Developmental psychology studies changes across the lifespan. Prenatal development involves three stages: germinal, embryonic, and fetal. During the embryonic stage, major physical structures and organs form. The fetal stage lasts until birth, when growth and brain development occur. Babies are born with the capacity for all senses and reflex behaviors controlled by the spinal cord. Attachment theory holds that infants need contact comfort from caregivers for healthy social-emotional development. Piaget's theory of cognitive development describes four stages from infancy to adulthood involving changes in cognitive abilities and limitations.

1. The Developing
Person
Chapter 4

2. Developmental Psychology
 a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, moral,
personality and social changes throughout the life span

3. PrenatalDevelopment
Three stages of Prenatal Development
*NOTE: not the same as “Trimesters” (Trimester are
what is happening to Mom. The focus of Prenatal is
what is developing on “developing baby”)
1. Germinal Period
2. Embryonic period
3. Fetal Period
Disclaimer: My use of “developing baby” in this case is for lack of a term that I have taught
you yet (and something better than “It”. This is not a statement on when I believe or when
you should believe that a baby becomes a baby. You may take this statement to mean that
it is developing into a baby or that it is a baby and is developing; your choice.

4. PrenatalDevelopment
1. Germinal Period
– Developing baby called: Zygote
– Lasts: 10-14 days
– Major goals: Mitosis (cell duplication) and road trip

5. PrenatalDevelopment
2. Embryonic period
– Developing baby called: embryo
– Lasts: 2nd week – 8th week
– Goals: Physical changes
• Structures
• Organ formation
• 40 days 4 months

6. Embryonicdevel

7. EmbryonicStageDevel.

8. Prenatal Development
3. Fetal period
– Called: Fetus
– Lasts: Until birth
Weeks:
• 40 – average time
(due date)
• 42 - induce
• 37 – full term (lungs
developed)
• 22 - age of viability
– Goals: Mitosis,
enlarging, & brain
devel.

9. • Placenta
– Attaches
– Feeds
– Filters
• Teratogens
– Potentially Harmful
substances pass placenta
• When exposed (which prenatal
stage)
• Frequency of exposure
• Dose of exposure
– Examples:
• Pollution, 2nd hand smoke
• German Measles
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Drugs
• x-rays
• Lead/mercury

10. When exposed predicts Impact

11. PrenatalSenses
• Vision
– None (no lightwaves)
• Smell
– None (no air molecules)
• Taste
– None (no food getting to tastebuds)
• Touch
– YES!! We have skin and can feel pressure
changes!!
• Audition
– YES!! We have ears and soundwaves can
penetrate to the amniotic sac

12. SensoryCapacity@Birth
• Newborns
– Have capacity for all senses
– Have preference for THE FAMILIAR!
• Sounds, feels, rocking that they are familiar with
they will like better.
• These will update/change and add other senses

13. BehaviorsofNewborns
• Behaviors are “Reflexes”
– Controlled by
• Brain or Spinal cord?
– Increase or decrease as we age?

14. BehaviorsofNewborns
• Behaviors are “Reflexes”
– Controlled by
• Spinal cord
– Decrease as we age
• As brain develops it takes over reflexes
previously controlled by spinal cord
• Reflex are involuntary responses to a
physical stimulus
• Reflex
– Area stimulated
– Resulting action

15. Reflexesofnewborn
• Rooting
– Cheek
– Turn in direction
• Sucking
– Mouth
– Sucking
• Moro
– Noise
– arms out, arch back
• Babinski
– Foot
– toes out then curl
• Grasp
– Palm
– close to fist
• Stepping
– Feet
– alternating feet

16. Brain Development
• Neurons grow in number and size.
• Birth = ¼ size of adult
• 2 years = ¾ of adult
• 5 years = 9/10 of adult

17. SocialDevelopment:
• Social Development
• Harry Harlow’s
– work with monkeys to look at attachment
– What is more important,
• Resources
• Contact comfort

18. ContactComfort!

19. Levels of Attachment: Ainsworth
• The “Strange Situation”
• Securely attached
1. Secure
1. Cry when mom leaves; welcome back
• Insecurely attached
2. Avoidant
• Doesn’t care mom leaves or returns
3. Anxious/Ambivalent (resistant)
• Protest when leaves; resists contact upon return
– Disorganized
• Extreme distress at all measurements

20. ParentingStyles
Authoritative Authoritarian
Permissive Neglectful
Acceptance of Opinion
Control
Parent
Yes
Child
NO

21. Jean Piaget
Development of Cognitive capacities

22. CognitiveDevelopment
• Cognitive Schemas
– Assimilation
– Accommodation
• Development in Stages birth through
adolescence
– 4 stages

23. Piaget’sFourStagesof
• Sensorimotor:
birth to 2 years
–Abilities: senses
and exploration
through senses
–Limits: lacks
object
permanence

24. Piaget’sFourStagesof
CognitiveDevelopment
• Pre-operational: 2 to 7 years
–Abilities: object permanence (AKA:
symbolic thinking)
• Which also means language capacities
–Limits:
• No “Operations” or conservation
• Egocentric – only view the world from
their eyes

26. LanguageDevelopment

27. LanguageDevelopment

28. LanguageDevelopment
Fast Mapping Begins
– 2 years – 250 words
– 6 years up to 14,000 words!
– 7 critical period (fast mapping ends – more difficult to
learn words/languages)

29. Piaget’sFourStagesof
CognitiveDevelopment
• Concrete Operational: 7 to 11
–Abilities:
• operations on Concrete objects
– Conservation abilities
–Limits: no abstract or hypothetical thinking

30. Piaget’sFourStagesof
CognitiveDevelopment
• Formal Operational: 11 years +
–Abilities: abstract and hypothetical
–Limits:
• adolescent egocentrism
• Personal fable
• Imaginary audience
• Only 1 way to conceptualize abstract