PSYC 210

Chapter 6 Notes

The First 2 years: Cognitive Development

Perception andCognition

  • Infants are quick to realize what they can do with objects (affordances).
  • Active interactions with objects and eventsare needed for cognitive development.
  • Infants are primed to focus on movement and change.
  • Due to infants' speed in perceptual accomplishments, some researchers conclude that many of the skills are innate.

Key elements of cognitive growth

Action Note:Be able to explain "object permanence." How is it tested in infancy, and what do these tests reveal. A fun experience of object permanence at work is to play a simple peek-a-boo game with an8-month old andhide some object under a blanket with an 11 month old.

Piaget's Cognitive Theory

  • Central to Piaget's theory is the idea that infants are active participants in their cognitive development.
  • Review Table 6.1 in Chapter 6. Read about the various stages involved as discussed in the textbook.

Language Development

  • Infants are well-equipped to learn language from birth. There is an innate readiness and their ability to hear while still in the womb prepares the way. Many parents-to-be play music and read to their babies in the latter months of pregnancy.
  • All children follow the sequence of accomplishments in language development, but vary in pace.
  • Children understand much more than they are capable of expressing. Sign language is now being used by lots of parents with their toddlers.
  • Many a learning theorist maintains that language is the result of conditioning and reinforcement.

Review and study Table 6.4 The development of spoken language: the first two years.

Review the three theories of language learning.

Factors in speech development.

  • family background
  • birth order
  • gender
  • personality
  • learning styles

Action Note: Listen for "motherese" or "babytalk" when you are around families in public place this week.

Chapter 7 Notes

The First 2 Years: Psychosocial Development

Basic Emotions

  • Infant crying is an innate reaction that signals care givers about their needs.
  • Distress is the first emotion readily discerned.
  • Pleasure smiles occur in the first few days.
  • Social smiles begin at about six weeks.
  • Emotions become more defined between 6-9 months of age.
  • Stranger wariness is noticeable at about 6 months.
  • Separation anxiety appears at 8 to 9 months.
  • Infants will look to trusted adults for emotional cues in uncertain situations (social referencing).
  • As the infant's self-awareness grows so do new emotions. Such as confidence, shame, guilt, pride, jealousy and embarrassment.

Origins of Personality According to Theories

Study carefully the textbook discussion of Freud, Erikson, behaviorism, cognitive andepigenetic theory. Look at the focus and key terms for each one. It would be well to chart these out for your study.

Review the list of nine temperament characteristics in which babies differ in the early days and months of life.

Attachment

Mary Ainsworth states, "attachment may be defined as an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one --- a tie that binds them together in space and endure over time." (Karen, p.15 Becoming Attached).Attachment theory describes someone as secure if they are able to use one or a few figures as a secure base from which to explore and learnand as a haven of safety in retreat.

This is equally true in infancy and adulthood. Like infants, adults can do more, reach further, better afford occasional set-backs if they can count on the availability and responsiveness of a secure base.

Secure attachment: infant derives comfort and confidence from the caregiver and has readiness to explore the environment. Given a secure base---child can venture forth. Explore--look back--vocalize or return for a hug.

Insecure attachment:infant has fear, anger, even indifference towards the caregiver. They are less confident, unwilling to let go. They may play aimlessly with no signs on maintaining contact with the caregiver.

Attachment is a primary developmental need.

Results of attachment disorder

  • Needs go unmet----person remains needy in many areas of life.
  • Remains in a state of tension
  • Feels alienated, mistrusts the world in general (future spouse in particular)
  • Feels unsafe and unnurtured
  • Fails to thrive
  • Becomes resistant to discipline, authority, and working with others

Symptoms of Attachment Disorder

Keep in mind that a child would have a large number of these not just one or two.

  • Poor eye contact
  • Lack of conscience development
  • Poor cause and effect understanding
  • Accident prone
  • Crazy lying
  • Learning lags
  • Withdrawal from interacting with others
  • Not affectionate to parents
  • Aggressive behaviors
  • Cruelty to animals
  • Lack of impulse control
  • Promiscuous behaviors
  • Manipulative behaviors
  • Superficial and charming
  • Demanding, clingy
  • Poor peer relations
  • Abnormal eating habits, abnormal speech patterns.
  • Hyperactivity
  • Preoccupation with fire and gore
  • Poor risk takers

These translate into some major adult problems. People look for substitutes for their lack of attachment. It may be success, money, fame, family, shopping, or food to name a few.

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Suggested Reading: If you are interested in this topic of attachment, I have listed some fine books you may read later.

Clinton, Tim. (2002). Attachments: Why You Love, Feel and Act the Way You Do, Integrity Publishers.

Townsend, J., (1991).Hiding from Love, NavPress.

Chapter 5 Notes

Physical changes

Suggested study action: as you read your text, chart out the physical changes in the first two years.

  • at birth, weight7–7½ lbs on average
  • length 20"average
  • loses 5–10% of its body weight in firstweekfollowing birth
  • double birth weight by the 4th month
  • 1 year weight = 22 lbs.
  • 2nd year weight =30 lbs.
  • first teeth at 6 months
  • 1st year--6–8 teeth
  • 2nd year average 16 teeth

Exam questions can appear "picky" when dealing with this type of information. Remember that the textbook is dealing with normal development with a range. While babies develop as individuals, they fall into measurements of normal range. Look for the "best" answer on an exam. Follow you textbook in studying for exam.

Brain Growth and Development

The brain is shaped the most during the first 10 years of life. Young children’s' brains are especially able to develop connections that will be used later in life. All experiences either create a new connection or make an old one stronger. The more experiences a child has, the more connections thatare made. The more corrections, the more ways the brain has to understand new things later in life. The ability to learn new things and make new connections gets harder or takes longer as a person grows older.

Stimulate your Child for Growth

Nurturing Brain Development

  • Always give loving care.
  • Warm touching is very important to infants.
  • Be gently physical and never shake or toss a baby in the air.
  • Talk back to a baby's cooing and babbling.
  • Read to your baby and point out and name things around you.
  • Repeat sounds and talk clearly to infants.
  • Give babies different shapes, objects and colors to touch and see.
  • Give infants many play activities.
  • Expose your child to a variety of textures.
  • Play is how infant 'work' at learning their world.
  • Use daily life activities to teach or point out new things.
  • Play classical music to an infant as much as possible.
  • Classical music can help with math skills later.
  • Provide a safe and loving environment to develop a pattern of healthy relationships.
  • Behave the way you would like your child to act.

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