Unit 8: Nature & Nurture/ Culture & Gender Psychology Mr. Thomas Parsons West Auburn High School Human Development = talking about developmental psychology

Chapter Outline Exploring Human Development Child Development Adolescence Emerging Adulthood, Adult Development, and Aging Human Development and Health and Wellness

Development development - the pattern of continuity and change that occurs throughout the lifespan physical processes cognitive processes socioemotional processes prenatally (before birth) during childhood adolescence adulthood

Development biological processes cognitive processes socioemotional processes

Development: Biological Processes biological processes (maturation) genes hormonal changes of puberty and menopause changes in brain, height and weight motor skills

Development: Cognitive Processes thought intelligence language

Development: Socioemotional Processes relationships emotions personality (notice development is always talking about change)

Research Methods in Development Psychology Age-Related Differences cross-sectional studies – a number of people of different ages are assessed at one point in time, and differences are noted cohort effects – differences between individuals that stem not necessarily from their ages but from the historical and social time period in which they were born and developed longitudinal studies – assesses the same participants multiple times over a lengthy period takes a LONG time see change within a population over time

Nature vs. Nurture nature – biological inheritance (genotype) nurture – environmental experiences phenotype – combination of nature and nurture the developer – individuals take active roles in own development Which leads to / influences optimal life experiences more?

Developer’s Role in Development develop beyond genetic inheritance and environment  seeking optimal experiences build and shape our own lives life themes – life activities, social relationships and life goals Food for Thought How do you influence YOUR own development? How do you you seek optimal experience—or how do you not? Who do you know that seeks optimal life experiences? (personally—not a celebrity) How do we as a society hold others the “developer’s role” to an incredibly high standard within society and governance? How do we not?

Resilient Children early experience versus later experience nurturing during first year resilience – a person’s ability to recover from or adapt to difficult times resilient children become capable adults moderate difficulties may promote development associated with advantages (intelligence, supportive relationship with parent/adult, etc.)

Prenatal Development Germinal Period (weeks 1-2) conception – occurs when a single sperm cell from the male merges with the female’s ovum (egg) to produce a zygote fertilization zygote – a single cell with 23 chromosomes from the mother and 23 from the father Embryonic Period (weeks 3-8) beginnings of organs appear 3rd week: neural tube (eventually spinal cord) end: heart begins to beat, face starts to firm, intestinal tract appears Fetal Period (months 2-9) 2 months: kidney bean 6 months: 1.5 pounds Videos from What to Expect When You’re Expecting App (put them on the Web site)

Prenatal Development Teratogens… agents that cause birth defects diseases nicotine alcohol  fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) small head, defects to limbs and heart, below-average intelligence STIs  increased risk of stillbirth, infections, blindness (gonorrhea), preterm birth Effects of teratogens depend on… timing of exposure genetic characteristics postnatal environment

Preterm Birth preterm infant – one who is born prior to 37 weeks after conception greater risk for developmental difficulties preterm infants born into poverty are more likely to have problems than are those who live in better socioeconomic conditions massage can improve outcomes

Physical Development humans = most helpless newborns (not finished) reflexes - genetically wired behaviors that are crucial for survival persist throughout life coughing, blinking, yawning disappear with neurological development grasping

Physical Development perceptual and motor skills preferential looking holding objects: texture, size hardness moving around room: different perspectives preferential looking give “choice” and measure preferences (7 days old) 3 months – prefer real faces to scrambled faces, prefer mother’s face familiarity breeds liking (also for words, music, etc.)

Brain Development myelination (the process of encasing axons with fat cells) continues after birth dramatic increase in synaptic connections birth: 100 billion neurons have few connections synapses used and unused neural pathways brain imaging techniques illuminate developmental changes in the brain 3-6 years of age: most rapid growth in frontal lobe areas new experiences promote brain development

Cognitive Development Jean Piaget (1896-1980) – Swiss developmental psychologist Children actively construct their cognitive world using… schemas – concepts or frameworks that organize information assimilation – incorporate new info into existing schemas accommodation – adjust schemas to new information

Piaget’s Theory: Cognitive Development Sensorimotor Stage (birth - 2 years) coordinate sensations with movements object permanence Preoperational Stage (2 - 7 years) symbolic thinking intuitive reasoning egocentrism Concrete Operational Stage (7 – 11 yrs) operational thinking (e.g., conservation) classification skills logical thinking in concrete contexts Formal Operational Stage (11-15 yrs) lasts through adulthood abstract and idealistic thought hypothetical-deductive reasoning Piaget’s Theory: Cognitive Development

