HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

General Psychology (1/23)

photo credit:http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/psych/metaelements/jpg/developmental_collag.jpg

Developmental Psychology
Branch

of psychology that describes and explains change across the lifespan Development

Human is

described as how people change and how people stay the same over time

2 Forms of Change:
Quantitative How

we change as explained through numerical quantities

Qualitative Change

in kind, structure, or organization

Multi-Dimensional & Integrated

Development

involves the whole individual and all of his different aspects:

Physical

- body, structure, motor skills - mental abilities

Cognition

Personality

& Emotional - Self-concept or selfperception, gender identity, emotions and feelings, self-esteem - interactions and relationships with others

Social

Development throughout life-span (8 Stages)

Prenatal Infancy Early

(from conception to birth)

(birth to age 2)

Childhood (2-7) Childhood (7-11) (11-20)

Middle

Adolescence Young

Adulthood (20s to 40s) Adulthood (40s to 60s)

Middle Late

Adulthood (60s onwards)

Stability and Plasticity in Development

Stable There

are some traits that remain unchanged

Unstable/Plastic Can

be caused by changing conditions

Normative & Non-Normative Inuences

Normative Biological and environmental

inuences which occur in a similar way for most people

Non-Normative are occurrences not

common to most people that have a major impact on an individuals life

Age-Graded particular to an age group History-Graded

particular to a common generation

they are unusual events

Development in Context

Development is in constant interaction with the environment Biological Systems Perspective (Urie Bronfenbrenner, 1998) A child develops within a complex and dynamic system of
relationships and is affected by them.

5 systems: Microsystem - primary relationships (immediate surrounding) Mesosystem - connections among a persons microsystems Exosystem - settings that do not involve a person but is still affected
by it

Macrosystem - describes the culture in which individuals live Chronosystem - inuence of historical time in shaping ones
environment and life experiences

ISSUES IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

NATURE VERSUS NURTURE CONTROVERSY Is behavior innate or acquired? CONTINUITY VERSUS DISCONTINUITY IN
DEVELOPMENT

Does development continue throughout an

individuals lifespan? Or does it stop at a certain point?

PSYCHOSEXUAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Sigmund Freud
Men are more moral than they think and far more immoral than they can imagine.

3 Parts of the Unconscious

Id

The child in us Continually seeks immediate gratication of wants Revolves around the pleasure principle - we seek pleasure and avoid pain

Ego

The rational adult Seeks satisfaction of wants but takes reality into account - delayed gratication Revolves around the reality principle - we dont always get what we want (we can postpone or delay pleasure)

Superego

The older, conservative senior - our conscience

Punishes misbehavior with feelings of guilt

Criticizes and prohibits our drives, fantasies, feelings, and actions

THE ID, THE EGO, AND THE SUPEREGO

PHOTO CREDIT: http://www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk/learning_modules/psychology/02.TU.04/illustrations/02.IL.17.gif

Each stage focuses on a different erogenous zone

An

excitable part of the body where our sexual/ libidinal energies are focused on

Freud

claimed that some people get stuck at one particular stage . . . They become xated. Manifests in adulthood. the xation is caused by frustration, sometimes by overindulgence . . . and its always the parents faults!

Sometimes

Oral Stage
Birth

to 12-18 months and lips are the center of pleasure

Mouth

Source Oral

of pleasurable sensations is the mouth where the child sucks, swallows and bites. Fixation

occurs when oral needs are not met or are overindulged

gossiping,

overeating, smoking, etc.

