Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental PsychologyPSY 251PSY 251

Ana & ElspethAna & Elspeth

Human DevelopmentHuman Development

What is What is development?development?

What are some What are some things that things that change as we change as we age?age?

BehaviorBehavior

EmotionsEmotions

ThinkingThinking

PersonalityPersonality

Ana & ElspethAna & Elspeth

Philosophical RootsPhilosophical Roots

Original SinOriginal Sin– All humans are All humans are

sinfulsinful– Thanks Adam & Thanks Adam &

Eve!Eve!– Holy Spirit can Holy Spirit can

help us become help us become less selfish and less selfish and sinfulsinful

Philosophical RootsPhilosophical Roots

Innate GoodnessInnate Goodness– Jean-Jacques Jean-Jacques

Rousseau Rousseau (philosopher)(philosopher)

– ““Noble savage”Noble savage”– Good people are Good people are

made unhappy made unhappy and corrupted by and corrupted by their experiences their experiences in society. in society.

– Bad behavior is Bad behavior is learned from learned from othersothers

Philosophical RootsPhilosophical Roots

The Blank SlateThe Blank Slate– John LockeJohn Locke– The mind of a The mind of a

child is a blank child is a blank slate & adults can slate & adults can mold them into mold them into whatever they whatever they want them to be.want them to be.

– Environmental Environmental influences can influences can explain “good” explain “good” and “bad” and “bad” behavior.behavior.

Discussion Question…Discussion Question…

How might a How might a parent who parent who believes in believes in Original Sin Original Sin respond to a respond to a parent who parent who believes in Innate believes in Innate Goodness?Goodness?

Early Scientific TheoriesEarly Scientific Theories

People turned to People turned to science for science for explanations explanations about human about human dev’t.dev’t.

DarwinDarwin– Kept detailed Kept detailed

records of baby records of baby biographies to biographies to support notion of support notion of evolution.evolution.

G. Stanley HallG. Stanley Hall– Wanted to find Wanted to find

more objective more objective ways to study dev’tways to study dev’t

– Used questionnaires Used questionnaires & interviews (large & interviews (large # of children)# of children)

– Norms – average Norms – average ages at which ages at which milestones happenmilestones happen

Early Scientific TheoriesEarly Scientific Theories

Arnold GesellArnold Gesell– Maturation – genetically programmed Maturation – genetically programmed

sequential patterns of change.sequential patterns of change.– Maturation occurred regardless of Maturation occurred regardless of

practice, training or effort.practice, training or effort.– Used movie cameras and one-way Used movie cameras and one-way

observation devices to study observation devices to study children’s behaviorchildren’s behavior

Child-Rearing ExpertsChild-Rearing Experts

Expert advice: Expert advice: Kissing the baby after it Kissing the baby after it

has been fed is very has been fed is very likely to cause it to likely to cause it to vomit. vomit.

Never let them sit on Never let them sit on your lap. your lap.

Shake hands with them Shake hands with them in the morning. in the morning.

Dr. T. Berry Brazelton Dr. T. Berry Brazelton who seems to think that who seems to think that children are born into children are born into this world better people this world better people than their parents ever than their parents ever were. were.

Babies should cry 15 to 30 Babies should cry 15 to 30 minutes a day for minutes a day for "exercise.”"exercise.”

““Rattle behavior" develops Rattle behavior" develops in 53 distinct stages.in 53 distinct stages.

There's the famous, strict There's the famous, strict behaviorist John Watson, behaviorist John Watson, who told mothers of the who told mothers of the 1920s and 1930s only to 1920s and 1930s only to kiss their children on the kiss their children on the foreheads - if they must foreheads - if they must kiss at all - and anyway it kiss at all - and anyway it was better to shake was better to shake hands. Of his two sons, hands. Of his two sons, one committed suicide one committed suicide and the other had a and the other had a breakdown and battled breakdown and battled suicidal impulses for suicidal impulses for years. years.

