Development

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Great Debates Nature vs. Nurture

Discontinuity (“steps”) vs. Continuity (“waves”)

Cross-Sectional vs. Longitudinal Designs

How do we study babies? We use what they

can do, such as . . . Sucking Looking Habituation

Language Development Babbling Single Words

Overgeneralization Word / Naming Explosion Grammar

Errors tell us children are paying attention “Went” -> “Goed” -> “Went”

Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget (1896 - 1980) Studied cognitive development by looking at

the errors (his own) children made Theorized distinct, discontinuous stages of

development Schemes - Mental Representations

Assimilation Accommodation

Sensorimotor Stage Move from reflexes to problem solving,

discover object permanence Six Substages:

Reflex Primary Circular Reactions Secondary Circular Reactions Coordination of Secondary Schemes Tertiary Circular Reactions Symbolic Thought / Insight

Preoperational Stage Thinking is intuitive, inflexible, based on

appearances Characterized by several errors

"A-not-B" Error Egocentrism Centration

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Concrete and Formal Operations

Concrete Operations The child can deal with concrete,

perceptually visible objects, conservation mastered

Formal Operations The child masters abstract thinking and

logic

Criticisms and Re-evaluations Case study method Strict stage view Phrasing of questions Operationalizations Cultural variations Evidence that these transitions happen much

sooner than Piaget thought

Gender and Stereotyping “Welcome him with fresh flowers & love.

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Culture and Child-Rearing Great variability in

Sleeping arrangements Amount of movement allowed Beliefs about independence vs.

interdependence

Aging Quizn 1. At least one tenth of the aged are living in long-

stay institutions such as nursing homes and hospitals

n 2. Old people usually take longer to learn something new

n 3. A person’s height tends to decline in old agen 4. As women enter the workforce in greater

numbers, the gender difference in life expectancy is getting smaller

n 5. More than 20% of older people are senile

Aging Quizn 6. Older people are seldom boredn 7. The majority of old people are socially isolated

and lonelyn 8. The elderly are more fearful of crime than

people under 65.n 9. Older people are more politically conservative

than younger peoplen 10. People are happiest in their 20’s, and

happiness decreases with age

It gets better from here . . .