1. To understand the basic biological and cultural processes that account for development
2. To devise ways to safeguard children's health and well-being.

1. The Prenatal Period (conception to birth)
2. Infancy (birth through age 2)
3. Early Childhood (2-6)
4. Middle Childhood (6-12)
5. Adolescence (12-18)

1. Social
2. Emotional
3. Cognitive
4. Physical

• Physical environment
• Cultural beliefs
• Family and peers
• Communities and institutions

1. Sources of Development
2. Plasticity
3. Continuity/Discontinuity
4. Individual Difference

1. Nature (genes and biological predispositions)
2. Nurture (social and cultural experiences)

The theory that development is open to change and intervention. It enables individuals to adapt to different environments.

Critical and Sensitive Periods

Continuity- the gradual accumulation of small changes; quantitative changes

Discontinuity- inolves a series of abrupt, radical changes; qualitative changes; developmental stages

Focus on development as a result of learning; individual forms associations between behavior and consequences. 

John Watson- focused on observation of behaviors

B.F. Skinner- operant conditioning

Vygotsky's Socialcultural Theory

Zone of Proximal Development

The role of culture and social interaction in children's learning.

This is the range between what an individual can do alone and what they can do with optimal social support.

Envision development in terms of complex wholes made up of parts and that explore how these wholes interact over time.

Dynamic Systems Theory- the development of new systems of behavior from the interaction of less complex parts

Ecological Systems Theory- the organization of the environmental contexts within children develop.

1. Objectivity- methods are not influenced by the researcher's own beliefs
2. Validity- a measure is valid if it measures the construct that the investigator is trying to measure
3. Ethically sound- informed consent and confidentiality

1. Experiments- introduce change and measure effects
2. Correlation- obtaining information without manipulation; does not show causation; positive and negative correlation

1. Longitudinal- studies the same children over a period of time
2. Cross-Sectional- studies children of different ages at the same time

Genotype- the individuals particular set of genes

Phenotype- the individuals actual/visible traits and behavior

1. Germinal Period- conception - day 8-10
2. Embryonic Period- Implantation (day 8-10) - 8 weeks
3. Fetal Period- 9 weeks - birth

Brain, eyes, face and neck form.

First two months- especially vulnerable

Within the placenta- the barrier/filter system that supplied fetus with nutrients through umbilical cord

Fetus grows dramatically

The 7th month- age of viability- lungs can breathe air

End of 4th month- decrease in movement- brain develops inhibitory pathways

5-6 months- brain develops sensory capacities

Need enough calories

Folic acid is necessary for neural development.

Undernourishment in first three months leads to bad CNS, death, premature birth

In last three months leads to low-birth weight

Environmental agents that cause deviations from normal development or death

Includes... drugs, caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, meth, maternal disease, radiation, pollution

Apgar Scale and Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale

Screen for infants at risk and determine the need for medical interventions

Prematurity- born before the 37th week

Low weight- below 5lb 8oz

Methods for assessing sensory capabilities

PL- looking at one stimuli longer indicates a preference

Habituation- a decreasing reponse in response to a repeated stimulation

Sensitivity to phonemes- 2 month olds can distinguish all languages

6-8 month can only perceive sounds of own language

Learning- a relatively permanent change in behaviors after an infant makes associations between its behavior and events in the environment

Ex: habituation, imitation, classical and operant conditioning

Locomotion- the ability to move around on one's own

Crawling- 8-9 months; have a visual awarness of heights

Sensorimotor Intelligence- infants think using their senses and motor skills

Representational thinking appears around 18 months

Substage 1- 0-1.5 months; infants learn to control relfexes

Substage 2- 1.5-4 months; repeat actions that are pleasurable

Substage 3- 4-8 months; repeating events that involve objects

Substage 4- 8-12 months; emergence of intentionality and goal directed behavior

Substage 5- 12-18 months; exploring by experimenting

Substage 6- 18-24 months; symbolic play, deferred imitation, object permanence

Children looking for an object in the A location even after seeing in placed in the B location

Explanations:

Object permanence

Lack of memory, experience, performance skills

Biological- elicit care and protection; protection from potential danger

Cultural- facilitate social connections; learning and integrating to society

An individual's intensity of emotional reactions, activity level, attention and self-regulation

Kagan's Two Types...

Inhibited: shy, timid and fearful

Uninhibited: bold, social and outgoing

An emotional bond between children and their caregivers

Attachment develops between children are motivated largely by their biological drives

Attachment provides a sense of security and safe base

Proximity Seeking- infants like to be near who they're attached to

Harlow's Experiment- fake mother with food and fake mother with soft blanket. Liked soft blanket. Supported Bowlby's Theory

During 6-8 and 18-24 months, children show separation anxiety

1. Phonology
2. Semantics
3. Grammar
4. Pragmatics

Difference between understand and creating

Usually get their 1st word by 1 year of age. 13-14 months old, can say about 10 words and understand 100

Over- giving a word a broader context than is appropriate (1-3 years of age)

Under- using a word too narrowly

Wernicke's and Broca's Areas

Nativist Position- children have a word explosion that can't be explained by typical learning conventions. Create novel sentences that they've never heard before. Direct teaching is usually not successful

Culture influences adults to use formats- activities that children and parents do together

Bruner- Language Acquisition Support System (LASS); compliments the LAD. Infant directed voices (ex: high pitched)