Parenting Advice…Parenting Advice…

My theory on My theory on housework is, if the housework is, if the item doesn't item doesn't multiply, smell, catch multiply, smell, catch on fire or block the on fire or block the refrigerator door, let refrigerator door, let it be. No one cares. it be. No one cares. Why should you? Why should you?

Mother's words of Mother's words of wisdom: "Answer wisdom: "Answer me! Don't talk with me! Don't talk with food in your mouth!" food in your mouth!"

No one ever died from No one ever died from sleeping in an unmade sleeping in an unmade bed. I have known bed. I have known mothers who remake mothers who remake the bed after their the bed after their children do it because children do it because there's a wrinkle in the there's a wrinkle in the spread or the blanket spread or the blanket is on crooked. This is is on crooked. This is sick.sick.

No self-respecting No self-respecting mother would run out mother would run out of intimidations on the of intimidations on the eve of a major holiday. eve of a major holiday.

The Lifespan PerspectiveThe Lifespan Perspective

Traditional Traditional perspective perspective stated that stated that children were who children were who they were going they were going to be by age to be by age five…five…

Lifespan Lifespan perspective states perspective states that changes do that changes do occur throughout occur throughout one’s life; in all one’s life; in all spheres: social, spheres: social, emotional, emotional, personality, personality, physically, etc.physically, etc.

Domains of DevelopmentDomains of Development

Physical Physical – Size, shape & Size, shape &

characteristics of characteristics of the body.the body.

Cognitive Cognitive – Changes in Changes in

thinking, memory, thinking, memory, problem-solving, problem-solving, etc.etc.

SocialSocial– Relationship(s) Relationship(s)

with others.with others.

Key Issues in Dev’tKey Issues in Dev’t

1. Nature vs. Nurture1. Nature vs. Nurture

– Nature =Nature =

– Nurture = Nurture =

Inborn BiasesInborn Biases::– Children are born with Children are born with

tendencies to respond tendencies to respond in certain ways.in certain ways.

Internal Models of Internal Models of ExperienceExperience- individual’s - individual’s interpretation of interpretation of events/experiencesevents/experiences- attributed meaning - attributed meaning to experiencesto experiences- interpretations are - interpretations are not governed by mood not governed by mood but rather organized but rather organized into models (organized into models (organized sets of assumptions or sets of assumptions or expectations about expectations about self or others).self or others).

Key Issues…Key Issues…

The Ecological The Ecological ApproachApproach- growing importance - growing importance of looking beyond a of looking beyond a child’s immediate child’s immediate family for family for explanations of dev’texplanations of dev’t- ecology or CONTEXT - ecology or CONTEXT in which child is in which child is growinggrowing- ie: neighborhood, - ie: neighborhood, school, occupations school, occupations of parents, type of of parents, type of relationship parents relationship parents have, etc.have, etc.

– Each child brings own Each child brings own vulnerabilities and vulnerabilities and resilience to the resilience to the environmentenvironment

– Vulnerabilities = Vulnerabilities = emotional irritability, emotional irritability, physical abnormality, physical abnormality, allergies.allergies.

– Resiliencies = easy Resiliencies = easy temperament, high temperament, high intellect, good intellect, good coordination.coordination.

– Vulnerabilities and Vulnerabilities and resiliency interact resiliency interact with environment.with environment.

Key Issues…Key Issues…

2.2. Continuity vs. Continuity vs. DiscontinuityDiscontinuity

Does change occur Does change occur smoothly over time, or smoothly over time, or through a series of through a series of predetermined steps? predetermined steps? Some theories of Some theories of development argue development argue that changes are simply that changes are simply a matter of quantity; a matter of quantity; children display children display moremore of of certain skills as they certain skills as they grow older. Other grow older. Other theories outline a series theories outline a series of sequential stages in of sequential stages in which skills emerge at which skills emerge at certain points of certain points of development. development.

3.3. Universal ChangesUniversal Changes Changes that are Changes that are

common to every common to every individual in a species.individual in a species.

Changes are linked to Changes are linked to specific ages.specific ages.

i.e., an infant shifting i.e., an infant shifting from crawling to walking.from crawling to walking.

