Growth and changes in the body and brain, senses, motor skills, and health and wellness
Cognitive development
Learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning and creativity
Psychosocial development
Emotions, personality and social relationships
Individuals are formed by the interaction of biological, psychological, and social-cultural forces (biopsychosocial)
Nature
Biology and genetics
Nurture
Environment and culture
Continuity and stages in development
Development is either viewed as a slow, ongoing process or as a process of maturation guided by instructions programmed into people's genes
Stage theories help focus on the forces and interests that affect individuals at different points in their life span
Heredity
Genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring
Genome
Complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes
Chromosomes
Threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes
DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
Molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes
Genes
Biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes and are segments of DNA
Monozygotic twins
Identical twins that develop from a single fertilized egg that splits into two, creating two genetically identical siblings
Dizygotic twins
Fraternal twins that develop from two separate fertilized eggs
Genes and environment interact
Human differences are shaped by the environment
Epigenetics
Studies how the environment can cause genes to become either active or inactive
Epigenetic marks
Molecules that trigger or block genetic expression
Teratogen
An agent, such as a chemical or virus, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
Physical and mental abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking
Newborn reflexes
Inborn automatic responses to particular forms of stimulation (help the newborn survive)
Rooting reflex
Sucking reflex
Grasping reflex
Moro reflex
Newborns
Search for sights and sounds linked to other humans, especially the mother
Smell and hear well and use sensory equipment to learn
Possess a biologically rooted temperament: A person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
Twin and adoption studies
Help researchers understand how heredity and environmental factors influence individuals
Maturation
Biological growth processes leading to orderly changes in behavior, mostly independent of experience
Sets the basic course of development
Physical development - growth
Occurs rapidly during infancy
Slows down at around ages 4-6
Girls have a growth spurt at age 8/9 - about 12
Physical development - nervous system
Blooming period - neural pathways form thousands of new connections during infancy and toddlerhood
Pruning period - neural connections are reduced during childhood and adolescence to allow the brain to function more efficiently
Size of the brain increases rapidly (especially the frontal lobe during ages 3-6)
Physical development - motor skills
Ability to move our bodies and manipulate objects
Occurs in an orderly sequence - becomes more advanced
Fine motor skills - focus on the muscles in our fingers, toes, and eyes, and enable coordination of small actions
Gross motor skills - focus on large muscle groups that control arms and legs and involve larger movements
Neural pathways supporting language and agility continue their growth into puberty
During early childhood, youngsters can easily master another language
Humans have a critical period for some skills- these are periods early in life when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences is needed for proper development
In an experiment, rats in an enriched environment developed more cerebral cortex (relative to the rest of the brain's tissue) than those raised in an impoverished environment
Cognition
Mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
Piaget's perspective on cognitive development
A child's mind develops through a series of stages
Children are active thinkers - constantly try to construct a more advanced understanding of the world
Schema
Concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
Assimilation
Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas
Accommodation
Adapting current understandings to incorporate new information
Stranger anxiety
Fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
Attachment
Emotional tie with another person
Origins of attachment
Infants become attached to people who are comfortable and familiar
A human parent provides a safe haven for a distressed child and a secure base from which to explore