lecture 22 from a college level introduction to psychology course taught Fall 2011 by Brian J. Piper, Ph.D. (psy391@gmail.com) at Willamette University, prenatal & postnatal, Piaget

1. Development I
Brian J. Piper, Ph.D.
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2. Goals
• Prenatal
• Infancy
• Childhood
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3. Developmental
Psychology
• study of the relatively predictable changes
(motor, cognitive, social, and emotional) in
behavior with age
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4. Developmental Psychology
Issue Details
How do genetic inheritance
(our nature) and experience
Nature/Nurture
(the nurture we receive)
influence our behavior?
Is development a
gradual, continuous process
Continuity/Stages
or a sequence of separate
stages?
Do our early personality
traits persist through life, or
Stability/Change
do we become different
persons as we age.
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5. Prenatal Development and the
Newborn
How, over time, did we come to be who we are?
From zygote to birth, development progresses
in an orderly, though fragile, sequence.
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6. Conception
A single sperm cell (male) penetrates the outer
coating of the egg (female) and fuses to form
one fertilized cell.
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7. Prenatal Development
A zygote is a fertilized egg with 100 cells that
become increasingly diverse. At about 14 days
the zygote (a) turns into an embryo (b).
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8. Prenatal Development
At 9 weeks, an embryo (c) turns into a fetus (d).
Teratogens are chemicals or viruses that can enter
the placenta and harm the developing fetus.
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9. Placenta
• The placenta forms the interface between the
mother and fetus
• Old View: no chemicals can pass the placenta
• New View: anything that can cross the blood brain
barrier can also cross the placenta
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10. Thalidomide
• Used to treat morning sickness
• Administered to 20,000 women in 1950s
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11. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
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12. Mouse Research (GD7)
Alcohol - Alcohol +
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Godin, E.A. et al. (2010). Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 34, 98–111.

13. Adolescent Taste Preference
Following Prenatal Alcohol
Exposure
Long-Evans rat dams received a diet
high in ethyl alcohol (EtOH) from
GD 5-20. *
Offspring were tested on their
alcohol intake at postnatal day 30.
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Youngentob & Glendinning (2009). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106, 5359-64.

14. The Competent Newborn
Infants are born with reflexes that aid in survival.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyVLD0hl0XY
Rooting Reflex: turning head toward anything that
strokes cheek
Moro Reflex: sudden spreading of arms in
response to sensation of being dropped
Palmer Grasp Reflex: closing of hand
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15. Infancy and Childhood
 Physical Development
 Cognitive Development
 Social Development

16. Infancy and Childhood
Infancy and childhood span from birth to the
teenage years. During these years, the
individual grows physically, cognitively,
socially, and emotionally.
Stage Span
Infancy Newborn to toddler
Childhood Toddler to teenager

17. Physical Development
Infants’ psychological development depends on
their biological development. To understand the
emergence of motor skills and memory, we
must understand the developing brain.

18. Developing Brain
At birth, most brain cells are present. After
birth, the neural networks multiply resulting in
increased physical and mental abilities.

19. Maturation
The development of the brain unfolds based on
genetic instructions, causing various bodily and
mental functions to occur in sequence—
standing before walking, babbling before
talking—this is called maturation.
Maturation sets the basic course of
development, while experience adjusts it.

20. Back to Sleep
The causes of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
are not well understood but may involve an immature
brainstem.
The Back to Sleep educational program was instituted
with the hope of reducing SIDS.
prone: laying on stomach
supine: laying on back
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21. 21

22. Motor Development
First, infants begin to roll over. Next, they sit
unsupported, crawl, and finally walk. This
sequence if consistent across human cultures.
Milestone Age (months)
Sitting unsupported 6
Crawling 8
Walking 12
Running 15

23. Auditory Perception
• 1 and 4 month old infants are capable of
responding to speech
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Eimas et al. (1971). Science, 171, 303-306.

