Unit 2 Life Span Development Module 4 Prenatal

Unit 2 – Life Span Development Module 4: Prenatal and Childhood Development

Prenatal Development • Prenatal is defined as “before birth” • The prenatal stage begins at conception and ends with the birth of the child

Prenatal Development: Day 1 to Day 51

Zygote • A newly fertilized egg • The first two weeks are a period of rapid cell division • Attaches to the mothers uterine wall • At the end of 14 days, it becomes an embryo

Embryo • Developing human from about 14 days until the end of the eighth week Embryo at 45 days

Embryo Stage • Most of the major organs are formed during this time • Critical period of maturation • At the end of the eighth week the fetal period begins

Prenatal Development at 2 months

Fetal Period • The period between the beginning of the ninth week and birth

Teratogens • Substances that pass through the placenta’s screen and prevent the fetus from developing normally • Include: radiation, toxic chemicals, viruses, drugs, alcohol, nicotine, etc.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome • A series of physical and cognitive abnormalities in children due to their mother drinking large amounts of alcohol during pregnancy

The Newborn • Newborn infants are not completely helpless –Senses are developed at birth, though not to full potential • Reflexes are automatic and unlearned –Rooting reflex

Temperament • A person’s characteristic emotional “way of being” • Present from birth – generally continues through life • Often defined as “easy” or “difficult” in reference to babies

Maturation • Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior • Maturation follows a distinct series of “steps” in typical human development

Cognitive Development in Infancy and Childhood Piaget’s Cognitive Stages

What is Cognition? • All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, and remembering • Do children think differently than adults do? • YES!!

Jean Piaget • Developmental psychologist who introduced a stage theory of cognitive development • Piaget’s theory consisted of four stages

Schemas • Concepts or mental frameworks that people use to organize and interpret information • Your “picture” of the world

Assimilation • You try a new food and people always say “Tastes like chicken. ” Why? • We interpret new experiences within the concept of our existing experiences or schemas.

Accommodation • Interpreting a new experience by changing or adapting one’s existing schemas • If you can’t “fit” or assimilate a new idea into your schema, you must change or accommodate your schema

Piaget’s Stages at a Glance • • Sensorimotor – birth to age 2 Preoperational – age 2 to 6 or 7 Concrete operational – age 7 to 11 Formal Operational – age 12 and up

Now it’s your turn… • You will explore the cognitive stages in this interactive activity • Log on to your computer and type in this URL: • http: //bcs. worthpublishers. com/gray /content/psychsim 5/launcher. html

Psych. Sim online • Click on “Cognitive Development” and complete the worksheet as you progress through the program • Worksheets will be collected

The Stages Defined • Sensorimotor – birth to age 2 – Child gathers information through senses and motor functions – Object permanence – “out of sight, out of mind”

The Stages Defined • Preoperational – age 2 to 6 or 7 – Children can understand language, not logic – Egocentrism – it’s all about me, right? – Inability to understand symbols as representations of other objects

The Stages Defined • Concrete Operational – age 7 to 11 – Child learns to think logically and understands concept of conservation • Remember the “glass of juice experiment? ” • Conservation can apply to mass, volume, and numbers

The Stages Defined • Formal Operational Stage – 12 and up – Child can think logically and in the abstract – Ability to understand/solve hypothetical problems (What if? )

Challenges to Piaget’s Theory • Underestimated the child’s ability at various ages • Cultural and social differences are not factored into theory • Can you think of any other challenges?

Social Development in Infancy & Childhood Life Span Development Module 4

Attachment l An emotional tie with another person l Shown by seeking closeness on a regular basis and distress at separation ¡Stranger Anxiety/Separation Anxiety l. Occurs around 8 months in infants l. Infant schema only includes familiar faces

Three Elements of Attachment: l. Body contact ¡Holding or cuddling l. Familiarity ¡Who is around the child frequently l. Responsiveness ¡Attentiveness to child’s needs

Types of Attachment l Secure Attachment ¡A good predictor of social competence ¡Results in confident, more outgoing child l Insecure Attachment ¡Can result in withdrawn, frightened behaviors in children

Research on Attachment l Konrad Lorenz’s imprinting studies ¡Newborn ducklings would attach to the first moving object they saw l Harry Harlow’s “monkey experiment” ¡Concluded that body contact was more important to the infant (monkey) than feeding

Parenting Styles l Directly affect attachment l Three main categories: 1. Authoritarian 2. Permissive 3. Authoritative

Authoritarian Parenting l Low in warmth l Strict in discipline, often physical l Communication: ¡Parent to child – high ¡Child to parent - low l Maturity expectations are high l Compare to a dictatorship

Permissive Parenting l High in warmth l Rarely discipline, often overly indulgent l Communication: ¡Parent to child – low ¡Child to parent - high l Maturity expectations are low l Compare to laissez-faire government

Authoritative Parenting l High in warmth l Moderate discipline, often negotiate and explain rules l Communication: ¡Parent to child – high ¡Child to parent - high l Maturity expectations are moderate l Compare to democratic government

Which Style is Best? l There is no “one-size fits all” in parenting l Authoritative parenting often produces children high in self-esteem and competence l Different children require different approaches – bolder children need more restrictive parenting l Fearful children need gentler parenting