Unit 3: The Life Span The “Wonder Years”

Infancy and Childhood Do you remember anything from when you were a baby? Less than 15 or 16 years ago you were probably only about 2 feet tall and taking your first step. Developmental Psychology: The study of changes that occur as an individual matures!

Newborns

Newborns What can newborns do? Hmmmm… Newborns have the ability at birth to see, hear, smell, and respond to the environment. This allows newborns to adapt to the world that is changing around them. Newborn babies go from an environment in which they are totally protected from the world…To one where they are assaulted by lights, sounds, touches, and extremes of temperature.

Newborns Many, but not all newborns, are born with certain reflexes to help protect them from this changing world. Grasping Reflex: A response to touch on the palm of the hand. - Infants can grasp an object, such as a finger, so strongly that they could be lifted in the air!

Newborns Rooting Reflex: If an alert newborn is touched anywhere around the mouth, they will move their head and mouth towards the source of the touch. This allows an infant to suck, breathe air, and swallow without getting confused.

Physical Development At birth, 95% of infants weigh between 5.5 and 10 pounds and are 18 to 22 inches in length. Maturation: The internally programmed growth of a child. (See chart in packet) Besides grasping and sucking, newborns look at all of their surroundings!

The Development of Language Language and thought are closely intertwined! Both abilities involve using various symbols. We are able to think and talk about objects that are not necessarily present and about ideas that are not necessarily true. A child begins to think and to represent things for him/herself prior to his/her ability to speak.

Can Animals use language? Psychologists believe that chimpanzee’s must develop at least as far as 2-year-old humans because like 2-year-olds, they will still look for a toy that has disappeared. In fact, several chimpanzees have been taught to converse in other ways. Chimpanzees have been trained to use computers! While Chimps can communicate using forms of human language on a computer (after trained of course), they do NOT understand grammar.

Of course animals can communicate!

How Children Acquire Knowledge! Nature vs. Nurture…Here we go again. Nature: Sounds, Crying, Squealing, etc…Where do they come from? Nurture: Seeking approval for sounds made? Mimicking: Copying what others do or say… By the time children are 2 years old they have a vocabulary of between 500 and 1,500 words!

More about Language! Telegraphic Speech: The kind of verbal utterances in which words are left out, but the meaning is usually clear. Examples: “Daddy fall down,” “Where my apple.” Words are left out, but the message still gets across.

Word!

Cognitive and Emotional Development!

Cognitive and Emotional Development!

How do we change what we know? Schema: Conceptual framework a person uses to make sense of the world. Assimilation: The process of fitting objects and experiences into one’s schemas. Accommodation: The adjustment of one’s schemas to include newly observed events and experiences.

Wow that was confusing, so here’s a big example: Suppose an infant encounters a new block. The block fits his schema for other blocks he has encountered before. He may fit it into his “stacking schema.” The infant has stacked blocks before and can easily assimilate the new block into an existing schema.

More… Assimilation and Accommodation work together to produce intellectual growth. When events do not fit into existing schemas, new and grander schemas have to be created. Therefore, a child begins to see and understand things in new ways!

Object Permanence An infant’s understanding of things lies totally in the here and now. The sight of a toy, the way it feels, and the sensation it produces in an infants mouth are all he/she knows. He or she cannot and does not imagine it, picture it, think of it, or even remember it. When an infants toy is hidden from them, they act as if it no longer exists.

Object Permanence If you take an infants toy and hide it under a blanket while they are watching, they will look under the blanket for it. However, if you then take the toy from under the blanket and hide it behind your back, the infant will continue to look under the blanket. Object Permanence: A child’s realization that an object exists even when he or she cannot touch it.

Object Permanence

Representational Thought Representational Thought: The intellectual ability of a child to picture something in his or her mind. Once this is achieved, a child’s intelligence is no longer based on actions only. In other words, a child can now think of something, rather than having to see it first!

Jean Piaget 1896 – 1980 Born: Switzerland Question: How does knowledge grow? He studied his own 3 children and thousands of other children! He created the different levels of cognitive development!

Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development! According to Piaget, there are “4” stages of cognitive development! Stage One (0-2 years): Sensorimotor Stage. During this stage the infant uses schemas that primarily involve his/her body and sensations. Stage Two (2-7 years): Preoperational Stage. During this stage, the child begins to use mental images or symbols to understand things.

Stage Three (7-11 years): Concrete Operations Stage Three (7-11 years): Concrete Operations. During this stage, children are able to use logical schemas but their understanding is limited to concrete objects or problems. Stage Four (11-upward): Formal Operations Stage. During this stage, a person is able to solve abstract problems. According to Piaget, a person’s development through these four stages depends on both the maturation of his or her nervous system and on the kinds of experiences that he or she has had. Everyone goes through the stages in some order, but not necessarily at the same age.

Let’s Take a break shall we?

Now back to the material… What is Imprinting? Imprinting: Inherited tendencies or responses that are displayed by newborn animals when they encounter new stimuli in their environment. What is a Critical Period? Critical Period: A specific time in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned.

The Importance of Mothers Separation Anxiety: Occurs whenever a child is suddenly separated from his or her mother. If the separation persists, the child may develop psychological disorders. Soft “monkey mom” example.

Parenting Styles! There are “3” primary ways in which the majority of families around the world are run. Some are stricter than others. Some are more lenient. Which way is the correct way?

The Authoritarian Family! In this type of family, parents attempt to control, shape, and evaluate behavior and attitudes of their children in accordance with a set code of conduct. “You WILL act this way!”

