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Unit 3 - Coggle Diagram
Unit 3
3.2 Physical Development Across the Lifespan
Prenatal Development
Teratogens
Examples: Alcohol, drugs, some medications, environmental toxins, which may harm the developing fetus.
Harmful agents that affect fetal development, leading to birth defects or developmental challenges.
Genetic Mutations
Changes in genes that affect development.
Examples: Down syndrome, sickle cell anemia.
Environmental Factors
Example: Poor maternal nutrition, lack of prenatal care, or exposure to toxins affecting fetal growth.
Conditions that impact fetal health
Infancy and Childhood
Motor Skills Development
Gross Motor Skills
Involve large muscle movements (e.g., crawling, walking)
Example: Most children begin walking by 12-18 months
Fine Motor Skills
Involve precise, smaller movements (e.g., grasping, drawing)
Example: Grasping toys and manipulating objects as a precursor to writing
Development depends on genetics, environment, and opportunities for practice
Infant Reflexes
Serve as indicators of neurological health; absent or persistent reflexes may signal developmental issues.
Examples: Reflexes present at birth, such as the rooting reflex (turning head toward touch) or Moro reflex (startle response).
Visual Cliff Experiment
Studies depth perception in infants through a safe visual “drop-off” test
Findings: Most infants avoid crawling over the “deep” side, indicating early depth perception around 6-8 months.
Critical Periods and Imprinting
Critical Period
Times when the brain is especially receptive to certain types of learning.
Example: Language learning in early childhood; deprivation during this period affects later language abilities.
Imprinting
Rapid, instinctive attachment seen in animals
Example: Geese following the first moving object after hatching, as demonstrated by Lorenz
Adolescence
Puberty and Sexual Maturation
Growth Spurts:
Rapid increase in height and weight, beginning earlier in females than males.
Primary Sex Characteristics:
Development of reproductive organs
and related functions.
Examples: Sperm production in males and menstruation in females.
Secondary Sex Characteristics: Traits not directly tied to reproduction but distinctive between sexes.
Examples: Body hair, changes in body composition, and voice deepening.
Adulthood
Age-Related Physical Changes
Reproductive Changes
Decline in fertility; menopause in females around age 50, gradual decline in male fertility.
Mobility and Flexibility
Tend to decrease due to muscle loss and joint changes but can be mitigated with exercise.
Cognitive Slowing
Gradual decline in reaction times, particularly for complex tasks.
Sensory Changes
Decline in vision and hearing; corrective measures like glasses and hearing aids can assist
Quality of Life
Maintaining an active lifestyle can help preserve physical and mental functions in older adulthood.
3.1 Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology
Enduring Themes
Chronological Development
Focuses on milestones in a fixed order (e.g., walking, talking).
Examples: Walking by 12–18 months, puberty during adolescence.
Thematic Development
Considers patterns and issues that recur at different life stages.
Examples: Themes like stability vs. change, nature vs. nurture, and continuity vs. discontinuity that emerge across various ages.
Stability vs Change
Stability
Traits or characteristics that remain consistent over time
Examples: Core personality traits such as being extrovert or agreeableness, stable in adulthood.
Change
The ways in which individuals grow, adapt, or change over the course of their lives.
Examples: Social skills, physical capabilities, and cognitive abilities that develop through various stages.
Nature vs Nurture
Nature
The influence of genetic factors on individual development
Examples: Physical traits like eye color or height, and inherited tendencies in behavior.
Nurture
The influence of environment, experiences, and learning on an individual
Examples: The impact of parenting styles, education, culture, and life events
Continuous vs Discontinuous Development
Continuous Development
Growth occurs gradually, have changes overtime
Example: Language acquisition through small, steady improvements in vocabulary and grammar.
Discontinuous Development
Growth happens in distinct stages, each marked by qualitatively different abilities.
Example: Piaget’s cognitive development theory, where children progress through four stages of thinking.
Research Methods
Cross-Sectional Studies
Compares individuals of different age groups at one point in time to assess differences.
Example: Studying memory skills in groups of 20, 40, and 60-year-olds to see age-related differences in recall.
L
ongitudinal Studies
Tracks the same individuals repeatedly over extended periods to observe changes within individuals.
Example: Following a group of children from age 5 to 15 to study changes in reading skills.