Assimilation: process of incorporating new objects/situations in existing schemas Accommodation: process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones to deal with new situations

Piaget’s Stages of Development Children progress at the same age through 4 stages of cognitive development Here they are…

Sensorimotor: birth-2yrs Intelligence is nonverbal and non-symbolic Lack “Object Permanence” Peek-a-boo

Preoperational: 2-7 years Develop language Can use symbols Egocentric unable to consider other’s feelings or opinions Trouble with conservation tasks (judging size)                                                                                       

Preoperational: 2-7 years Conservation                                                                                       

Concrete Operational: 7-11 yrs Understand conservation Mathematical developments Difficulty with hypothetical

Formal Operations: 11-15 yrs                                 Can handle the hypothetical, symbolic abstractions, metaphor Use scientific reasoning and logic

What do you think? Piaget thought cognitive development was complete by age 15…what do you think? How would you change or update Piaget’s stages? Do you think he overestimated or underestimated the cognitive abilities of kids/adolescents?