Transcript Human Development

Human Development
Created by K. Singh
Developmental Psychology
 Developmental psychology is the scientific study of human growth and
change from conception to death.
 Goals: Describe, Explain, and Optimize Development
 Major Topics of Interest:
 Nature/Nurture
 Biopsychosocial approach (how people change biologically, psychologically,
and socially over the life span)
Genes
 Genes and Heredity Information
 Chromosome: Long strands of DNA
 DNA: Set of instructions made up of four main proteins (CTGA)
 Gene: Section of DNA in which proteins occur in certain order
 Allele: Different forms of the same gene
 Dominant: Genes that are more likely to show outwardly on the person
 Recessive: Genes that may be hidden or masked by dominant genes
 Homozygous vs. Heterozygous: Having the same/different alleles
 Genotype: The DNA instructions that a make up a person/organism
 Phenotype: The outward characteristics that occur because of DNA
Prenatal Development
 50% of genes from each parent
 Conception: Sperm & Egg
 Zygote
 Embryo/Placenta
 Fetus
 Teratogens: Any chemical that interferes with prenatal development
Conditions at Birth
 Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
 Down Syndrome/Trisomy 21
 Autism Spectrum Disorder
 Turner’s Syndrome (females)/Klinefelter’s Syndrome (males)
 See other genetic disorders
Fetal Development
 The Brain:
 About 86 billion brain cells develop and this number stays fairly consistent across
life span
 After birth, neural networks form (see picture)
 See how the brain develops (video)
 The growing brain (0-3years)
The Neonate
 Neonate = Infant
 Apgar Scale:
 Appearance (skin color)
 Pulse (heart rate)
 Grimace response (reflexes)
 Activity (muscle tone)
 Respiration (breathing rate and effort)
 Rooting Reflex : The baby will turn its head toward something that touches its
cheek
 Sucking Reflex: breathing, swallowing, and sucking while drinking
 Stepping Reflex: If held up, the baby will make stepping movements
 Grasping Reflex: A baby will grasp anything in its hands in a tight fist
 Moro Reflex: Startled movement response to loud noises
 See other reflexes here.
Motor Reflex
 Cephalocaudal Development: From head to toe
 Fernald and Fernald Study of Motor Development
 Sequence is the same but timing varies based on culture.
 US Culture: 25% of US children learn to walk by 11 months, 50% by 1st
birthday
 Genetics: Twins tend to start walking on the same day
 Maturation: Certain skills, traits, and abilities are biologically programmed
and can only occur when children are developmentally ready
 i.e. sitting up, toilet training, etc.
Studies in Development
 Infants: Eye tracking and habituation
 Twin Studies (Nature vs. Nurture)
 Longitudinal: (See video)
 Panel/Cohort/Retrospective
 Pros: close look at individuals/sensitive to change, Cons: time and people drop out
 Cross Sectional:
 Comparing similar groups at different ages
 Pros: quick, shows age differences
Cons: finding participants, life experiences are
so different between people
Types of Development
 Physical:
 Attachment
 Gesell
 Harlow
 Lorenz
 Bowlby
 Personality:
 Freud
 Erikson
 Kagan (temperament)
 Cognition:
 Piaget vs. Vygotsky (social-cognitive)
 Language
 Chompsky
 Moral
 Kohlberg vs. Giligan
 Parenting
 Baumrind (See Original Article)
 Ainsworth