Developmental Psychology examines how people are continually developing- physically, cognitively, and socially-from birth to death. Stability vs. Change How do we change as we age? Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age? Nature vs. Nurture How does our genetic inheritance interact with our experiences? Secret Sister Continuity vs. Stages Do we develop gradually/continuously or in separate stages?

Prenatal Development Conception begins with the drop of an egg and the release of about 200 million sperm. The sperm seeks out the egg and attempts to penetrate the eggs surface.

Zygote, Embryo, & Fetus 1st two weeks 2 weeks - 9 weeks 9 weeks - birth Stages: Germinal Stage, Embryonic Stage, and Fetal Stage

Germinal Stage Less than half of all zygotes survive first two weeks. Zygote is the fertilized egg (2 week period of rapid cell division) Less than half of all zygotes survive first two weeks. About 10 days after conception, the zygote will attach itself to the uterine wall. The outer part of the zygote becomes the placenta (which filters nutrients).

Embryonic stage Embryo End of Week 2 to Week 8 Lasts about 6 weeks. Heart begins to beat and the organs begin to develop. WEEKS 4-8: Formation of head, tail, lateral folds, primitive gut. Heart moves to normal position. Appearances of brain, limbs, eyes, ears & nose Possible abnormal events: Twins, Teratogens are damaging from Week 3-8.

Fetus By nine weeks we have a… The fetus by about the 6th month, the stomach and other organs have formed enough to survive outside of mother. At this time the baby can hear (and recognize) sounds and respond to light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ItmwtLCDVY

Influences during Pregnancy Critical Periods Times of increased sensitivity to environmental influences Events during this period may permanently alter the course of development Critical Periods during Fetal stage of development 2-3 Weeks (unaware of pregnancy) 8-12 Weeks (physical/hormonal disorders) First 3 Months (birth defects) So let’s quickly walk through the physical development before moving into the real focus of this chapter, developmental psychology. At conception, that one cell quickly halves to become two, which halve to become four and so on until 9 months later a baby is born with approximately 100 trillion cells. Now to get from there to here, there are a few things I need to point out. The first stage in the prenatal developmental progress is that of the zygote. The highlights of this stage are the first cell divisions, the attaching of the zygote to the uterine wall and the transition into the embryo. The embryonic stage is marked by continued growth, organ formation, the heart begins to beat, the liver makes red blood cells, and gender is determined. The final stage is that of the fetal stage – which is the longest, lasting from 8 weeks to birth. At about the fourth month, mom will begin to feel movement. At about 5 months, doctors can usually determine the gender of the baby. By the end of the 6th month, the stomach and other vital organs are up and running (thus, a premature baby could at this point survive birth).

Influences during Pregnancy Teratogens (hard to watch) Toxic substances that can damage the developing organism Drugs/Alcohol Environmental Pollutants (Lead, Mercury, ect.) Diseases (Chicken Pox) STDs Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Physical and cognitive abnormalities caused by drinking during pregnancy Tisha’s Story So let’s quickly walk through the physical development before moving into the real focus of this chapter, developmental psychology. At conception, that one cell quickly halves to become two, which halve to become four and so on until 9 months later a baby is born with approximately 100 trillion cells. Now to get from there to here, there are a few things I need to point out. The first stage in the prenatal developmental progress is that of the zygote. The highlights of this stage are the first cell divisions, the attaching of the zygote to the uterine wall and the transition into the embryo. The embryonic stage is marked by continued growth, organ formation, the heart begins to beat, the liver makes red blood cells, and gender is determined. The final stage is that of the fetal stage – which is the longest, lasting from 8 weeks to birth. At about the fourth month, mom will begin to feel movement. At about 5 months, doctors can usually determine the gender of the baby. By the end of the 6th month, the stomach and other vital organs are up and running (thus, a premature baby could at this point survive birth).

Notice the length of the highly critical period for the CNS Cognitive Disability Notice the length of the highly critical period for the CNS

Brain of 6-week-old baby with FAS The presence of alcohol in the fetus’s bloodstream triggers widespread cell death in the fetal brain. Normal brain of 6-week-old baby Brain of 6-week-old baby with FAS

How do infants learn? Habituation

Maturation is the biological growth processes that enables orderly changes in behavior as a function of passage of time Uninfluenced by experience. Sets the basis course of development , and experiences adjust it. Preschoolers show rapid development of their frontal lobes, which explains why they may begin to be able to control their attention and behavior.

New Born Reflexes tendency to open mouth, and search for nipple when touched on the cheek

Temperament Three basic types of babies characteristic patterns of emotional reactions and emotional self-regulation Three basic types of babies Easy Good-natured, easy to care for, adaptable Difficult Moody and intense, react to new situations and people negatively and strongly Slow-to-warm-up Inactive and slow to respond to new things, and when they do react, it is mild Stays consistent throughout lifetime - Emotionally reactive newborns tend to also be the most reactive 9 month olds

Motor Development First, infants begin to roll over. Next, they sit unsupported, crawl, and finally walk. Experience has little effect on this sequence. Walking- in US 25% learn by 11 months, 50% within a week of 1st birthday, 90% by 15 months. Varies by culture- if the culture emphasizes walking then babies can walk at younger ages (NURTURE). But identical twins tend to learn to walk on the same day (NATURE). OBJECTIVE 6| Outline four events in the motor development sequence from birth to toddlerhood, and evaluate the effects of maturation and experience on that sequence.

Genes play a large role in motor development. Identical twins begin sitting up and crawling on the same day.

Maturation and Infant Memory The earliest age of conscious memory is around 3½ years (Bauer, 2002). A 5-year-old has a sense of self and an increased long-term memory, thus organization of memory is different from 3-4 years. Why babies can't remember

Babies and morality