Infancy and Childhood

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Infancy and Childhood
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Developmental Psychology

• Study how people grow change throughout life
• Focus on infancy childhood to
• Find out how childhood experiences impact later
  life
• Learn about developmental problems
• How to foster healthy adults
• Examine physical, social,
• cognitive development

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Nature vs. Nurture

• Nature Heredity/biological
• Maturation- automatic sequential process of
  development that results from genetic signals
• Learning to crawl, walk, etc.
• Critical Periods- stage or point when a child is
  best suited to
• learn a skill or behavior

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• Nurture
• Behavioral psychologists
• John Locke- Tabula Rasa
• John Watson- influence of environment, nutrition,
  family situation, etc.
• Says that development relies more on environment
  than genetics

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Stages vs. Continuity

• Stages
• Occurs in steps or specific phases based on
  skills or behaviors
• Continuity
• Development is a gradual process that happens
  gradually

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Physical Development
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Motor Development

• Developmental Norms the age at which the average
  child achieves certain developmental milestones
• During early motor development, newborn reflexes
  give way to voluntary actions
• Maturation interacts with environmental factors
• promote changes in early
• motor skills

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Motor Development

• Major milestones in motor development include
• Grasping
• Crawling
• Walking
• Pointing
• Hand-eye Coordination

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Language Development

• 0-12 months Babbling- repetition of speech-like
  sounds
• 12-18 months First word usually uttered
• 18-20 months Holophrases- single words

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• 20-24 months Telegraphic Speech- Two-word
  sentences
• 2-3 years Simple Sentences- simple sentences
  which ignore minor parts of speech, etc. Usually
  3-5 words
• 3-4 years Kids begin to fill in sentences
• 4 years up Complex
• Sentences- 6 or more words including
• verb tenses and details

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Language Theories

• 1) Reinforcement- Parents listen to infants
  babbling and reinforce (reward) the infant for
  making noises that sound like adult speech
• 2) Critical Periods- Critical time for the
  acquisition of language, and after that time it
  will be
• very difficult to acquire
• language

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• 3) Chomskys Theory- Children are born with a
  language acquisition device, an innate mechanism
  that enables him to understand the rules of
  grammar, makes sense of the speech they hear,
  form intelligible sentences and that this is the
  best time to teach another language

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Social Development

• Interaction with others develops from beginning
  of life
• In animals, it is biological
• Baby ducks follow their mother because of a
  natural phenomenon called imprinting
• More complex in humans

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• 0-2 years old
• Attachment Infants bond to primary caregiver
• Infants who are securely attached to their
  mothers are better able to develop autonomy, a
  sense of independence
• 2 years
• Childs desire for autonomy conflicts with
  parents need for peace order
• Conflicts are necessary step in socialization
  which teaches kids the behaviors attitudes
  appropriate to their family culture
• Parenting style affects childrens behavior
  self-image

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Social Interaction
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Eriksons Stages of Psychosocial Development

• Looks at the development of ego identity the
  conscious sense of self that is developed through
  social interactions
• In each stage, we encounter a conflict which
  becomes a \\
• turning point, resulting
• in either personal growth
• or failure

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• Stage 1- Trust vs. Mistrust
• 0-2 years old
• Most fundamental stage in life.
• Because an infant is so dependent, the
  development of trust is based on the
  dependability and quality of the childs
  caregivers.
• If a child successfully develops trust, he or she
  will feel safe and secure in the world.
  Caregivers who are inconsistent, emotionally
  unavailable, or rejecting contribute to feelings
  of mistrust in the children they care for.
  Failure to develop trust will result in fear and
  a belief that the world is inconsistent and
  unpredictable.

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• Stage 2 Autonomy vs. Shame
• 2-3 years
• children develop a greater sense of personal
  control.
• Toilet training is a vital part of this process
  because learning to control ones body functions
  leads to a feeling of control and a sense of
  independence.
• Other important events include gaining more
  control over food choices, toy preferences, and
  clothing selection.
• Children who successfully complete this stage
  feel secure and confident, while those who do not
  are left with a sense of inadequacy and shame

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• Stage 3 Initiative vs. Guilt
• 3-5 years
• During the preschool years, children begin to
  assert their power and control over the world
  through directing play and other social
  interaction.
• Children who are successful at this stage feel
  capable and able to lead others. Those who fail
  to acquire these skills are left with a sense of
  guilt, self-doubt, and lack of initiative.

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• Stage 4 Industry vs. Inferiority
• 6-12 years
• Through social interactions, children begin to
  develop a sense of pride in their accomplishments
  and abilities.
• Children who are encouraged and commended by
  parents and teachers develop a feeling of
  competence and belief in their skills. Those who
  receive little or no encouragement from parents,
  teachers, or peers will doubt their ability to be
  successful.

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Kohlbergs Stages of moral development

• Studied how children learn morals and why they
  think things are right or wrong
• Believed people dont skip stages or go backward,
  but children may advance at different rates
• Not all people will reach
• level 6

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