Developmental Psychology

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Developmental Psychology

• Psychology 117
• Sue A. Kelley

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Webpage

• http//www.lycoming.edu/kelley/develop.htm
• Chapter objectives
• Powerpoint slides

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Index cards

• Name
• Major
• Phone number
• Email
• What you hope to learn in this course/why are you
  taking this course?

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What is Developmental Psychology?

• the study of systematic continuities and changes
  in humans that occur from the time of conception
  to the time of death
• systematic means that the continuities and
  changes are orderly, they follow a pattern
• developmental psychology covers the lifespan

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(No Transcript)
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• I would like you to identify assumptions about
  children that lie behind the following practices
• Having ratings on movies or television programs
  (G, PG, PG-13, NC-17, R)
• Having age-segregated classrooms

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Historical Foundations

• Child in Premodern Times
• Active infanticide prior to 4th century A.D.
• Seen as possessions, no rights
• Medieval Times
• 6th to 15th centuries
• Childhood separate phase of life, but few
  distinctions
• Miniature, already formed - preformationism

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ALTICHIERO da Zevio (The Execution of Saint
George) 1330-1390
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BARNABA DA MODENA (Virgin and Child) 1392-1412
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GADDI, Taddeo (Madonna and Child) 1300-1366
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Historical Foundations

• Medieval (cont)
• Church defended innocence of children
• Parents to provide spiritual training
• Fragility in medical literature
• Some laws protected children
• Implications?

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Historical Foundations

• Reformation
• Religious movement ? revised image of childhood
• Original sin (Hobbes)
• Protected but also reformed
• Implications?

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Historical Foundations

• The Enlightenment
• 17th century, more humane

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Historical Foundations

• John Locke
• Tabula rasa
• Shaped by experiences
• Praise, no punishment

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Historical Foundations

• Jean Jacques Rousseau
• Noble savages innate purity
• Natural endowment of right and wrong
• Society often corrupts
• Implications?

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Historical Foundations

• Darwin
• Mid 19th century
• Natural selection
• Survival of the fittest
• Science of child study was born
• One of the first baby biographies

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Study of the Child

• Scientific study of children evolved quickly
  during early part of 20th century
• Began with baby biographies
• Darwin
• Piaget
• Different people studied different aspects
• Biased observations
• Case studies
• Step in right direction thoughthus began the
  scientific study of children

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Historical Foundations

• 20th century
• Early, belief was that infants had little sensory
  capability
• Countered in 1960s
• Implications?
• Recognition of adolescence as a distinct phase of
  life
• Leaving childhood, not yet entering adult
  responsibility
• After WWII, postponing marriage for education