Developmental Psychology The study of YOU from womb to tomb. We are going to study how we change physically, socially, cognitively and morally over our lifetimes.

Nature Versus Nurture While going through this unit always been in the back of your head…. Are you who you are because of: The way you were born- Nature. The way you were raised- Nurture.

KEY QUESTIONS The Nature Versus Nurture Question How much of human development occurs due to nature (biology, genetic inheritance)? How much of human development occurs due to nurture (environment, experiences)? Early view: quite polarized Current view: nature and nurture both crucial; one influences manifestation of the other The Continuity Versus Discontinuity Question In what pattern does development occur? Continuity model—quantitative changes; steady pattern of small, fairly regular steps Discontinuity model (main proponent was Jean Piaget)—qualitative changes, in stages; fairly stable within a stage, then rather dramatic shift in abilities Current view: development involves both

KEY QUESTIONS The Universality Question Does developmental pattern occur universally, or are there cultural differences? Basic pattern seems to occur universally Cultural differences in what stages experienced and when The Stability Question—how consistent are personality features over the life span?

Methods of Study Cross-sectional studies Longitudinal studies Involve study of different age groups of people, at same time Objective is same as with longitudinal, just easier and less expensive Drawbacks: Cannot be certain of all comparisons, since age groups are different people as well Cohort effects—function of being born at a particular time in history, among members of a particular generation Longitudinal studies Studies of same very large group of people over a long, or very long, period of time Allow study of developmental changes (e.g., personality, behavior) in the same people over time Drawbacks: expensive, very time-consuming, lose participants over time, may not be representative

Physical Development Focus on our physical changes over time.

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.

Once the sperm penetrates the egg- we have a fertilized egg called…….. The Zygote The first stage of prenatal development. Lasts about two weeks and consists of rapid cell division.

The Zygote Stage 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).

After two weeks, the zygote develops into a Embryo

The Embryo Stage Lasts about 6 weeks. Heart begins to beat and the organs begin to develop.

By nine weeks we have something that looks unmistakably human… A Fetus

The Fetus Stage 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.

PRENATAL INFLUENCES during embryonic and fetal stages, the developing organism is especially vulnerable to toxic agents protected by the placenta organ that connects the blood supply of the mother to that of the fetus acts like a filter allows oxygen and nutrients to pass through while keeping out some toxic or harmful substances

Teratogens harmful agents (viruses and drugs) to the prenatal environment Herpes

Viruses Rubella (German measles) can cause heart disease, deafness, mental retardation Sexually transmitted diseases (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea) The biggest risk to the fetus is for transmission of the HIV virus to fetus, not for birth defects or mental retardation.  Treatment during pregnancy can greatly reduce the risk to the baby. Symptoms of congenital syphilis infection include prematurity, enlarged liver and spleen, anemia, jaundice, skin rash, mental retardation, blindness, and deafness.

Drugs and prenatal development Cocaine plus other drugs pregnant women using crack cocaine along with other drugs, such as alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or opiates had: lower birth weight poor feeding habits greater risk for developing other psychological problems Smoking and nicotine 13% (about) of pregnant women smoke increase the risk of: low birth weight pre-term deliveries possible physical problems (cleft lip or palate) SIDS respiratory infections

Drugs and prenatal development Lead levels of lead in the blood system are associated with low IQ scores in children likelihood of antisocial acts such as, assaults, truancy, and disorderly conduct some lead sources, paint, gasoline, industry Lead poisoning is on the increase in developing nations who have not enforced strict pollution controls.

Effects of Alcohol heavy drinking - Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) FAS results from a mother drinking heavily during pregnancy, especially in the first 12 weeks FAS results in: short stature, flattened nose, short eye openings, neurological changes, hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, deficits in information processing, drug and alcohol abuse moderate drinking - Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) FAS results from a mother having 7-14 drinks per week during pregnancy FAE less severe than FAS FAE results in: Deficiencies in cognitive tasks, academic skills, fine motor speed and coordination

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome small head, small jaw, and small, flat cheeks malformed ears small eyes, poor development of optic nerve, crossed-eyes upturned nose, low bridge small upper mouth structure and teeth caved-in chest wall umbilical or diaphragmatic hernia limited movement of fingers and elbows extra fingers, abnormal palm creases excessive hair under grown nails incomplete or lack of development of brain structures heart murmurs, heart defects, abnormalities of large vessels incomplete development of genitalia growth, motor, and mental retardation irritability in infancy and hyperactivity in childhood poor coordination Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

So what will a healthy newborn do? Reflexes Rooting Reflex- a babies tendency, when touched on the cheek, to open mouth and search for a nipple. Preferences: Turn towards human voices. Gaze at face like images longer Smell and sound of mother preferred

Reflexes Inborn automatic responses. Rooting Sucking Grasping Moro Babinski Click on pictures to see clips of reflexes.

Competent Newborn Researchers can discover some of what preverbal infants sense and think by observing how they react to novel stimuli (such as colors, shapers, and forms) and grow bored with (habituate to) familiar stimuli. To recognize a new stimulus as different, an infant must remember the old stimulus, which indicates a simple form of learning.

When presented a series of pictures of dogs and cats, newborns would look at the hybrid pictures of dogs and cats longer…what a novel stimulus.

Habituation Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.

Habituation Having habituated to the old stimulus, newborns preferred gazing at a new one