Social ClockSocial Clock – a set of – a set of age norms.age norms.– i.e., when is the right i.e., when is the right

“time” to get married, “time” to get married, have children, retire, have children, retire, etc.etc.

Key Issues…Key Issues…

4.4. Group Specific Group Specific ChangesChanges

Changes shared by Changes shared by all individuals in a all individuals in a group growing up group growing up together. together.

– Cultural ContextCultural Context – – systems of meanings systems of meanings and customs (values, and customs (values, attitudes, goals, laws, attitudes, goals, laws, beliefs, morals, etc.)beliefs, morals, etc.)

– http://http://www.goarmy.comwww.goarmy.com/strong//strong/

– Historical ContextHistorical Context Life experiences Life experiences

which alter or which alter or affect each affect each generation.generation.

CohortCohort – groups of – groups of individuals born individuals born within same period within same period of time and share of time and share the same historical the same historical experiences.experiences.

Cohort…Cohort…

Great Depression of Great Depression of the 1930s…the 1930s…– Rx studied children Rx studied children

born in 1928 and born in 1928 and adolescents born in adolescents born in 1920. Economic 1920. Economic hardship was beneficial hardship was beneficial to teenagers (they felt to teenagers (they felt needed by their families needed by their families to provide food, $) but to provide food, $) but detrimental to children detrimental to children (experienced a loss of (experienced a loss of cohesion & warmth).cohesion & warmth).

9/119/11– Need I say more?Need I say more?

Research Designs & Research Designs & MethodsMethods

Basic researchBasic research - research done for - research done for its own sake. Concerned with its own sake. Concerned with description, explanation & description, explanation & prediction.prediction.

Applied researchApplied research - direct study of a - direct study of a specific problem. Concerned with specific problem. Concerned with prediction & control. Intends to prediction & control. Intends to change human behavior.change human behavior.

Scientific MethodScientific Method

Theory Theory - framework - framework for explaining events for explaining events or processes.or processes.

HypothesisHypothesis - testable - testable predictions derived predictions derived from theories.from theories.

Critical Thinking vs. Critical Thinking vs. Common SenseCommon Sense– affected by: affected by: – MoodMood– Confirmation biasConfirmation bias - -

(aka: selective (aka: selective hearing); tend to hearing); tend to remember, hear, or remember, hear, or see things that confirm see things that confirm our perceptions.our perceptions.

– Availability heuristicAvailability heuristic - - perception that things perception that things are easily brought to are easily brought to mind (remembered) mind (remembered) are important.are important.

Experimental MethodExperimental Method

Independent Independent VariableVariable - the - the variable which is variable which is controlled.controlled.

Dependent VariableDependent Variable - - the variable which is the variable which is measured.measured.

Experimental GroupExperimental Group

Control GroupControl Group

Random AssignmentRandom Assignment

Double-blind Double-blind procedureprocedure

Correlation Correlation - DOES NOT - DOES NOT IMPLY CAUSATION! IMPLY CAUSATION! Tendency for one Tendency for one aspect of the world to aspect of the world to change with another change with another aspect of the world.aspect of the world.

Age-Related ChangesAge-Related Changes

Cross-Sectional Cross-Sectional DesignsDesigns– Ss are selected at each Ss are selected at each

of a series of ages (20 of a series of ages (20 y.o., 50 y.o.)y.o., 50 y.o.)

– Quick to doQuick to do– Ss tested only onceSs tested only once

Longitudinal DesignsLongitudinal Designs– Follow the same Ss Follow the same Ss

over a lengthy period over a lengthy period of time.of time.

– Practice effects – Ss Practice effects – Ss “learn” how to take the “learn” how to take the teststests

– AttritionAttrition

Sequential DesignsSequential Designs– Rx’er uses at least Rx’er uses at least

two age groups and two age groups and test them over an test them over an extended period of extended period of time.time.

Research DesignsResearch Designs

ObservationObservation– naturalisticnaturalistic– systematicsystematic

Case StudyCase Study

Ethical IssuesEthical Issues

DeceptionDeception

– informed consentinformed consent

– debriefingdebriefing