Development over the

Lifespan Notes

Prenatal (9 months) Physical

Development Takes place over about

40 weeks Fastest physical growth

Compared to every other stage

Genotype Phenotype Teratogen

Genotype Genetic Make-up XX = female XY = male 23 Chromosomal Pairs

23rd pair determines sex of the baby

Phenotype Physical Characteristics

Attached earlobe vs. Unattached Eye Color Hair Color

attached unattached

Teratogen Any environmental factor or disease-

causing agent that can harm a fetus Fetal Alcohol Syndrome “Crack Babies” AIDS X-Rays Don’t stand too close to the microwave Mercury (Found in Fish)

Infancy (0-2 years) Physical Development

Skill begins to replace reflex Grasping, sucking, blinking,

rooting, plantar Growth rate decline from

Prenatal Stage

Infancy Social Development Harry Harlow’s Theories

Secure/Insecure Attachment Stranger Anxiety Peaks at 6 months

Separation Anxiety Peaks at 18 months

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0

Secure Attachment After numerous positive experiences

with a caregiver, the infant begins to become attached to that caregiver

After a while, the infant trusts that the caregiver will take care of them

Infants who are securely attached will… Exhibit less stress

Also have less extreme reactions to it More willing to try new things/explore Be better problem solvers Form better relationships

Insecure Attachment Develops in infants that have negative

or unpredictable experiences with the caregiver

Learn that adults are not predictable and therefore not trustworthy

Infants with insecure attachment will… Refuse interactions with others Avoid relationships Exaggerate stress/distress Show anger, anxiety and fear

Infancy Cognitive

Development Prefer Face-like patterns

Do NOT like masks Love Peek-a-boo Baby Einstein Videos

Visual Cliff Bad with depth

perception Can’t figure out depth

perception before crawling stage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6cqNhHrMJA#t=30

Childhood (2 – Middle School Age) Physical Development

More extensive neural networks More complexity of thought

Critical thinking skills Growth rate declines again

Childhood Social

Development Gender Identity Independence

Childhood Cognitive Development

Learning Language

The roots of language are still very malleable but they are starting to take shape here

Thinking skills More complex, critical thought

4 Major Theories of Development Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial

Development Piaget’s Stages Cognitive Development Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual

Development Kohlberg’s ideas on Moral Development

Adolescence (about 9-19)

Physical Development Physical growth and

maturation Muscle development Bones become denser

Sexual Development Puberty Hormone production

increases

Adolescence Social Development

Peer groups become more important than family

Attraction to the opposite sex heightens Development of relationships

(dating) 3 main issues

Pregnancy Eating Disorders Depression/Suicide

Even more so today

Cognitive Cognitive Development

Logical and hypothetical thinking Introspective thought

Pshhh… teens, logical?

Adulthood (20s – Late 50s) Physical

Development Peak Physical Ability

Declines by 1% each year

Women = menopause Idiosyncratic

Happens sometime between late 30s – early

50s

Adulthood Social Development

Mate selection Monogamous polygamous

relationship Parenting Career Selection Social groups moves back

towards the family

Adulthood Cognitive Development

Reaction time (mental) declines Depending on how mentally active one

stays Memory slowly declines

More rapidly towards the end of adulthood

Later Years (60s+) Physical Development

Decline in muscle tone and strength Decline in sensory abilities and reaction

time Aches and pains in joints Bone and muscle deterioration

Later Years Social Development

Retirement Become more isolated

Return to the family dynamic Lack of mobility Decline in health

Later Years Cognitive Development

Cognitive Declines continue depending on how mentally active you stay Memory Mental acuity

Research Methods Cross-Sectional

Varying ages tested at any given time Ex:

Longitudinal Same group of subjects over a

long period of time Ex:

Historical Historical circumstances of an

era Ex: