Skip to content
Quick Guides

Psychology - Developmental Psychology Age 0–13

Preview 5 of 14 pages

See the first 5 pages exactly as they appear in the document.

  1. Page 1
    Read page 1 as text

    Study Guide Psychology – Developmental Psychology: Age 0–13 1. Development in Infancy and Childhood Human development begins even before birth and continues rapidly through infancy and childhood. During this time, the brain, body, thinking, emotions, and social relationships all develop in important and connected ways. 1.1 Brain Development and the Importance of Environment Before birth ( in utero ), the brain grows very quickly. By the time a baby is born, it already has almost all the nerve cells it will ever have. Brain development is especially rapid during the third trimester of pregnancy . However, after birth, the brain still has a lot of work to do. What develops next are the connections between neurons , which are essential for learning to walk, talk, think, and remember. Psychologists Mark Rosenzweig and David Krech demonstrated the importance of environment through research with rats: • Rats raised alone (an impoverished environment ) developed a thinner cerebral cortex . • They also had fewer glial cells , which support and nourish neurons. • Rats raised in a stimulating environment with other rats and toys showed healthier brain development. Other studies found that touch and massage benefit both premature human infants and infant rats. Together, these findings strongly support the importance of an enriched environment during early development. 1.2 Innate Reflexes in Infants Infants are born with many innate (unlearned) reflexes . These are automatic responses to specific stimuli and help doctors assess healthy development.

  2. Page 2
    Read page 2 as text

    Study Guide Common infant reflexes include: • Moro reflex : Stretching out the arms and legs in response to a loud noise or sudden movement, followed by drawing them inward. • Babinski reflex : The big toe moves upward and the other toes fan out when the sole of the foot is touched. • Sucking reflex : Sucking when something touches the lips. • Rooting reflex : Turning the head toward a touch on the cheek or mouth area. • Grasping reflex : Strongly gripping an object placed in the palm. • Plantar reflex : Curling the toes when the ball of the foot is touched. As infants grow, these reflexes are gradually replaced by learned and voluntary behaviors . 1.3 Motor Development Although infants develop at different rates , the sequence of motor development is the same for most children. On average: • Rolling over: about 2½ months • Sitting without support: around 6 months • Walking independently: about 12 months Physical development follows a cephalocaudal pattern , meaning development proceeds from the head downward — the head and upper body develop before the legs and feet. 1.4 Sensory and Perceptual Development Newborns can respond to many environmental stimuli. All five senses work at birth, but they are not equally developed: • Touch is the most developed sense at birth. • Vision is the least developed. By around 3 months , most infants can recognize a photograph of their mother .

  3. Page 3
    Read page 3 as text

    Study Guide 1.5 Depth Perception and the Visual Cliff Depth perception has been studied using the visual cliff , a glass - covered platform that appears to drop off sharply. Psychologists Eleanor Gibson and Richard Walk found that by about 6 months of age , babies hesitate to crawl over the “cliff,” showing that depth perception is present. 1.6 Cognitive Development Cognitive development refers to the development of thinking, reasoning, mental representation, and the use of symbols.

  4. Page 4
    Read page 4 as text

    Study Guide Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development Jean Piaget was a pioneer in studying how children think. He believed children actively organize information and adapt to their environment using two processes: • Assimilation : Fitting new information into existing ideas o Example: Calling all adult men “daddy” • Accommodation : Creating new ideas when old ones don’t work o Example: Learning that not all toys belong to them Piaget proposed four stages of cognitive development : 1. Sensorimotor stage (birth – 2 years) o Learning through senses and actions o Development of object permanence (knowing objects still exist when out of sight) 2. Preoperational stage (2 – 7 years) o Increased use of language and symbols o Thinking is often egocentric (self - centered) 3. Concrete operational stage (7 – 11 years) o Logical thinking about concrete objects o Ability to classify and organize information 4. Formal operational stage (11 years and older) o Abstract thinking o Ability to reason, test hypotheses, and solve complex problems Although Piaget’s theory has been criticized, it remains highly influential in developmental psychology.

  5. Page 5
    Read page 5 as text

    Study Guide 1.7 Language Development Language development is one of the most important achievements of childhood. Through language, children communicate needs, share ideas, and build social relationships. (This topic is often studied in greater detail on its own.) 1.8 Moral Development Kohlberg’s Theory Lawrence Kohlberg proposed that moral reasoning develops through three levels , each with two stages: Preconventional Level • Stage 1: Punishment orientation – Avoiding punishment • Stage 2: Pleasure - seeking orientation – Acting to satisfy personal needs Conventional Level • Stage 3: Good girl/good boy orientation – Seeking approval • Stage 4: Authority orientation – Respecting rules and authority Postconventional Level • Stage 5: Social contract orientation – Following laws for society’s good • Stage 6: Ethical principles orientation – Guided by personal moral principles Kohlberg found: • Most children reach stages 1 and 2 • Most adults reach stages 3 and 4 • Only about 20% of people reach stage 6 Gilligan’s Perspective Carol Gilligan suggested that males and females may emphasize morality differently: • Girls often focus on care and relationships • Boys often focus on justice and rules She proposed that these differences are partly shaped by early relationships, especially with mothers.

9 more pages in the full document

Unlock it once and it stays in your library, ready to chat with or turn into flashcards.

Unlock the full document

More Psychology study materials

See all

Study this document with CramX

Once it is in your library, every tool can work from it.