Temperament an individual’s behavioral style or characteristic way of responding three clusters of temperament easy difficult slow-to-warm-up another perspective (effortful control/self-regulation, inhibition, and negative affectivity)

Infant Attachment Harlow Study – infant rhesus monkeys is it nourishment or contact that matters? chose between two surrogate “mothers” cold wire mother versus warm cloth mother -infants preferred cloth mother across situations contact comfort is critical to attachment the close emotional bond between an infant and its caregiver may provide important foundation for subsequent development

Infant Attachment Mary Ainsworth – Strange Situation Caregivers leave infant alone with stranger, then return…secure attachment or insecure attachment? Criticism: cultural variations infant attachment – the close emotional bond between and infant and its caregiver secure attachment – the ways that infants use their caregiver, usually their mother, as a secure base from which to explore the environment video clip

Socioemotional Development Erik Erikson (1902-1994) theory emphasizes lifelong development eight psychosocial stages of development first four stages: childhood fifth stage: adolescence 6th-8th stages: adulthood each stage represents a developmental task crisis that must be resolved personal competence or weakness

Parenting Styles Authoritarian Authoritative Neglectful Permissive parents are controlling and punitive correlated with lack of initiative, poor communication skills, social incompetence*** Authoritative parents encourage independence with limits correlated with social competence, social responsibility, and self-reliance Neglectful parents are generally uninvolved correlated with less social incompetence and poor self-control Permissive parents are involved, but place few limits correlated with poor social competence, lack of respect for others, poor self-control Parenting Styles *** can be good or bad… if part of greater culture and not associated with anything negative = ok

Friendships talking over life problems co-rumination worrying about a topic without finding a resolution. girls co-ruminate more than boys increased feelings of depression and anxiety

Moral Development Kohlberg (1927-1987) – presented moral dilemmas and analyzed responses Preconventional behavior guided by punishments and rewards Conventional standards learned from parents and society Postconventional contracts, rights and abstract principles

Current Research on Moral Development Prosocial Behavior – behavior that is intended to benefit other people correlated with supportive parenting correlated with self-control Conscience Formation forms by age 3 and carries over into adulthood parent-child interactions clear, elaborate, rich with emotional content shared positive emotion … so before 3 we are basically all sociopaths

Moral Development Parenting strategies associated with morality in children… warm and supportive rather than harsh reasoning with child when disciplining help child learn to take others’ perspective involve child in decision making model moral behavior and thinking

Adolescent Physical Development beginning 10-12; ending 18-21 Puberty rapid skeletal and sexual maturation puberty begins at beginning of adolescence Testosterone (androgen) — boys genital development, height, voice changes Estrodiol (estrogen) — girls breast, uterine, and skeletal development ES-TRUH-DIE-ALL

Adolescent Brain Development Early amygdala emotions Late prefrontal cortex reasoning and decision making risk taking emotions develop before reasoning… thus your fine decision-making skills…  (lack skills to control pleasure-seeking) ability to resist peer-pressure related to prefrontal cortex thickening

Adolescent Socioemotional Development Ethnic Identity attachment to ones minority group attachment to larger culture biculturalism – identifying in some ways with their ethnic minority group and in other ways with the majority culture (more positive outcomes) combines with identity relating to sexual orientation and gender roles Influence of Parents and Peers parent as manager/counselor/monitor balance involvement and allowing to explore peer relations peak in importance

Physical Changes in Adulthood Early Adulthood (20s, 30s) most reach the peak of physical development Middle Adulthood (40s, 50s) most lose height, many gain weight menopause for women (late 40s or early 50s) – dramatic decline in the productions of estrogen hot flashes – sudden, brief flushing of the skin and a feeling of elevated body temperatures nausea, fatigue, rapid heartbeat Late Adulthood accumulated wear and tear less ability to repair and regenerate

Cognitive Development in Adulthood Early Adulthood idealism gives way to realistic pragmatism reflection on worldview intellectual skills peak – realistic, pragmatic Middle Adulthood crystallized intelligence (vocabulary) peaks fluid intelligence (inductive reasoning) peaks numerical ability & perceptual speed decline Late Adulthood speed of processing generally declines memory retrieval skills decline wisdom (expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life) increases in some individuals strategy training and physical activity can improve cognitive function Cognitive Development in Adulthood middle adulthood: 4 of 6 categories of intelligence are at their highest

Human Development: Health and Wellness Development during adulthood marked by physical and psychological decline conscious awareness of aging Coping with life’s difficulties assimilation and accommodation (Piaget) difficulties provide opportunities for change—to develop a rich and complex view of self and world Victor Frankl – Life Themes the uniqueness of each person and the finiteness of life Victor Frankl - reading