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Complete book notes for Developmental psychology
- Course
- CNS 748 (CNS748)
- Institution
- Wake Forest University
These notes cover the entire book by Berk Development through the lifespan 7th edition.
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Chapter 1: History, Theories, and researchstrategies
I. Introduction to Developmental Science
● Definition: Developmental science studies human constancy and change throughout
the lifespan, influenced by various disciplines.
● Expansion of the Field: Developmental science grew due to scientific curiosity and the
practical needs of society to address issues at different life stages.
II. Basic Issues in Developmental Psychology
● Continuous vs. Discontinuous Development:
○ Continuous: Development is gradual, where skills improve over time, as seen in
information processing theories.
○ Discontinuous: Development occurs in distinct stages, where each stage has
unique characteristics, such as Piaget’s and Erikson’s stage theories.
● One Course of Development or Many?:
○ Universal Pathways: Some theories argue that everyone follows the same
developmental stages regardless of context.
○ Contextual Pathways: Other theories, like ecological systems theory, suggest
that development varies based on cultural and environmental contexts.
● Nature vs. Nurture:
○ Nature: Focuses on genetic inheritance and biological factors in development.
○ Nurture: Emphasizes the impact of environmental experiences and learning.
○ Theories vary in how much they attribute behavior and development to these
factors.
III. The Lifespan Perspective
● Characteristics of Lifespan Perspective:
○ Lifelong: Development is a continuous process from birth through old age.
○ Multidimensional and Multidirectional: Involves physical, cognitive, and social
domains, each contributing to a person's development in complex ways.
○ Plasticity: Development is flexible, allowing changes in response to different life
experiences, though flexibility tends to decrease with age.
○ Multiple Interacting Influences: Development is shaped by biological, historical,
and cultural contexts.
● Types of Influences:
○ Age-Graded Influences: Predictable influences based on age (e.g., learning to
walk).
○ History-Graded Influences: Influences unique to a historical period, like
technological advancements.
○ Non-Normative Influences: Individualized experiences, such as surviving a rare
disease.
IV. Scientific Beginnings
, ● Darwin’s Influence:
○ Darwin’s theory of evolution inspired the early scientific study of children,
focusing on adaptive behaviors.
● Normative Approach:
○ Developed by Hall and Gesell, this approach involved documenting typical
behaviors across age groups to understand development.
● Mental Testing Movement:
○ Binet and Simon’s intelligence testing sparked discussions about individual
differences, contributing to debates on nature vs. nurture.
V. Mid-Twentieth-Century Theories
● Psychoanalytic Theory:
○ Freud’s Psychosexual Theory: Personality development occurs through five
stages, focusing on conflicts between biological drives and social expectations.
○ Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory: Builds on Freud, proposing eight stages of
psychosocial conflicts that individuals face throughout life.
● Behaviorism and Social Learning Theory:
○ Focus on observable behavior through conditioning and modeling, emphasizing
environmental influence.
○ Key theorists: Watson, Skinner (operant conditioning), and Bandura (social
learning through observation).
● Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental Theory:
○ Piaget proposed four stages where children actively construct knowedge as they
interact with their environment, from sensorimotor to formal operational stages.
VI. Recent Theoretical Perspectives
● Information Processing:
○ Describes the mind as a symbol-manipulating system, focusing on how
information is processed at different ages.
● Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience:
○ Examines how brain development affects cognitive processes, bridging
psychology and neuroscience.
● Ethology and Evolutionary Developmental Psychology:
○ Ethology focuses on the adaptive value of behaviors, while evolutionary
developmental psychology examines age-related changes that may have been
adaptive historically.
● Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory:
○ Stresses the importance of social interaction and cultural context in development.
● Ecological Systems Theory:
○ Proposed by Bronfenbrenner, this theory views development within nested
environmental systems, from immediate surroundings to broader societal
influences.
● Attachment Theory
○ Proposed by John Bowlby
VII. Comparing and Evaluating Theories
● Evaluation of Major Theories:
, ○ Theories are assessed based on their perspectives on the issues of continuity,
context, and nature vs. nurture.
