Developmental psychology Flashcards
(36 cards)
how does the child’s development affect the doctor’s interaction with them?
o The child’s progress through development will dictate how you communicate with them
o The stage at their development dictates how they will interact with their illness
o Their social context may hinder or support their health/developmental progress
what are the hereditary influences on the development of the child?
genetics, gender, temperament and maturational stages
temperament: innate aspects of individual’s personality e.g. intro- or extraversion
what are the main environmental/nurturing influences on a child?
i.e what is nurture?
the environment through :
- parenting
- stimulation (or the lack of)
- nutrition
the predetermined course of development is shared by these environmental factors
how does a baby’s hearing contribute to its own development?
Babies can hear in the womb:
• Receptive hearing at 16/40 weeks of gestation.
• Functional hearing at 24/40 weeks of gestation.
Babies can be familiar with and prefer their mothers voice when they are delivered.
how does a baby’s sense of smell contribute to its own development?
Babies are primed to learn associated smells of their mother very quickly.
New-borns recognise the smell of their own amniotic fluid, maternal breast odours and a preference for their own mother’s breast milk.
how does a baby’s sense of taste contribute to its own development?
A new-born can taste all tastes
but not salt until about 4 months
New-borns love sugary solutions and they like the taste of glutamate (found in breast milk).
how does a baby’s sight contribute to its own development?
Babies prefer watching their mothers face and have a general preference to look at face-like stimuli.
They show a preference for faces with eyes open and look longer at happy face stimuli.
what is reciprocal socialisation?
the bidirectional socialising between parent and child
what is scaffolding?
if the parent’s responses support or reinforce the child’s action, the child will build on the interaction or continue to develop in this area.
how is reciprocal socialisation tested?
Still Face experiment
Child expresses distress when the parent suddenly becomes unresponsive with no facial expressions
what is required for a baby to develop and thrive?
scaffolding, reciprocal socialisation, stimulation and an enriching environment
e.g. babies of depressed mothers adjust to a lack of emotion
what is the “internal working model” describing?
the baby doesn’t develop and thrive on its own but coordinates with the systems of those people around him/her.
this is the first stage of attachment
what is attachment?
biological instinct to seek proximity to an attachment figure (carer) when threat is perceived or discomfort is experienced. Provides the child with a secure base to explore the environment from and thus develop.
This begins at birth e.g. talking to the baby in utero over the first year, supported by reciprocal socialisation
how is the process of attachment best mediated?
through mind-mindedness:
parents treat their children as individuals with independent minds who are motivated by feelings and intentions
– i.e. when a baby whines, the mother questions “what is the baby trying to say?”.
how does attachment develop over time?
o Prefers people to inanimate objects. Indiscriminate clinging. [birth- 3 months]
o Smiles discriminately to main carers. [3 months-8months]
o Selectively approaches main care-givers. [8 months- 12 months]
o Reliable attachment data can be obtained. [>12 months]
what are the categories a child is put in using the Strange Situation Test?
measured how the child reacted to temporary absence of their mother and how they respond to her return
1) Securely attached children
2) Insecurely-attached children
3) Resistant-insecure (or “ambivalent/mixed-feelings”) children
4) Disorganised-insecure children
what kind of behaviour do securely attached children show?
Free exploration, happiness upon mother’s return to them.
- distressed when mother leaves
- explores less when she is gone
- cries and holds on to her when she returns
- once comforted, returns back to exploration
here, the mother is responsive to the needs of the child who can rely on her when distressed
what kind of behaviour do insecurely attached children show?
Little exploration & little emotional response to mother
- avoidant-insecure kids don’t show much emotion in mother’s absence
- no preference shown to mother over stranger
- when mother returns, he ignores her or avoids her
what kind of behaviour do resistant-insecure children show?
Little exploration, great separation anxiety and ambivalent (mixed) response to mother upon return
what kind of behaviour do disorganised-insecure children show?
Little exploration and confused response to mother
what are the benefits of a child with secure attachment?
protective when developed from early infancy
leads to resilience throughout their childhood
independence, emotional availability, better mood
associated with fewer behavioural problems, higher IQ and academic performance
what role does play have on a child?
has important positive effects on the brain and the child’s ability to learn
what are the types of play over time?
o Solitary [0-2 Years] - plays alone o Spectator [2-2.5 Years] – observes playing o Parallel play [2.5-3 Years] – plays alongside, not together. o Associate [ 3-4 Years ] – starts interactions, develops friendships and plays in mixed sex groups. o Co-operative [4-6 Years ] – play together, single sex groups. o Competitive [6+ Years ] – play involves rules, “winners”.
what are some benefits of play?
- engage and interact with the world
- overcome fears
- creative problem solving
- develop own interests
- decision making etc