24. Maturation and Infant Memory
The capacity and duration of Long-Term
Memory shows pronounced improvements
during the first two-years.
Infants of different ages came to the lab and played
with toys (e.g. Make the monkey jump. This event
consisted of a toy monkey and a blue teeter-totter. The
infant placed the monkey on one end of the teeter-totter
(Step 1) and pushed down on the opposite end (Step
2). This caused the monkey to “jump” into the air..
Later, they were given props and asked to recreate
what happened earlier..
Bauer (2007). Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 142-146.

25. Jean Piaget
• Prolific Swiss developmental & cognitive
psychologist (50+ books, 500+ papers).
• Eminence (20th century): 2nd!
• He noticed patterns in child errors while
completing intelligence tests.
• Studied his own 3 children (Jacqueline, Lucienne, and Laurent).
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1896-1980

26. Schemas
Schemas are mental molds into which we pour our
experiences.
Example: living things move

27. Assimilation and Accommodation
The process of
assimilation involves
incorporating new
experiences into our
current understanding
Bill Anderson/ Photo Researchers, Inc.
(schema). The process of
adjusting a schema and
modifying it is called
accommodation.
Jean Piaget with a subject

28. Cognitive Development
Piaget believed that the driving force behind
intellectual development is our biological
development amidst experiences with the
environment. Our cognitive development is
shaped by the errors we make.
Quick Time Videos MPG 1 & 2 Deloache et al. (1987). Science, 304, 1027-1029.

29. Piaget’s Cognitive
Developmental Stages
Age Stage Description
0-2 Sensorimotor senses
2-7 Preoperational intuition
7-11 Concrete Operational beginning logic
12+ Formal Operational abstract logic
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30. Sensorimotor Stage
In the sensorimotor stage, babies take in the
world by
looking, hearing, touching, mouthing, and
grasping. Children younger than 6 months of
age do not grasp object permanence, i.e., objects
that are out of sight are also out of mind.

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32. Sensorimotor Stage: Criticisms
Piaget believed children in the sensorimotor
stage could not think —they do not have any
abstract concepts or ideas.
However, recent research shows that infants in
the sensorimotor stage can think and count.
1. Children understand the basic laws of
physics. They are amazed at how a ball can
stop in midair or disappear.
Two min:
http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/blogs/teachers/archives/2010/10/babies-physics-uncovering-the-impressive-knowledge-of-
infants.html

33. Sensorimotor Criticism
Possible Impossible
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34. Sensorimotor Stage: Criticisms
2. Infants can also “count”. Five-month olds
stared longer at the wrong number of objects
than the right ones.
Wynn (1992). Nature, 358, 749-759.

35. Preoperational Stage
Piaget suggested that from 2 years old to about
7 years old, children are in the preoperational
stage—too young to perform mental operations.
Ontario Science Center

36. Conservation of Volume Test
• Age 5.5 (wrong): “Daddy, why did you ask
such an easy question? Everyone could see
that there was more water in that glass!”
• Age 6.5 (wrong): “Daddy, I don’t know …
Why did you ask such a hard question!”
• Age 7.5 (correct): “Both glasses have the
same amount of water, of course! Why? Is
this some sort of trick question?
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37. Conservation of Number Test
• Which has more, top or bottom row?
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38. Preoperational Stage: Criticism 1
Children as young as 3 years of age
are able to use mental operations. Representation Reality
When shown a model of a toy dog’s
hiding place behind the couch, 2½-
year-olds could not locate the stuffed
dog in an actual room, but the 3-year-
olds did.
A 3 year-old is shown a small room where a stuffed toy is hidden. Child is able to find the stuffed animal in the larger room . DeLoache (1987). Science, 238, 1556-1557.

39. Preoperational Criticism 2
• Even young children can show conservation
of number when the question is asked
differently.
• Which has more?
• XXX
• X X X
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40. Egocentrism
Piaget concluded that preschool children are
egocentric. They cannot perceive things from
another’s point of view.
When asked to show her picture to mommy, 2-
year-old Gabriella holds the picture facing her
own eyes, believing that her mother can see it
through her eyes.
Hurt child example.

