1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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?

5. 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

6. Physical Development
Focus on our physical changes over time.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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).

10. After two weeks, the zygote develops into a
Embryo

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

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

13. 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.

14. 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

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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

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

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

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