Anal Stage

Between 12-18 months and 3 years Sexual energies are focused on the anus First encounter with social constraints Children are free to expel waste Toilet-training dampens this freedom Anal Fixation Adult symbolically withholds feces controlling, stubborn, stingy Adult symbolically expels feces wasteful, messy, disorganized

Phallic Stage

3 to 6 years Focus of pleasure shifts to the genital area For BOYS: Oedipal Complex young boys have an unconscious urge to eliminate their
fathers in order to fulll a sexual need to be with their mothers

Castration Anxiety a fear of having their penis cut off by their fathers upon
realization of boys desire for their mother

causes boys to stop desiring their mothers

Phallic Stage, part 2

For GIRLS Penis Envy young girls realize that they are without penises they blame the mother for their lack of penis - they
then identify with their fathers

Electra Complex an unconscious desire a young girl has for her father precipitated by the lack of a penis for which the
young girl blames her mother for

Fixations @ the Phallic Stage

Unresolved conicts with same-sex parent

problems dealing with people in authority:

parents older siblings teachers bosses

uncertainty about ones identity problems in maintaing romantic relationships aberrant sexual behavior

Latency Stage
6

to 11 years repression of the libido

temporary child

focuses more on social relationships

Genital Stage

Sexual drive returns with a vengeance coupled with the onslaught of puberty Focus of pleasure return to the genitals Object of sexual desire - the opposite sex

 Evaluating Pros Changed First Cons

Freuds Theory

the face of Psychology

to highlight the role of childhood experiences in shaping adult personality

Overemphasis Derogatory Overly

on sex

to women

culture-bound (Victorian era)

PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT

Erik Erikson
Children love and want to be loved and they very much prefer the joy of accomplishment to the triumph of hateful failure. Do not mistake a child for his symptom.

Trust vs. Mistrust (birth to between 12-18 months)

Centers around the infant's basic needs being met by the parents The infant depends on the parents, especially the mother, for food, sustenance, and comfort If these needs are met:

Child develops trust and security, and is hopeful and optimistic

If the needs are not met:

Infant grows up mistrustful of the world and people in general

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (early childhood, 12-18 months to 4 years)

Can I do things myself or must I always rely on others? Child asserts independence and separation from caregivers If there is adequate balance between childs sense of independence and disciplining the child

Child develops a sense of accomplishment, purpose, and responsibility

If child is overprotected or constantly discouraged and reprimanded in his explorations

Child will doubt his ability to accomplish things and shame for his lack of self-control

 Initiative

vs. Guilt (preschool age, between 3 and

6 years)
Am

I good or am I bad? LEARNS TO TAKE INITIATIVE

CHILD If

supported by parents - child will develop a sense of purpose and responsibility reprimanded by parents - child will feel GUILTY and INADEQUATE about initiating activities

If

 Industry

vs. Inferiority (middle childhood, between 6 to 11 years)

Am

I Successful or Worthless?

Child

develops abilities, becomes industrious and productive, engages in hobbies

If

successful - child develops sense of competence and motivation failure - child feels inadequate and inferior

If

 Identity

vs. Identity Confusion (adolescence, between 11 and 20 years)

Who

am I and where am I going? try to nd themselves or their sense of

Adolescents

identity
Individuals

often go through an identity crisis - they often dont know who they are and who they want to be MORATORIUM is necessary - a time-out adolescent can be free to be who he or she wants

The

 Intimacy "Am

vs. Isolation (young adulthood, 20s to 40s)

I loved and wanted?" or "Shall I share my life with someone or live alone?" are ready to share themselves with others
Individual

Individuals

develops loving and committed relationships; or commit to relationships

Cannot Float

from one relationship to another

 Generativity

vs. Stagnation (or Self-absorption) (middle adulthood, 40s to 60s)

"Will A

I produce something of real value?"

concern for the younger generation (+) A need to pass on or LEAVE A LEGACY

(-)

No contribution to the next generation unproductive

this stage is marked by MID-LIFE CRISIS

 Integrity

vs. Despair (late adulthood, 60s and

beyond)
"Have

I lived a full life?" are confronted with their mortality

Individuals (+)

Develops the virtue of wisdom and readiness to face death - integrity Looks back on life with regret

(-)

THEORY OF COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Jean Piaget
It is with children that we have the best chance of studying the development of logical knowledge, mathematical knowledge, physical , and so forth.

 Schemas Basic Tools A

units of intellect for learning about the world

type of mental script, or a sketch for a situation, event, or problem

 Assimilation Process

of taking in new information that easily ts into an existing schema change information to t into our established schemas
ex. ex.

