Psychology, by David G. Myers, 7th Edition Textbook
Chapter 03 - The Developing Child
Prenatal Development and the Newborn
At 8 weeks after conception, babies are anatomically indistinguishable; 4/5th month
different
Sex determined by 23rd pair of chromosome
X chromosome: comes from either mother or father; females have two, males have one
Y chromosome: comes from father, paired with x to form male
Y chromosome stimulates development of male sex organ by producing testosterone: most
important male sex hormone, but females have it too
Gender: biologically or socially influenced characteristics which people define as
male/female
zygotes: fertilized eggs; less than half survive pass 2 weeks
after 10 days, zygote attach to mother’s uterine wall and forms placenta for nourishment,
zygote becomes embryo:
developing human from 2 weeks to second month
after two months, looks human, called fetus: developing human from 2 months to birth
fetus hears muffled version of mother’s voice and prefers it after birth
harm can come when placenta gets teratogens: agents that can harm embryo/fetus during
prenatal stage; a mother who is a heroin addict will have a heroin addicted baby
newborns are equipped with reflexes ideal to survival
rooting reflex: reflex, when touched on cheek, to open mouth and find nipple
perceptual abilities continue to develop during first month, can distinguish mother’s odour
Infancy and Childhood
, maturation: biological growth processes that enable orderly change in behaviour, could be
influenced by experiences
maturation sets the basic course of development and experience adjust it
lack of neuron connections reason why earliest memories rarely earlier than third birthday
(experiences help develop neural connections)
Rosenzweig and Krech reared some young rats in solitary confinement and others in
playground; found those in playground develop thicker and heavier brain cortex
For optimum development, early years critical –use it or lose it; but development exists
through life as neural tissues changes –experiences nurture nature
plasticity: brain ability to reoganize pathways to compensate damage; if laser damaged
spot in cat’s eye, brain area receiving input from spot will start responding to stimulation
from nearby areas in eye; brain hardware changes with time –can rewired with new
synapses
children brains most “plastic” –surplus of neurons
when neurons are destroyed, nearby ones may partly compensate by making new
connections
experience influences motor behaviour
experience(nurture) before biological development(nature) has limited effect
Cognitive Development
Cognition: mental activities associated with knowing, thinking, & remembering
Piaget believed child’s mind develops through series of stages
Piaget believed children built schemas: concept or framework that organises and interprets
info; mental molds into which we pour our experience
assimilate: interpreting new experience in terms of existing schemas; given schema for dog,
child may call 4-legged animals doggies
to fit new experiences, we accommodate: adapting one’s schemas to incorporate new info;
child realises doggies schemas too broad and refines category
Piaget’s 4 stages of Cognitive Development
Chapter 03 - The Developing Child
Prenatal Development and the Newborn
At 8 weeks after conception, babies are anatomically indistinguishable; 4/5th month
different
Sex determined by 23rd pair of chromosome
X chromosome: comes from either mother or father; females have two, males have one
Y chromosome: comes from father, paired with x to form male
Y chromosome stimulates development of male sex organ by producing testosterone: most
important male sex hormone, but females have it too
Gender: biologically or socially influenced characteristics which people define as
male/female
zygotes: fertilized eggs; less than half survive pass 2 weeks
after 10 days, zygote attach to mother’s uterine wall and forms placenta for nourishment,
zygote becomes embryo:
developing human from 2 weeks to second month
after two months, looks human, called fetus: developing human from 2 months to birth
fetus hears muffled version of mother’s voice and prefers it after birth
harm can come when placenta gets teratogens: agents that can harm embryo/fetus during
prenatal stage; a mother who is a heroin addict will have a heroin addicted baby
newborns are equipped with reflexes ideal to survival
rooting reflex: reflex, when touched on cheek, to open mouth and find nipple
perceptual abilities continue to develop during first month, can distinguish mother’s odour
Infancy and Childhood
, maturation: biological growth processes that enable orderly change in behaviour, could be
influenced by experiences
maturation sets the basic course of development and experience adjust it
lack of neuron connections reason why earliest memories rarely earlier than third birthday
(experiences help develop neural connections)
Rosenzweig and Krech reared some young rats in solitary confinement and others in
playground; found those in playground develop thicker and heavier brain cortex
For optimum development, early years critical –use it or lose it; but development exists
through life as neural tissues changes –experiences nurture nature
plasticity: brain ability to reoganize pathways to compensate damage; if laser damaged
spot in cat’s eye, brain area receiving input from spot will start responding to stimulation
from nearby areas in eye; brain hardware changes with time –can rewired with new
synapses
children brains most “plastic” –surplus of neurons
when neurons are destroyed, nearby ones may partly compensate by making new
connections
experience influences motor behaviour
experience(nurture) before biological development(nature) has limited effect
Cognitive Development
Cognition: mental activities associated with knowing, thinking, & remembering
Piaget believed child’s mind develops through series of stages
Piaget believed children built schemas: concept or framework that organises and interprets
info; mental molds into which we pour our experience
assimilate: interpreting new experience in terms of existing schemas; given schema for dog,
child may call 4-legged animals doggies
to fit new experiences, we accommodate: adapting one’s schemas to incorporate new info;
child realises doggies schemas too broad and refines category
Piaget’s 4 stages of Cognitive Development
