Section 1 Prenatal and Childhood Development

The Beginnings of Life If you are a young woman, you are born with all the eggs cells you’ll ever have. 1 in 5000 will mature and be released from an ovary. If you are a you man, you did not begin producing sperm cells until you hit puberty. Keep producing until you die! Produce 1.5 million sperm cells in 30 minutes!

How do the zygote, embryo and fetus differ from one another? Pre- means before and natal mean birth. A newly fertilized egg is called a zygote. Where the cells divide. Our genes help to lead some cells to special functions. After 14 days, it becomes an embryo until 8 weeks. After 9 weeks, the developing organism enters the fetal period. Fetus is human in form.

What can happen that’s bad? While in the mother’s body, fetus is in a placenta. Sometimes virus, toxins, and drugs slip through. These are called teratogens. Teratogens are substances that cross the placental barrier and prevent fetus from developing normally. Fetal alcohol syndrome- when the mother drinks heavily during pregnancy. Have physical and mental affects.

The Newborn Shortly after birth infants can turn their heads toward pictures and voices. Why is it important for the infant to be around the mother immediately? They don’t have to learn to suck, swallow, or grasp. This is known as reflexes. They also have rooting reflex. Touch them on the corner mouth and they will turn looking for something to suck.

Physical Development Babies do have temperaments-characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity. Infancy is from 1 to 3 years. The brain goes through maturation which is the biological growth processes that allows changes in behavior. At 1, babies can imitate the making of a rattle. At 3, they can recognize an out-out- of focus picture. At 10, most can recognize only 1 in 5 classmates.

Review What is a zygote? What are teratogens?

Piaget’s Cognitive Stages Jean Piaget-pioneer in the study of developmental psychology; introduced a stage of theory of cognitive development Cognition is mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, & remembering. Piaget stated that all people face and adapt to environmental challenges. These are called schemas. Schemas are concepts or mental frameworks that organize and interpret information.

How do we develop these mental plans? Assimilation---interpreting your new experiences in terms of existing schemas. Accommodation—adapting your current schemas to incorporate new information.

4 main stages of dev by Piaget Sensorimotor- begins from birth to 2; infants know the world through sensory impressions & motor activities. Toddlers have object permanence which is awareness that things continue to exist even if it’s not heard or seen. Preoperational- 2 to 6 yrs old; child learns use language but not yet comprehend mental operations of concrete.

Cont. Concrete Operational- 7 to 11; children gain mental skills that let them think logically about concrete events. Formal Operational- 12 and over; people begin to think logically about abstract concepts and form strategies.

Child Social Development Children go through stranger anxiety (fear of strangers). Attachment- emotional tie with another person. Children see closeness on a regular basis are distressed on separation.

Parenting Patterns/Styles Authoritarian parenting is marked by imposing rules and expecting obedience. Permissive parenting is submitting to children’s desires, making few demands, and little punishment. Authoritative parenting marked by making demands, being responsive, setting & enforcing rules, and discussing reasons behind them.

Section 2 Adolescence

What is adolescence? Adolescence is period from childhood to adulthood; puberty to independence. Begins with sexual maturation. Body goes through changes. Even body changes, teenagers are still not ready for total independence from parents. Still depend on them for shelter, financial, etc.

Physical development in Adolescence Puberty is sexual maturation where know a person can reproduce. Primary sex characteristics- are the reproductive organs (testes in males; ovaries in female). Secondary sex characteristics associated with dev. of breasts in females and facial hair in males These characteristics are not directly related to reproduction.

Cognitive Development As stated by Piaget, teenagers should be at the formal operational stage. Abstract thinking and hypothetical reasoning. Teenagers tend to focus on self during this time.

Lawrence Kholberg 3 stages of moral reasoning. Preconventional moral reasoning- desire to avoid punishment or gain reward. Conventional moral reasoning- is to fit in and play one’s role as a good citizen. Postconvential reasoning- characterized by references to universal ethical principles.

Social Development in Adolescence