We

all 4-legged animals are seen as doggies all women are seen as mommies

 Accommodation Process

of modifying/differentiating existing schemas to better t new information a child changes his or her schemas in response to new knowledge or experience
ex.

When

can now differentiate dogs from cats, and other 4-legged animals

 Equilibrium Balance

is attained when a child learns to accommodate schemes are in accordance with the demands of the world

When

 Sensorimotor Infants

Stage

understand the world through sensory experiences and physical interactions with other objects Permanence

Object The

understanding that objects continue to exist even when outside of the infants perception

OBJECT PERMANENCE

 Pre-operational Child

is now able to use mental images - But is still unable to perform mental operations
Hence

Pre-Operational Representational/Symbolic Thinking

Highlight: The

ability to make something stand for something else

Concepts: Centration Inability to Conserve Egocentrism

Centration
Childs

propensity to focus on only one aspect of a stimulus at a time young child's tendency to focus only on his or her own perspective of a specic object and a failure to understand that others may see things differently.

 Inability Child

to Conserve

does not understand the process of conservation mentally reverse an action

Cannot

INABILITY TO CONSERVE

 Egocentrism Childs

inability to consider viewpoints other than his own in seeing the world through someone elses perspective

Difculty

EGOCENTRISM THREE-MOUNTAIN TASK

EGOCENTRIC CONVERSATIONS

 Concrete Child

Operational

can now think logically about objects and events abilities:

Seriation Transitive

Reasoning

Classication

 Seriation Ability

to order objects according to some quantitative dimension Reasoning

Transitive Can

now solve transitive reasoning problems

Classication Ability

to recognize hierarchical relations between sets and subsets

 Formal

Operational stage of cognitive development is able to:

Highest

Adolescent Reason Can

logically

draw conclusions and entertain, and test hypotheses

Formulate

PENDULUM PROBLEM

THEORY OF MORAL DEVELOPMENT

Lawrence Kohlberg
Right action tends to be defined in terms of general individual rights and standards that have been critically examined and agreed upon by the whole society.

 Pre-Conventional Moral

Level

Reasoning is based on immediate consequences 2 levels:

Punishment

Orientation

I do what I am told so I will not be punished Orientation

Reward I

do what is expected of me in order to gain rewards

 Conventional Moral

Level

reasoning is based on conformity to social rules and expectations levels: Boy/Good Girl Orientation

Good I

will do what is good. I want to please others Systems Orientation

Social I

will obey the law because I wish to do my duty and help maintain social order

 Post-Conventional Moral 2

Level

reasoning is based on principles and ethical ideas

levels: of Social Contrast and Democracy

Morality I

will uphold the values of human life, dignity, and the rights of others of Individual Principles and Conscience

Morality I

will try to follow the laws, but in some cases I believe they are not right and I must follow conscience

HEINZS DILEMMA (ASSIGNMENT)

In Europe, a woman was near death from cancer. One drug might save her, a form of radium that a druggist in the same town had recently discovered. The druggist was charging $2,000, ten times what the drug cost him to make. The sick womans husband, Heinz, went to everyone he knew to borrow the money, but he could only get together about half of what it cost. He told the druggist that his wife was dying and asked him to sell it cheaper or let him to sell it cheaper or let him pay later. But the druggist said, No. The husband got desperate and broke into the mans store to steal the drug for his wife. Should the husband have done that? Why?

Should Heinz steal the drug? Why or why not? If Heinz doesn't love his wife, should he steal the drug for her? Why or why not? Suppose the person dying is not his wife but a stranger. Should Heinz steal the drug for a stranger? Why or why not? Suppose it is a pet animal he loves. Should Heinz steal to save the pet animal? Why or why not? Why should people do everything they can to save another's life? 6.
It is against the law for Heinz to steal? Does that make it morally wrong? Why or why not? Why should people generally do everything they can to avoid breaking the law? How does this relate to Heinz's case?