Module 8
Development During Infancy and Childhood
Recap Module 8 – Infancy and ChildhoodCognitive development
Jean Piaget’s theory Schemas - Assimilation / accommodation Stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational,
& formal operational Object permanence, egocentrism, conservation, theory of
mind
Social development Attachment
Stranger anxiety, attachment through touch, attachment through familiarity (imprinting during a critical period)
Attachment through familiarity
Critical Period an optimal period when an organism’s
exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
Imprinting the process by which certain animals form
rigid attachments during a critical period very early in life
Attachment Differences Attachment can be measured
Strange Situation Test:A parent-infant “separation and reunion” procedure that is staged in a laboratory to test the security of a child’s attachment
Securely attached vs. insecurely attached
Attachment is influenced by parenting and by child temperament Responsive mothers tend to have securely attached children Infants with difficult temperaments are less likely to be securely
attached
Attachment styles have consequences for subsequent development and adulthood interpersonal relationships Infants who are securely attached have basic trust – the world is
predictable Secure vs. anxious or avoidant attachment styles
Conclusions about social development in infancyAll humans need to form an attachment to a
caring and responsive caregiver early in life (first 8 months of life)
Total deprivation from attachment has strong negative consequences: Some of those consequences may be physiological Later emotional development Later interpersonal relationships Later parenting behaviors
Parenting
Variations in parents’ attempts to socialize their children
7
Neglecting, ignoring, indifferent, uninvolved
Permissive: few demands, following child’s desires
Undemanding Undemanding low in control low in control attemptsattempts
Authoritarian
Power assertive, not inductive, not flexible
Authoritative: High in bidirectional communication, high in explanation
DemandingDemanding
ControllingControlling
Rejecting
Unresponsive
Parent-centered
Accepting
Responsive
Child-centered
Par
ents
Dem
andi
ngne
ss
Parents’ responsiveness
Parenting Styles
The Influence of Parenting Styles on Social DevelopmentHarsh and inconsistent parenting impedes the
social development of children. Power assertive parenting practices serve as
models and disinhibit the similar behaviors of the children.
The inability to set limits perpetuates the child’s ongoing behavioral problems (e.g. noncompliance, aggression).
The Influence of Parenting Styles on Social Development
Authoritative parenting
High self esteem, high social
competence
Authoritarian parenting
Unquestioning obedience, low levels of autonomy, low in
empathy
These associations are correlational!
Module 10 - Adulthood
Physical development
Cognitive development
Social development
Physical Development
Physical Development – declining physical vigor
+/- age 35
Physical DevelopmentOur physical abilities peak around mid 20s and
then start to decline. more related to a person’s health and exercise habits
than to age
Decline of fertility Women - menopause (~50): the time of natural
cessation of menstruation and associated emotional changes
Men – gradual decline of sperm count, testosterone, sexual function
Most older adults have satisfactory sexual activity
Declining sensory abilities: vision
10 30 50 70 900
0.25
0.50
0.75
1.00
Proportion of normal (20/20) vision when identifying letters on an eye chart
Age in years
65 year-old retina receives 1/3rd of the light that 20 year-old receives
Declining sensory abilities: smell
10 30 50 70 9050
70
90
Percent correct whenIdentifying smells
Age in years
Declining sensory abilities: hearing
10 30 50 70 9050
70
90
Percent correct whenidentifying spokenwords
Age in years
Changes in healthThe immune system weakens
increased risk of cancer, pneumonia, etc. accumulation of antibodies – protection from cold & flu
Neural processing slows down Reaction time increases
Implications for driving: 75 year olds get into as many accidents as 16 year olds per mile of driving
Memory loss increases Brain loses 5% of its weight by 80
Brain can still form new neural connections adults who remain active retain more of their capacities
Aging proceeds more slowly in women.
Cognitive Development
Memory For some types of learning and remembering,
early adulthood is a peak time. Recall declines but recognition does not
Ability to remember names decline Ability to remember meaningless syllables decline Ability to recognize words in a list does not decline
Can remember meaningful type of information better. They can situate new information in the context of existing
knowledge Emotional information is retained well.
Memory
The ability to recall new information declined during early and middle adulthood, but the ability to recognize new information did not.
NumberOf wordsremembered
20 30 40 50 60 700
4
8
12
16
20
24
Age in years
Number of wordsrecalled declineswith age
Number of wordsrecognized is stable with age
Types of intelligence
Crystallized Intelligence one’s accumulated knowledge and verbal skills tends to increase with age (WISDOM)
Fluid Intelligence ones ability to reason speedily and abstractly tends to decrease during late adulthood (~ 75)
We lose recall memory and processing speed, we gain vocabulary and knowledge
Social Development
Emotional development
Females
Males
No early 40semotional crisis
33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 Age in Years
24
16
8
0
EmotionalInstability
Score
Satisfaction with life
Multinational surveys show that age differences in life satisfaction are trivial.
Older adults tend less to negative information
0
20
40
60
80
15 25 35 45 55 65+
Percentage “satisfied”with lifeas a whole
Age group
Adulthood life eventsLife events
New jobs Marriage Children Death of a loved one
Social clock Culturally determined normative time to experience
life events These norms have loosened
Commitments: EriksonTwo basic aspects of our lives dominating
adulthood Intimacy (forming close relationships) Generativity (being productive and supportive of
future generations) Freud & Tolstoy agree that satisfaction with life
requires love and work
Love and WorkLove
An enduring emotional bond that includes intimacy, support, warmth, and sexual attraction
An enduring attachment increases life satisfaction Marriage tends to be the preferred social institution of
demonstrating attachment Child rearing diminishes marital bonds Most couples with grown children enjoy re-affirmed
loveWork
Most young adults change careers and employment Work that matches one’s interests provides a sense
of accomplishment
DeathDeath of a spouse is experienced by 5 times
more women than menDeath brings more grief if it is out of sync with
the social clock and when it is suddenHow grief is experienced is cultural