● Cultural Considerations:
○ Contemporary theories increasingly recognize the role of culture in shaping
developmental pathways, suggesting that development cannot be separated
from cultural contexts.
VIII. Research Strategies in Developmental Psychology
● Common Research Methods:
○ Observational Methods:
■ Naturalistic Observation: Studying behaviors in their natural
environments.
■ Structured Observation: Observing behaviors in controlled settings.
○ Self-Reports:
■ Clinical Interviews: Open-ended discussions to gather detailed
information.
■ Structured Interviews/Questionnaires: Allow more standardized data
collection.
○ Case Studies: In-depth studies of individuals to understand unique
developmental experiences.
● Research Designs:
○ Correlational Studies: Examine relationships between variables without
implying causation.
○ Experimental Studies: Manipulate variables to test cause-and-effect
relationships.
○ Developmental Designs:
■ Longitudinal: Follows individuals over time to observe changes.
■ Cross-Sectional: Compares different age groups at a single time.
■ Sequential: Combines longitudinal and cross-sectional methods for a
comprehensive approach.
IX. Ethical Issues in Developmental Research
● Participant Rights:
○ Rights include protection from harm, informed consent, confidentiality, knowledge
of results, and access to beneficial treatments.
● Ethical Challenges:
○ Special considerations for vulnerable populations, such as children and
cognitively impaired older adults.
○ Ethical dilemmas include using deception and managing informed consent with
vulnerable participants.
Chapter 2: Genetic and Environmental Foundations
1. Genetic Foundations
● Genes and Inheritance:
, ○ Chromosomes and DNA:
■ Chromosomes are rod-like structures located in the cell nucleus and
composed of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which encodes genetic
information.
■ Along the chromosome’s length are genes, which are segments of DNA
responsible for protein synthesis, ultimately guiding physical and
behavioral traits.
○ Types of Genes:
■ Protein-coding genes send instructions for making proteins essential for
bodily functions.
■ Regulator genes influence gene expression by modifying how
instructions from protein-coding genes are utilized, adjusting for
environmental impacts on gene behavior.
● Sex Cells and Meiosis:
○ The formation of gametes (sperm and ovum) involves meiosis, a cell division
process that reduces chromosome numbers by half. This ensures that upon
fertilization, the zygote has the complete set of chromosomes.
○ During meiosis, crossing over allows genes to shuffle, increasing genetic
diversity. The combination of genetic material from both parents during
fertilization results in a unique genetic makeup for the offspring.
● Determination of Sex:
○ Sex is determined by sex chromosomes: XX for females and XY for males.
○ Fraternal twins (dizygotic) occur when two separate eggs are fertilized by two
different sperm, while identical twins (monozygotic) form from the division of a
single fertilized egg, resulting in genetically identical siblings.
● Patterns of Gene Interactions:
○ Dominant-recessive inheritance: A dominant allele will express itself in the
phenotype even when paired with a recessive allele. Recessive alleles only
manifest when paired with another recessive allele.
○ Incomplete dominance: Both alleles are partially expressed in the phenotype,
leading to a blend of traits.
○ X-linked inheritance: Some traits, especially certain disorders, are linked to the
X chromosome. These traits often appear more frequently in males, who have
only one X chromosome.
○ Genomic imprinting occurs when alleles are expressed depending on whether
they are inherited from the mother or the father.
○ Mutation: Genetic mutations, caused by environmental factors or errors in cell
division, can affect development. Mutations in gametes affect offspring directly,
while those in body cells can occur at any life stage.
● Chromosomal Abnormalities:
○ Chromosomal abnormalities result from errors during meiosis, leading to missing
or extra chromosomes. For example, Down syndrome is caused by an extra
copy of chromosome 21.
○ Disorders related to sex chromosomes (e.g., Turner syndrome and Klinefelter
syndrome) can affect cognitive development and physical traits.
2. Reproductive Choices
● Genetic Counseling:
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