Orientation:

  • Scientific study of patterns of growth, change, and stability from conception through adolescence
  • Topical areas in Child Development o Physical development­ body’s physical makeup, including brain, nervous system, muscles, and senses
  • Need to eat, sleep, and drink o Cognitive Development­ how growth and change in intellectual capabilities influence a person’s behavior.
  • Learning, memory, problem solving, and intelligence o Personality and Social Development
  • Personality Development­ how enduring characteristics that make individuals unique change across the lifespan
  • Which personality characteristics seem stable over the lifespan, and which change
  • Social Development­ how an individual’s interactions with others and their social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the lifespan

Age Ranges and Individual Differences

  • Prenatal period­ conception to birth
  • infancy and toddlerhood­ birth to 3
  • preschool age­ 3to 6
  • Middle school­ 6 to 12
  • Adolescences­ 12 to 20
  • Social Constructions= shared ideas about reality that are widely accepted, but are functions of society and culture at a given time
  • Milestones of development refer to averages­ lots of individual variability
  • No need to worry unless child is substantially late
  • More commonality/predictability the younger the child is Influence of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity on Development

­culture is another big influence on development

­Western cultures­ individualism, self­esteem, independence

  • Eastern cultures­ collectivism, contribution to the family unit society in general
  • Ex:

o Child 1: agricultural community, few resources

  • Expectations: help family with farming/ income
  • Parents focus more on basic protection and survival needs
  • In later years, practical skills and hands on experiences
  • Goal­ survive into adulthood and contribute to the family o Child 2: parents focus more on lifestyle
  • Flashy toys, playdates
  • In later years, parents focus on the right schools and achievement
  • Goal­ go to college, make money
  • Weird Cultures o Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic
  • 12% of world’s population
  • African/Caribbean/India: caregivers massage and exercise infants daily o Walk earlier compared to weird cultures, confirmed with lab experiments o Northern China: infants are toileted by laying them on their backs on sandbags most of the day o Delays onset of sitting, crawling, and walking relative to weird cultures
  • Back sleeping can delay onset of crawling
  • Some cultures do not encourage crawling, infants tend to skip that step o Race­ limited use as a concept. 99.9% of everyone’s genetic material is the same
  • Misuse of the term ethnicity­ we’ll just consider it a cultural influence

Cohort Influences on Development with Others in a Social World

  • Cohort­ group of people born at around the same time in the same place o The Lost Generation­ aka the Generation of 1914 in Europe; those who fought in WWI. Born between 1883­1900
    • The Greatest Generation­ aka the G.I. Generation; includes vets who fought in WWII. Born around 1901­1924. great depression. o The silent generation­ aka the lucky few. 1925­1942. too young to join WWII. Fought Korean War.
    • The Baby Boomers­ generation born following WWII, 1946­1964. increases birth rate.
  • associated with rejection or redefinition of traditional values
  • In Europe and north America widely associated with privilege o Generation X­ those born after the baby boomers, 1960­1980 o Generation Y­ aka millennial generation, late 1970­1980­2000 o Generation Z­ early 2000 to present
  • Cohort effects­ particular impact of a group bonded by time or common life experience o Types of Cohort Effects
  • History­ graded influences­ influences correlated with historical time; experienced by majority of a culture
    • Wars and epidemics
    • Majority of a cohort experience the event in similar ways
    • May affect cohorts differently
  • Age graded influences­ effects on development that tend to occur at approximately same chronological age in most people
    • Biological effects
    • Environmental effects (entering school)
  • Sociocultural­ graded influences­ social and cultural factors present at a particular time for a particular individual, depending on such variables as ethnicity, social class, and subcultural membership
  • Non­ normative life events­ significant, unexpected, unpredictable events, for a particular individual, which do not follow predictable development pattern of life­ cycle

Historical Views of Childhood

  • Original sin view­ Middle Ages­ kids are born bad o Religious salvation
  • Tabula rasa view­ late 1600s­ kids are born blank o John Locke

o Parents should spend a lot of time with kids, to teach them right and wrong

  • Innate Goodness view aka noble savage view­ 1700s­ Jean­ Jacques Rousseau. Kids are born innately good. o Parents stay out of the way
  • Eventful, unique period of life
  • Protection/ education Key Issues and Questions
  • Continuous vs. discontinuous change o Continuous­ gradual, ongoing changes thru lifespan o Discontinuous­ distinct, separate stages o Middle Ground
  • Critical and Sensitive periods
    • Critical­ point of dev. when a specific event has the greatest consequences
  • Chaffinch must hear adult singing before sexual maturation o Plasticity­ degree to which developing behavior structure is modifiable o Sensitive­ more flexible than critical period
  • Relative Influence of nature vs nurture o Nativists­ certain things are inborn, or will occur regardless of environment o Empiricists­ most behavioral characteristics are result of learning o Middle Ground­ trying to determined relative contributions of both

Being an Informed Consumer of Child Development

  • So many books about parenting o Consider the source o Evaluate the credentials
    • Understand the difference between anecdotes and scientific evidence
    • Keep cultural context in mind o Don’t assume something’s true just because it’s widely believed