Introduction to Psychology Child Development Chapter 3

Development Study of growth and change: Physical Cognitive Social-emotional

Central Issues in Development Is development continuous or discontinuous? Are developmental processes universal, or particular to certain cultures? Nature vs. Nurture: What is the role of genetics and environment in development?

Developmental Level An individual’s current state of physical, emotional, and intellectual development Developmental level may be different from chronological age

Nature vs. Nurture What is nature? Genes, biology, heredity How does nature impact development?

Nature vs. Nurture Nurture: Environment, external conditions What are some “nurture” factors that impact development?

Perspectives on Nature/Nurture “Genes alone” view: Nature alone shapes our development

Perspectives on Nature/Nurture Nurture factors: Which nurture factors impact our development most? Example: Group socialization theory

Interactionist Perspective Both nature and nurture play a role Nurture factors may determine whether or not certain genes are “turned on” Heredity and environment interact dynamically at all points in development

Attachment Theory Bowlby/Ainsworth Attachments with primary caregivers impact our “attachment styles” and relationships as we develop

Attachment Theory The securely attached infant: Caregivers are responsive Use the caregiver as a “secure base” as they explore and become more independent

The “Strange Situation” Ainsworth study Infants are left in a room with an unfamiliar adult How do they respond to the mother upon her return?

Attachment Categories Insecure disorganized Securely attached Insecure avoidant Insecure resistant Shows insecurity by being disorganized, disoriented Caregiver is secure base to explore environment from Shows insecurity by avoiding the caregiver Clings to caregiver, then resists by fighting against the closeness

Attachment: Implications and Critique Attachment in infancy/early childhood is a “protective factor” 1 st year of life: a “sensitive period” for attachment Too deterministic? Not relevant to some cultures?

Harlow: Monkey Study Baby monkeys separated from mother at birth “Surrogate mother” monkeys Wire monkey with food Soft, terrycloth monkey

Harlow Study Monkeys clung to the terrycloth monkey Even though wire monkey had food Clung to cloth monkey when afraid “Contact comfort” Abnormal development when socialized

Parenting Styles: Activity Think about the different “parenting styles”. Which parenting styles do you have experience with? Is there an “ideal” parenting style? How might parenting styles affect developing children?

Parenting Styles “Goodness of fit”: does the parenting style match the child’s needs and temperament?

Baumrind: Parenting Styles Authoritarian: rigid rules, demands obedience; children have few rights, many responsibilities Outcomes: children are obedient, controlled, emotionally stiff, apprehensive, lacking in curiosity Potential drug use and violence in adulthood

Baumrind: Parenting Styles Authoritative: firm and consistent, loving and affectionate. Responsive, willing to explain their reactions. Outcomes: children are competent, independent, assertive, inquiring

Baumrind: Parenting Styles Overly Permissive: children are given little guidance, lots of freedom; no accountability; children have rights of adults, but few responsibilities Outcomes: children are dependent, immature, and have behavior issues

Recent Research More nuanced explanations: Does the child believe the punishment fits the crime Goodness of fit Is the approach developmentally appropriate

Critique of Baumrind Not culturally relevant: African-American families: emphasis on loyalty and independence Hispanic families: strict discipline, cooperation and respect emphasized Asian families: interdependence Arab: conformity and interdependence

Daycare and Attachment High Quality Daycare: Doesn’t affect attachment with parents May improve social and cognitive skills Low Quality Daycare: Detrimental to attachment Correlated with behavioral problems

Temperament One’s typical mood Temperaments: Easy (40%) Difficult (10%) Slow-to-warm up (15%) Evidence for the impact of genetics; may also be modified by learning and the environment

Jean Piaget ( ) Studied his three children “Child-as-scientist” Learning through discovery: independent learning Stage theory of cognitive development

Schemas Mental framework: How do we think about different concepts? How do we classify/organize our knowledge? “mammals” “doctor” To organize knowledge

Assimilation and Accommodation Assimilation — incorporate new information into existing knowledge schemes Accommodation — adjust schemes to fit new information and experiences

Assimilation Using an existing mental framework in new situations A child’s schema for “dog”= furry, four legged animal; sees a cat and calls it “dog”

Accomodation Changing the schema to accommodate new information The child comes to realize that four legged creatures can be “cats” or “dogs” The schema was altered to accommodate this new knowledge

Four Stages of Cognitive Development Sensorimotor: age 0-2 Preoperational: age 2-7 Concrete Operational: age 7-11 Formal Operational: age 11- adulthood Stages are universal

Sensorimotor Stage Age 0-2 Child uses the senses to explore surroundings Largely non-verbal Toward the end, object permanence

Sensorimotor Stage Object Permanence: Understanding that objects and events continue to exist even when they cannot directly be seen, heard, or touched

Preoperational Stage Age 2-7 Language Symbolic thinking- symbols can represent ideas Make-believe play Egocentrism: unable to perspective-take

Preoperational Stage Egocentrism: the child sees himself as the center of the universe Cannot take the perspectives of others Example: three mountains task

The Three Mountains Task View 1 Child seated here (a) (b) (d) (c) View 2 Child seated here (a) (b) (d) (c) Fig. 6.6

Concrete Operational Stage Age 7-11 Logical abilities Reversibility of thought Ability to classify (i.e. mammals, reptiles) Ability to conserve

Piaget’s Conservation Task Fig. 6.8

Formal Operational Stage Age 11+ Abstract thought Hypothetical examples Full adult intellectual abilities Research: most adults do not progress to this stage

Peer Relations Downplayed social interaction except for peer relations Conflicts between peers enhance cognitive development Perspective taking

Piaget and Education Facilitate rather than direct learning Turn classroom into setting of exploration and discovery

Evaluating Piaget’s Theory Contributions: Children- active thinkers Comprehensive theory of cognitive development Critique : Underestimates or overestimates abilities Development not uniformly stage-like Downplays social interaction and culture

Lev Vygotsky ( ) Sociocultural theory Importance of social interaction Culture as a context for development

Social Interaction Children develop through social interaction Interpersonal  Intrapersonal We learn through interaction, and then we internalize this information

Socio-cultural Contexts Role of various contexts Culture as a context for development Through social interaction, children become members of a culture

The Zone of Proximal Development Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) Difference between Actual vs. Potential Level of Development Tasks children cannot master alone, but can master with the help of a more skilled person What I can do now vs What I can do with help

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development Fig. 6.11

Scaffolding Changing level of support over course of a teaching session to fit child’s current performance level As the child learns, he/she requires less help

Private Speech: Vygotsky Private speech: Self talk: promotes development as children work through their ideas Contrast with Piaget: egocentric speech

Evaluating Vygotsky’s Theory Contributions Shift from individual to collaborative learning Importance of culture and social interaction Teachers facilitate and guide, not direct and mold Critique May overemphasize language’s role in thinking Not “individualistic” enough? Theory not fully developed