Democratic/Authoritative Family! In this type of family, children and adolescents participate in most decisions effecting their lives. “What do you think?” - Negotiation.

Permissive/Laissez-Faire Family! In this type of family, children and adolescents have the final say; parents are less controlling and have a non-punishing, accepting attitude towards their children. “Whatever you want.”

Effects of Parenting Styles What do you think? Numerous studies show that children who grow up in a democratic or authoritative family are more confident in their own values and goals than other young people. The children of democratic families are more likely to want to make their own decisions with or without advice.

Hmmm….. Keep in mind that although the style parents adopt in dealing with their children influences adolescent development, it would be wrong to conclude that parents are solely responsible for the way that their children turn out. Why?

 Child Abuse  Child Abuse: Includes the physical or mental injury, sexual abuse, negligent treatment, or mistreatment of children under the age of 18 by adults entrusted with their care. Accurate statistics are difficult to compile, but in 1999 about 3 million cases were reported. After investigation, about 826,000 cases were confirmed.

What Causes this? Child abuse results from many different causes. Many abusive parents were themselves mistreated as children, suggesting that such parents may have learned an inappropriate way of caring for their children. Such parents tend to use harsh physical discipline with their children and have very little patience. Often, abusive parents have unrealistic expectations of their children as well.

Social Development

Social Development Socialization: The process of learning the rules of behavior of the culture within which an individual is born and will live. Can anyone explain this? In order to live with other people, a child has to learn what is considered both acceptable and unacceptable. Why is it important that children become socialized to their specific environment? Is it?

Socialization?

Social Development So, the process of socialization should be easy right? Why? Some social rules are stable, some are open to interpretation, and some change on a daily basis! Differences in social behavior of boys and girls. Examples? Fair?

Social Development Socialization not only involves learning the rules and “norms” of society, but also ideas, sexual characteristics, culture, and how to live with other people and yourself. Another primary part of learning the socialization process is learning your limitations and physical abilities. Example: A “4” year old who realizes she cannot hit a softball on the first try while other children can, knows how painful it can be to discover her limitations.

Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development! Sigmund Freud (who we have already talked about) believed that all children are born with powerful sexual and aggressive urges! According to Freud, in learning to control these impulses, children acquire a sense of right and wrong.

Psychosexual Development According to Freud, in the first few years of life, boys and girls have similar experiences. Their erotic pleasures are obtained through the mouth, sucking at their mother’s breast. Further, Freud states, that weaning the child from nursing is a period of frustration and conflict – it is the child’s first experience with not getting what he wants.

Freud’s Stages of Psychosexual Development! According to Freud, there are “5” basic stages of psychosexual development. 1. Oral Stage – Infant pleasure from mouth. 2. Anal Stage – Infant pleasure from “elimination.” 3. Phallic Stage – Infant pleasure from genitals. 4. Latency Stage – Sexual thoughts repressed. Focus on social/intellectual skills. 5. Genital Stage – Sexual desires are renewed. Thoughts of relationships. What are the ages of each of these?

Special notes about stages… According to Freud, during the “Phallic Stage,” the child becomes a rival for the affections of the parent of the opposite sex! The boy wants to win his mother for himself and finds himself in hostile conflict with his father. The girl wants her father for herself and tries to shut out her mother. Freud goes on to say that these struggles take place on an unconscious level!

A Few Definitions… Identification: The process by which a child adopts the values and principles of the same-sex parent. Sublimation: The process of redirecting sexual impulses into learning tasks.

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development!

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development! Erik Erikson 1902 – 1994 Uses a much “broader” view of human development that Freud did. Childhood is an “interactive process.”

Psychosocial Development Although Erikson recognizes a child’s sexual and aggressive urges, he believes that the need for social approval is just as important. In order to assess whether or not his beliefs made sense, Erikson studied what he called Psychosocial Development. Psychosocial Development: Life periods in which an individual’s goal is to satisfy desires associated with social needs.

Psychosocial Development While Erikson believes that childhood experiences have a lasting impact on the individual, he also sees development as a lifelong interactive process between people.

Crises! Erikson argues that we all face many crises as we grow from infancy to old age, as we mature, and as people expect more from us. Each of these crises represents an issue that everyone faces. The child, adolescent, or adult may develop more strongly in one way or another, depending on how other people respond to his or her efforts. Example: A 2 year old gets excited he can walk. People encourage him, which helps his self esteem, so he begins to walk more often. What happens if the baby is ignored?

Children’s Games…Serious? Why are children’s games a serious issue? When children are left alone to play, they must learn to: 1. Learning to agree. 2. Learning to relax and enjoy themselves. 3. Learning to adhere to established rules. 4. Learning to get along with each other.

More on Children’s Games Much of children’s play involves “role taking.” Role Taking: Children’s play that involves assuming adult roles, thus enabling the child to experience different points of view. When role taking, youngsters try on such adult roles as mother, father, teacher, storekeeper, explorer, and rock star!

More “Role Taking” Role Taking allows children to experience different points of view first hand. Example: One child may play the role of a mother, while the other child acts as a whiny baby. The children may then learn the frustrations of an actual parent. What might this cause?

Lawrence Kohlberg 1927 – 1987 Studied social and moral development. What is right, and what is wrong. Looked at many different ages.

Stages of Moral Development Level Stage Orientation Example Pre-Conventional 1 Obedience/Punish Ok if not caught 2 Relativist Ok if helps family Conventional 3 Good boy/nice girl Respect for help 4 Law & Order Illegal Post-Conventional 5 Social Contract OK = high cost 6 Universal Ethics Reversed Topic of example, “stealing drugs!”