Unit 2: Development across Lifespan Infancy to Childhood

Developmental Psychology Focus on how people grow and change throughout their lifespan How does heredity and environmental influences contribute to human development Maturation – the automatic & sequential process of development that results from genetic signals. Infant sits up Crawls before stands Stands before walks

Physical growth Infancy – birth to 2 years old Development of body and brain – Infants double birth weight in 5 months, triple it in a year Grow about 10 inches in the first year Malnutrition – body doesn’t get enough nutrients If prolonged it causes permanent physical and brain development defects Growth is stunted, severely under weight, decaying teeth, slow reactions, swollen stomach, muscle weakness, problems with organ function Every 6 seconds, a child dies of malnutrition

Reflexes Reflex – involuntary reaction or response. Example: breathing, pooping Born with reflexes Some are essential to our survival, others are temporary Grasping reflex – placing finger in center of babies palm, they grab it. Doctor/nurse tests this moments after birth Rooting reflex – babies turn their head toward stimuli that touch their cheek or corners of their mouth. Once found, they start to suckling. Important to survival! Moro (startle) reflex – pull up their legs and arch back in response to sudden sounds or bumps Attempt to withdraw from pain Babinski reflex – raise big toe when sole of feet are touched

Perceptual Development Process by which infants learn to make sense of sights, sounds, tastes, and other sensations 5 – 10 week old infants prefer visual complex patterns (they like the variety & complexity) 15 – 20 weeks infants begin to prefer patterns that look like human faces. Nature vs. Nurture – the influence of nurture is shown by preference for faces Visual cliff – set up to give the illusion of a cliff Infants are unafraid when placed near the age At 9 months, they seem afraid of the edge

attachment Attachment - Emotional ties between people Essential to survival of infants Children try to stay with people with whom they are attached At first infants prefer to be held by anyone, rather than be left alone. At 4 months, the preference for specific people develops. Stranger Anxiety – fear of strangers (8 months) Separation Anxiety – cry or express fear if mothers are away (8 months) Contact comfort – instinctual need to touch or be touched by something soft (skin/fur) Attachment grows from bodily contact, not feeding Harlow monkey experiment

Imprinting For many animals, attachment is instinct Ducks, geese, & some other animals attach to first moving object they see Imprinting – process by which some animals immediately attach Humans do not imprint, it takes months for children to become attached to caregivers Secure attachment – (affectionate/reliable caregivers) cry when separated/happy when return Insecure attachment – (unreliable/unresponsive caregivers) don’t care when parents leave, cry when picked up (as if angry)

Parenting Styles Authoritarian Family – parents that believe in obedience for it’s own sake. Strict guidelines that must be followed without question Children become either resistant to people or dependent Don’t do as well in school Less friendly Less spontaneous Authoritative/Democratic Family – parents combine affection with age appropriate rules & responsibility. Children are often more independent and achievement oriented Feel good about themselves Combination of affection with demands for responsible behavior usually works well.

Types of Child Abuse Domestic Violence – physical battery or assault Sexual Abuse – sexual victimization of a child by another child, adolescent or adult (80% of victims know their attacker) Neglect – failure to provide adequate food, shelter, clothing, emotional support, or schooling.

"Existing research suggests that individuals whose parents espoused authoritarian attitudes toward parenting (e.g., valuing obedience to authority) are more likely to endorse conservative values as adults."

Exit Ticket What are two things you did not know before this class? What was the most interesting thing you learned today? Explain. Is there anything you learned today, that you would discuss with someone outside this class? Why or why not?