41. Sense of Self-Rouge Test
• Rouge is placed on infants nose
• Infant is placed in front of mirror
• Do they?
– Touch mirror (no self-recognition)
– Touch nose (self-recognition), usually 1.5 yrs
Rouge (Mark) Test (3:50 – end):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJFo3trMuD8
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42. Theory of Mind
Preschoolers, although
still
egocentric, develop the
ability to understand
another’s mental state
when they begin
forming a theory of
mind.
The problem on the
right probes such
ability in children.
4 min Video: Autism
http://www.thetransporters.com/researchvid.html Sally-Anne False Belief Test

43. Concrete Operational Stage
In concrete operational stage, given concrete
materials, 7-year-olds grasp conservation
problems and mentally pour liquids back and
forth into glasses of different shapes conserving
their quantities.
Children in this stage are also able to transform
mathematical functions. So, if 4 + 8 = 12, then a
transformation, 12 – 4 = 8, is also easily doable.

44. Formal Operational Stage
Around age 12, our reasoning ability expands
from concrete thinking to abstract thinking. We
can now use symbols and imagined realities to
systematically reason. Piaget called this formal
operational thinking.

45. Criticism: Formal Operational
Stage
Rudiments of such thinking begin earlier (age 7)
than what Piaget suggested, since 7-year-olds
can solve the problem below (Suppes, 1982).
If John is in school, Mary is in school. John is in
school. What can you say about Mary?

46. Summary: Piaget’s Theory

47. What stage is this student?
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48. Egg Comparison
• What weights more, a 1 day or a 20 day old
chicken egg?
• What answers are possible?
• How would each answer be indicative of a
specific Piagetian stage?
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49. Reflecting on Piaget’s Theory
Piaget’s stage theory has been influential
globally, validating a number of ideas regarding
growth and cognitive development in many
cultures and societies. However, today’s
researchers believe the following:
1. Development is a continuous process.
2. Children express their mental abilities and
operations at an earlier age.

50. Social Development
Stranger anxiety is the fear of strangers that
develops at around 8 months. This is the age at
which infants form schemas for familiar faces
and cannot assimilate a new face.
© Christina Kennedy/ PhotoEdit

51. Origins of Attachment
1905-1981
Harlow (1971) showed
that infants bond with
surrogate mothers
because of bodily
contact and not
because of
nourishment.
3 min:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsA5Sec6dAI

52. Origins of Attachment
Like bodily contact, familiarity is another factor
that causes attachment. In some animals
(goslings), imprinting is the cause of
attachment.
Alastair Miller

53. Measuring
Attachment
• Ainsworth Strange Situation 1913-1999
– Child + Mom in novel environment
– Stranger enters
– Mom leaves
– Mom returns, stranger leaves
– Mom leaves child alone
– Mom returns
Video (4 min): 53
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWsyIVVvDdw&feature=related

54. Attachment Differences
Placed in a strange situation, 60% of children
express secure attachment, i.e., they explore
their environment happily in the presence of
their mothers. When their mother leave, they
show distress.
The other 30% show insecure attachment. These
children cling to their mothers or caregivers and
are less likely to explore the environment.

55. Secure Attachment
Relaxed and attentive caregiving becomes the
backbone of secure attachment.

56. Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety peaks at 13 months of age,
regardless of whether the children are home or
sent to day care.

57. Deprivation of Attachment
What happens when circumstances prevent a
child from forming attachments?
In such circumstances children become:
1. Withdrawn
2. Frightened
3. Unable to develop speech

58. Prolonged Deprivation
If parental or caregiving support is deprived for
an extended period of time, children are at risk
for physical, psychological, and social problems.

59. Child-Rearing Practices
Practice Description
Parents impose rules and expect
Authoritarian
obedience.
Parents submit to children’s
Permissive
demands.
Parents are demanding but
Authoritative
responsive to their children.

60. Authoritative Parenting
Authoritative parenting correlates with social
competence — other factors like common genes
may lead to an easy-going temperament and
may invoke an authoritative parenting style.

61. Alternative View: Do parents
matter?
• Judith Harris: The Nurture Assumption
• Accent example
• Peers
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1938-

62. Summary
• Jean Piaget: Sensorimotor, Preoperational,
Concrete Operational, Formal Operations
• Tests:
– Object permanence
– Conservation of volume
– Rouge Test
• Limitations of Piaget
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