Dev Psych

• Developmental psychology


  A field of psychology that identifies the biological, psychological and social aspects that interact to influence the growing human life-span process
• Developmental psychology


  • Describes the typical pattern of development
  • Explains why a child has a delayed language acquisition
  • Predicts the likelihood that the child will develop speech problems
  • Intervenes by giving speech therapy
• Domains of human development

  • Physical domain
  • Cognitive domain
  • Psychosocial domain
• Physical domain


  Changes in physical shape and size, brain structure, sensory capabilities and motor skills
• Cognitive domain


  Acquisition of skills in perceiving, thinking, reasoning, and problem solving, as well as development and use of language
• Psychosocial domain


  Pattern of change in emotions, personality, and social relationships
• Recurring issues in human development

  • Nature vs. Nurture
  • Continuity vs. Discontinuity
  • Universal vs. Context-specific development
• Nature vs. Nurture


  The degree to which genetic or hereditary influences (nature) and experiential or environmental influences (nurture) determine the kind of person you are
• Continuity vs. Discontinuity


  Whether a particular developmental phenomenon represents a smooth progression throughout the life span (continuity) or a series of abrupt shifts (discontinuity)
• Universal vs. Context-specific development


  Whether there is just one path of development or several paths
• The Nature of Human Development is influenced by biology and environment
• Maturation


  Developmental changes in the body or behavior that result from the aging process rather than from learning, injury, illness, or some other life experience
• Learning


  Result of person's interaction to the environment
• Socio-cultural context


  • Society refers to the larger group of individuals within which an individual lives
  • Culture refers to the beliefs, common practices, language, and norms associated with an individual's society
• Periods of the life span


  Division of the life span into periods is a social construction
• Normative


  Characteristic of an event that occurs in a similar way for most people in a group
• Non-normative


  Characteristic of an unusual event that happens to a particular person or a typical event that happens at an unusual time of life
• Normative influences


  • Normative age-graded influences
  • Normative history-graded influences
• Cohort


  A group of people born at about the same time
• Key principles of life-span developmental approach

  • Development is lifelong
  • Development is multi-directional
  • Development is multidimensional
  • Relative influences of biology and culture shift over the life span
  • Development involves changing resource allocations
  • Development shows plasticity
  • Development is influenced by the historical and cultural context
• Resource allocation


  Resources may be used for growth, for maintenance or recovery, or for dealing with loss when maintenance and recovery are not possible
• Perspective-taking involves understanding another person's point of view or situation.
• Egocentrism refers to the tendency to view things only from our own perspective.
• Early childhood education programs can improve cognitive development by providing stimulating environments with opportunities for exploration and play-based learning.
• Theory of mind is the ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives different from one's own.
• Insecure attachment can manifest as avoidant, ambivalent, or disorganized behaviors in infants when interacting with their caregivers.
• FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

  • BIOLOGICALLY BASED
  • PSYCHODYNAMIC THEORIES
  • BEHAVIORAL THEORIES
  • COGNITIVE THEORIES
• BIOLOGICALLY BASED


  • Genetics - Fundamental biological instructions for development are stored within each individual's genetic code
  • Developmental Neuroscience - Attempts to study the links between brain function, observable behavior and mental experiences such as thought and emotion
  • Evolution - The process by which species change across generation
• Psychoanalytic Theory


  Sigmund Freud's theory that human development was determined by unconscious process and adult personality was heavily influenced by events that occurred in early childhood

  
• THREE STRUCTURES OF PERSONALITY

  • ID - The id houses our instincts, operates from raw and irrational impulses
  • EGO - Develops soon after birth and is ruled by the reality principle as it tries to deal logically and rationally with the world
  • SUPEREGO - Develops during and soon after ego development and is responsible for the development of one's moral code and conscience
• PSYCHOSEXUAL STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

  • ORAL STAGE - Between birth and 18 months, withholding the breast and/or bottle and food greatly affects the child's sense of self and sense of trust and security in the world
  • ANAL STAGE - Obtaining control over bowel movements is the major task of this stage, which occurs between 18 months and 3 years
  • PHALLIC STAGE - Experiencing pleasurable genital sensations is the major focus during this stage, which occurs between ages 3 and 5 or 6 years
  • LATENCY STAGE - Strictly speaking, not a psychosexual stage, the latency stage occurs between the ages of 5 or 6 years and puberty, when there is a repression of the libido
  • GENITAL STAGE - Resulting patterns of behavior from the oral, anal, and phallic stages become evident as the young adult and adult exhibit behavior, which is influenced by conscious and unconscious motivations

  
• Anal Retentive Personality


  Parents were too lenient, late potty training - Disorganized, messy, wasteful and has a lack of self-control
• Anal Expulsive Personality


  Parents were too harsh and strict, early potty training - Orderly, obsession with cleanliness, perfectionist, and stubborn
• Oedipus complex


  Boys' feelings of guilt and fear of punishment over sexual desire for mother and feelings of hostility toward mother
• Electra complex


  Girls' feelings of guilt and fear of punishment over sexual desire for their father and hostility toward mother
• Penis envy


  Girls' realization that they don't have a penis
• Castration anxiety


  Boys' fear of penis removal by father
• Psychosocial theory: Erik-Erikson (called as a neo-Freudian) - His view centers mainly on the effects of social interactions in shaping personality. Social forces continue to shape personality throughout the lifespan as the individual experiences relationship with others.

  
• THE EIGHT STAGES OF PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

  • BASIC TRUST VS. MISTRUST
  • AUTONOMY VS. SHAME & DOUBT
  • INITIATIVE VS. GUILT
  • INDUSTRY VS. INFERIORITY
  • IDENTITY VS. CONFUSION
  • INTIMACY VS. ISOLATION
  • GENERATIVITY VS. STAGNATION
  • INTEGRITY VS. DESPAIR
• Basic trust


  A child's expectation that his needs would be met by caregivers and the world is a safe place