Developmental Psychology Psychology 117 Sue A. Kelley

Webpage n develop.htm develop.htm develop.htm n Chapter objectives n Powerpoint slides

Index cards n Name n Major n Phone number n n What you hope to learn in this course/why are you taking this course?

What is Developmental Psychology? n the study of systematic continuities and changes in humans that occur from the time of conception to the time of death n systematic means that the continuities and changes are orderly, they follow a pattern n developmental psychology covers the lifespan

n I would like you to identify assumptions about children that lie behind the following practices: –Having ratings on movies or television programs (G, PG, PG-13, NC-17, R) –Having age-segregated classrooms

Historical Foundations n Child in Premodern Times –Active infanticide prior to 4 th century A.D. –Seen as possessions, no rights n Medieval Times –6 th to 15 th centuries –Childhood separate phase of life, but few distinctions –Miniature, already formed - preformationism

ALTICHIERO da Zevio (The Execution of Saint George)

BARNABA DA MODENA (Virgin and Child)

GADDI, Taddeo (Madonna and Child)

Historical Foundations n Medieval (con’t) –Church defended innocence of children –Parents to provide spiritual training –Fragility in medical literature –Some laws protected children –Implications?

Historical Foundations n Reformation –Religious movement  revised image of childhood –Original sin (Hobbes) –Protected but also reformed –Implications?

Historical Foundations n The Enlightenment –17 th century, more humane

Historical Foundations n John Locke –Tabula rasa –Shaped by experiences –Praise, no punishment

Historical Foundations n Jean Jacques Rousseau –Noble savages; innate purity –Natural endowment of right and wrong –Society often corrupts –Implications?

Historical Foundations n Darwin –Mid 19 th century –Natural selection –Survival of the fittest –Science of child study was born –One of the first “baby biographies”

Study of the Child n Scientific study of children evolved quickly during early part of 20 th century n Began with baby biographies –Darwin –Piaget –Different people studied different aspects –Biased observations –Case studies –Step in right direction though…thus began the scientific study of children

Historical Foundations n 20 th century –Early, belief was that infants had little sensory capability –Countered in 1960s –Implications? –Recognition of adolescence as a distinct phase of life n Leaving childhood, not yet entering adult responsibility n After WWII, postponing marriage for education