CHAPTERS 1-2

Developmental Psychology

A Topical Approach to Lifespan Development

Chapter one - Introduction

The Lifespan Perspective – You will be encouraged to think about how your early experiences have shaped the individual you are today and how your experiences today will impact the person you are in the future.

Good for parenting in the future, insight into your own history & learning about how your life might be as you age.

Characteristics of Lifespan Perspective

¤  Lifelong – DUH!

¤  Multidimensional – biological, cognitive and socio-emotional

¤  Multidirectional – while one skill or dimension increases, others may decrease. As you establish romantic relationships, time with friends may decrease

¤  Plastic – the capacity for change. This is debated among developmentalists.

¤  Developmental Science is Multidisciplinary – social scientists, neuroscientists, researchers are studying developmental phenomena

¤  Contextual – normative age-graded/history-graded/non-normative influences. “It depends…”

¤  Growth, Maintenance, and Loss – different goals @ various times.

¤  Co-Construction of Biology, Culture & the Individual – responses and choices

Contemporary Concerns…

¤  Health & Well-Being – physical and mental health

¤  Parenting & Education – bilingual children, daycare, divorce, parenting styles, preschool, poverty ---- ???

¤  Sociocultural Contexts and Diversity – culture, ethnicity, economic status, gender

¤  Social Policy – government action to help citizens

Three Processes

¤  Biological

¤  Cognitive

¤  Socio-emotional

¤  These are inextricably intertwined – cannot be teased apart. Integrated individuals. Processes can be bidirectional – each effecting the other.

Biological

¤  Physical nature of individual changes ¤  Weight

¤  Height

¤  Cardiovascular strength

¤  Motor skills

¤  Hormones

Cognitive Processes

Things that happen inside your head:

Thinking

Intelligence

Language

Socio-emotional

¤  Changes involving relationships with others

¤  Emotional changes

¤  Personality changes

A developmental period is a time frame with certain characteristics

¤  Prenatal – before birth

¤  Infancy – 0-2

¤  Early childhood – 3-6

¤  Middle & late childhood – elementary school

¤  Adolescence – 10ish-20ish (middle/high school)

¤  Early adulthood – 20s & 30s

¤  Middle adulthood – 40-60

¤  Late adulthood – 60s/70s to death

Variability in capabilities of same-age persons.

¤  Age & Happiness – happier as we age?

¤  How do we define age? ¤  Chronological - # of days

¤  Biological – health of organs

¤  Psychological – adaptive capacity

¤  Social – connectedness with others/social roles

¤  In lifespan perspective – all of the above are important

¤  (Think Blue Zones)

The BIG QUESTIONS

¤  Nature and Nurture – is it biology or environment?

¤  Stability and Change – degree to which characteristics persist

¤  Continuity and Discontinuity – degree to which there is gradual changes or distinct stages of development ¤  Quantitative (continuous) change - or -

Qualitative (discontinuous) change???

Theories of Development

¤  Group Project – YEAH!!!

Here are the groups…

¤  Erikson – Psychosocial Theory

¤  Piaget – Cognitive Development Theory

¤  Vygotsky – Sociocultural Cognitive Theory

¤  Skinner – Operant Conditioning and Bandura – Social Cognitive Theory

ETHOLOGICAL THEORY

Behavior strongly influenced by biology – tied to evolution and there are critical periods.

Imprinting (baby ducks)

Attachment in babies/children – makes a difference in how they attach as adults…

Critical periods vs. sensitive periods

Evolutionary Psychology – see chapter 2 – this is also related to biology in a heavy way.

ECOLOGICAL THEORY

Brofenvrenner’s Ecological Theory

environmental systems influence development

If you really want to know about this, you can read about it on pages 26-27.

I don’t plan to test you over this concept.

Turns into a bio-ecological theory when biology is added.

Family, neighborhood, church, school, work… all influence development

I like it – generally.

ECLECTIC – WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT MEAN?

No single theory – but a mix of the best features of numerous theories.

This makes sense. Can take into account biology, environment and other factors.

+Research

n  This is a review…

n  Observation – naturalistic or laboratory

n  Survey and Interview – just ask people! Be careful of sample & population & generalization.

n  Standardized Test

n  Case Study – in-depth look at one case – may or may not be typical for the “generalized other”

n  Physiological Measures – medical tests – neuroimaging

+TYPES OF RESEARCH

n  Descriptive – observe and record only

n  Correlational Research – determine the strength and nature of a relationship between two or more variables. The more correlated variables are, the more likely we can predict them in the future.

n  Experimental Research – determines causality.

n  Independent and Dependent Variables

n  Experimental and Control Groups

n  Cross-sectional vs. Longitudinal studies

+Ethics in the Research Process

n  Informed Consent

n  Confidentiality

n  Debriefing

n  Limited Deception

n  Limit Bias as Much as Possible!

Evolutionary Perspective � Really only cares if you make it to

reproduction � Natural selection and adaptive behavior � How we make our decisions, how

aggressive we are and our mating patterns are all interesting to those who study this perspective.

Is our extended childhood a result of evolution? � Perhaps – because we need time to

develop a large brain and be prepared to live in society effectively.

� Evolved characteristics aren’t as adaptive today as they once were…food intake/physiology of gorging… high calorie cravings

Why do people live so long after reproductive years? � Just a fluke? � The old ones take care of babies and

children? � Aches and pains and declines of old age

are not concerns for evolutionists. Natural selection is only tied to reproduction. What happens after that? Don’t care.

� Alzheimer’s – not the purvey of an evolutionary psychologist.

Genes  &  Chromosomes  

•  Genes,  Chromosomes,  DNA,  Mitosis,  Meiosis,  Fertilization,  Zygote,  …  

•  Human  Genome  Project  –  mapping  genetics  

•  Genes  don’t  act  independently  –  what  are  the  relationships  (dependencies)  –  what  turns  on  a  gene  or  turns  it  off?  GENE  COLLABORATION  

•  Genotype  –  all  a  person’s  genetic  material  

•  Phenotype  –  observable/measurable  characteristics  

More  about  genes…  

•  Dominant/Recessive  Genes  

•  Sex-­‐linked  Genes  –  carried  on  only  one  chromosome  (X  or  Y)  

•  Genetic  imprinting  –  genes  have  different  effects  depending  on  whether  you  got  them  from  mom  or  dad.  

•  Polygenic  inheritance  –  interaction  of  many  genes  influences  characteristics  –  environment  can  impact  characteristics,  as  well.  

•  Read  in  the  text  on  Pages  56-­‐58  about  genetic  abnormalities  

Behavior  Genetics  

• What  is  the  role  of  heredity  and  environment  on  individual  differences?  

•  Twin  Studies  

• Adoption  Studies  

Shared  vs.  Non-­‐shared  Environmental  Influences    •  Shared:    Common  experiences,  parental  

personalities/intellectual  orientation,  socioeconomic  status,  neighborhood  

• Non-­‐shared:    Birth  order,  any  experiences  unique  to  a  child/not  shared  with  a  sibling  

Prenatal  Development/Birth  

• Please  don’t  focus  too  much  on  these  sections  

           –  just  pay  attention  to  the  following  topics…  

•  Hazards  to  Prenatal  Development  (starts  p.  68)  •  APGAR  Scale  (p.  80)  •  Postpartum  Period  (p.  84-­‐85)