1. Module 17 Early Development

2. The Fundamental Question
Is it nature or nurture?
Current philosophy supports both: nature and nurture interact to regulate and influence our behaviours.

3. Prenatal Germinal – first 2 weeks
Embryonic – 2-8 weeks post conception
most birth defects and miscarriages occur here, as this is when all basic organs form
Fetal – remaining time until birth

4. Fetal Stage
Birth defects occur if developing stuctures are interfered with by: toxins, drugs or genetic malfunctions
Usually, these will have less effect after the first 12 weeks

5. Teratogens Tera: meaning “monster”
Cocaine and other drugs: low birth weight, poor feeding habits, and risk of lower IQ and psychological issues.
Smoking increases low birth weight, early delivery, higher risk of ADHD, SIDS and respiratory illness
Lead (from paint, industry or gasoline) leads to lower IQ and brain development issues. Even low levels of exposure are linked to low IQ, physical disabilities and antisocial behaviours as well as ADHD
Air Pollution can also cause low birth weight, fetal growth deficiencies and delays in physical development

6. Alcohol
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) – heavy maternal drinking in first 12 weeks.
Results in physical change, fewer brain connections, psychological and behvioral problems, deficits in memory and information processing
Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to deficits in cognition, and there is now considered no safe level of alcohol

7. Motor Development
Proximodistal principle – parst closer to the centre of the body develop before those farther away (trunk before arms)
Cephalocaudal principle – parts closer to the head develop before those farther away (ie can lift head before can crawl)
Maturation – developmental changes genetically or biologically programmed rather than learned through experience

8. More motor development
Norms are the average ages at which children develop various skills
Environmental stimulation can change the speed at which children engage in different skills, and these skills can be retarded by lack of stimulation

9. Temperament
Relatively stable individual differences in mood and emotional behaviour, largely genetic
Easy 40%
Slow to warm up 15%
Difficult 10%
Undifferentiated 35%
Temperament can be influenced (to some extent) by environment
“fearful” or “fearless”

10. Attachment Fundamental emotional bond between child and caregiver
Separation anxiety
Secure attachment
Insecure attachment
RAD – reactionary attachment disorder
re=related Rage e=related

11. How to we study development?
Longitudinal studies
Cross-sectional studies

12. Cognitive development
Jean Piaget (early-mid 20th c)
Children operate on their environment
Assimilation: use old methods or experiences to deal with new situations
Accomodation: process where child changes old methods to deal with or adjust to new situations

13. Piaget’s stage theory Sensorimotor (0-2)
Hearing, seeing, touching, smelling
Object permanence (9 months)
Pre-operational (2-7)
- symbols, imagination, simple problem solving
- Conservation problem
Egocentric thinking (hide the basket)

14. Piaget, con’t Concrete (7-11) Conservation Classification
Problem solving with concrete objects
Formal (12+)
Abstract and hypothetical problem solving
Founded idea of stage theory, but has been further advanced and improved upon by many theorists

15. Criticisms of Piaget Four stages are not as rigid as he proposed
Theory does not explain why stages occur (today, we can associate those changes with brain development, using modern techniques)
Some children failed at tasks because they did not understand the instructions

16. New Information for Piaget
Genetic factors
Brain development