Child DevelopmentCh. 11 (p. 461-486)

Music: Sweet Child of Mine

Guns and RosesThe Kids Aren’t Alright

Offspring

Today’s Agenda

1. Prenatal Development: a) Conception and fetal development b) Teratogens c) Fetal learning

2. Infancy and Childhood a) Sensory development b) Motor development c) Linguistic development d) Cognitive development e) Attachment f) Parenting Styles

1. Prenatal Development

a) Conception: 300 million sperms competing for 1 egg 23 chromosomes of egg and sperm unite

Zygote: Conception to 2 weeks Travels to uterine wall & implants (7th day)

Embryo: Development of placenta and umbilical cord 2 weeks to 8 weeks Development of all vital organs

• Prenatal development (cont’d.)

Fetus: 9 weeks to birth Organs continue to grow Muscles and bones form Sex organs develop

1. Prenatal development (cont’d.) Periods of Vulnerability Fig. 11.2

1. Prenatal Development (cont’d.)

b) Teratogens: “monster producing agents” Nicotine:

Risk of spontaneous abortions and fetal deathLower birth weight higher risk of death in 1st year

Alcohol:Fetal Acohol Syndrome (FAS)3rd leading cause of mental retardation

Cocaine:Reduced fetal blood flow: higher number of stillbirthsBehavioral and learning difficulties

Prescription Drugs • Maternal health

Nutrition, and stress (via cortisol secretion) affects fetal development c) Fetal learning:

Fetus recognizes mother’s voice At birth, prefers sounds experienced in the womb

2. Infancy and Childhood

a) Sensory Development Reflexes What can babies see? Hear? Smell?

b) Motor Development Sequence of developmental milestones is universal Rate of progress varies according to environmental

stimulation and biological maturation See fig. 11.4, p. 469

2. b) Motor Development3-4 months

Illustration of grasping

2. b) Motor Development

The emergence of walking (11 months): Home movie

2. c) Linguistic Development

Ability to acquire language is biologically-based Critical period: see Genie’s case

Interactionist Theories Input begins in the womb

Factors that make children experts: Social interest Speech perception abilities Speech production Language Acquisition Device

2. c) Linguistic Development

Demonstration of social interest, and cooing displayed in the first few months of life with home movies

2. c) Linguistic Development (cont’d)

Social responsiveness illustrated in infants Laughing quadruplets (clip)

2. d) Cognitive Development How do children think? What do they think? Piaget Principles:

Assimilation Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing mental

structures without changing them Accomodation

Changing existing mental structures to explain new experiences

Sensorimotor Stage (Birth- 2 years):

Development of object permanence Preoperational Stage (2-7 years):

Thinking characterized by centration, irreversibility, egocentrism and animism p. 479-480

Failure at conservation (see Fig. 11.11 next slide)

Review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7GVy8WMWWk Fig. 11.11

Concrete Operational (7-11 yrs): Perform mental operations (e.g. conservation task) But Concrete; cannot think abstractly

Formal Operational (11 years on): Ability to reason logically and abstractly

2. d) Concrete Operational Period

2. e) Attachment

Close emotional relationship between a child and a caregiver Ramifications of severe neglect (e.g. orphaned children) For the assessment of attachment, see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTsewNrHUHU&feature=related 3 attachment styles:

Secure (65%) The other is represented as responsive and reliable and the self as

worthy of being protected and responded to Avoidant (20%) Anxious/ Ambivalent (15%)

Originates from caregiver responsiveness and child’s temperament (see p. 474)

Caregiving styles: warm, responsive vs. cold, rejecting, inconsistent, or miss-attuned

2. e) Attachment Process

Also see clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsA5Sec6dAI

2. e) Attachment (cont’d) Ramifications in adulthood: Secure:

“I find it relatively easy to get close to others, and am comfortable depending on them.”

Avoidant: “I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to

others; I find it difficult to trust them… I get nervous when anyone gets too close.”

Anxious- Ambivalent: “I find that others are reluctant to get as close as I

would like. I worry that my partner doesn’t really love me, or won’t stay with me…”

2. f) Parenting styles Authoritarian:

Stress obedience to authority Parent-centered; more controlling and punitive

Authoritative: Have high standards for children, but more flexible in their

authority More child-centered; use reasoning

Indulgent: Parents exercise little control; not as demanding more

permissive Let children learn through their own experience

Neglectful: Relationship is uninvolved

Outcome on child behaviour

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Tuesday 10:30 Vari Hall 3006 Tuesday 2:30 Chemistry 115