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Chapter 1 GP 5 and 6

Psych 30

NWRC

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Guidepost 5 What are the major

aspects and periods of

development

Physical growth of body and brain, sensory

capacities, motorskills and health Cognitive change in stability in mental abilities

such as memory, learning, language, thinking,

moral reasoning and creativity

Psychosocial change and stability inpersonality, emotions and social relationships

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Critical Periods

In physical development not acquiring a skill may mean ahigher skill will not be developed.

In cognitive there is more ability for plasticity ormodifying. Later experiences can reverse the effects of

earlier experiences There seems to be some critical periods for some

cognitive development for example language beingacquired before age 8 -the first few years of life is thecrucial time in which an individual can acquire a firstlanguage if presented with adequate stimuli. If languageinput doesn't occur until after this time, the individual willnever achieve a full command of language especiallygrammatical systems.

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Critical periods - continued

A child's experienceafter birth, particularlyin those critical first

few years of life, setsthe stage for justabout every functionof that child inadulthood,

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Critical periods - continued

Every positive interaction,every gentle touch, everysoft word, every lovingemotion, and every gentle

movement is translatedinto an explosion ofelectrical and chemicalactivity within the brain, asbillions of cells organize

themselves to make thetrillions of networks

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Critical periods - continued

every harsh touch, every harsh word, everynegative emotion and rough handling or physicalabuse also set off electrical and chemical activityand a different set of networks become

developed During the last decade, researchers have learnt

that the brain is receptive to different tasks atdifferent times, known as critical periods withgood reason. For if the brain does not receivethe appropriate stimulation during these criticalperiods, then whole sections of the brain fail todevelop properly.

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Critical Periods continued

It was also discovered that the 0-3 year period is

critical for the development of vision, control of

emotions and habitual ways of responding to

situations the understanding of symbols and language, the

building blocks of written and verbal expression

and mathematics also has its critical period

within these 3 years. After 3 years, the ability toorganize the networks, the ability to wire the

brain for these functions, is significantly reduced.

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Critical Periods continued

It was also discovered that the 0-3 year period is

critical for the development of vision, control of

emotions and habitual ways of responding to

situations the understanding of symbols and language, the

building blocks of written and verbal expression

and mathematics also has its critical period

within these 3 years. After 3 years, the ability toorganize the networks, the ability to wire the

brain for these functions, is significantly reduced.

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Guidepost 6 What types of

influences make one person

different from another? Heredity -Nature versus nurture in personality traits

Personality is a frequently cited example of a heritable

trait that has been studied in twins and adoptions.Identical twins reared apart are far more similar inpersonality than randomly selected pairs of people.Likewise, identical twins are more similar than fraternaltwins. Also, biological siblings are more similar in

personality than adoptive siblings. Each observationsuggests that personality is heritable to a certain extent.

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Guidepost 6 What types of

influences make one person

different from another? Environment all non-genetic influences

Family size Family composition

Socioeconomic status

Culture (way of life traditions, values)

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Guidepost 6 What types of

influences make one person

different from another? Normative Influences: Occurs in a similar

fashion for most people around the same time

biological events (learning to walk or puberty) orsocial constructs such as entry into school.

Cohorts are people who are in the same group

for example people close in age who share

many normative influences (entry into school,

childbearing etc)

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Guidepost 6 What types of

influences make one person

different from another? Non-normative Influences: Are influences

which impact individual lives such as an

accident where a parent is killed or having

a teenaged pregnancy events that are

out of the usual that change the course of

ones life.