Unit 4

1. Unit 4 Development – Infancy and Childhood

2. Development Psychology • Womb to tomb • Study of age-related changes in behavior and mental processes

3. Nature vs Nurture • Biggest debate in psychology • Nature – what you were born with • Nurture – how you are raised and affected by your environment

4. Research Methods • Longitudinal • Measures a single or group over an extended period of time • Cross-sectional • Compares individuals of various ages at one point in time

5. Newborns • At birth – can see, hear and respond • Neonatal – birth to one month • Grasping Reflex • Clinging response when hand is touched • Rooting Reflex • touched around mouth baby will turn toward touch and suck • Moro Reflex • Scared by loud noise

6. SIDS • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome • #1 cause of death during first year • Theory – nervous system fails to turn reflex into voluntary action to breathe • Back to sleep campaign

7. Perceptual Development • Prefer human faces and patterns • Depth perception • Nature vs nurture

8. Visual Cliff Experiment

9. Motor Development • Maturation • Biological growth processes -orderly changes in behavior, thought and physical growth

10. Motor Development • Infants… • roll over at 3 months • Sit alone at 6 months • Stand alone at 11 months • Walk at 12 months • Walk up steps at 17 months

11. Critical Period • Process that occurs at a preset time in development - when the brain is ready • Imprinting • Form attachment during critical period

12. Language Development • Debate – learned or inherited • 9 months – babbling in native language • 1 yr – first meaningful words – mama dada • 2 yrs - vocab 500-1500 words • Telegraphic Speech • Words are left out but meaning is clear • Some grammar • “Daddy goed”

13. Genie: “The Wild Child • Found in 1970 • At age 13 • Spoke fewer than 20 words • Wore diapers • Documentary