Lecture notes
Lecture 1:
Terms
Fertilisation: when gametes fuse
Gametes = germ cells (1 egg, 1 sperm)
Mitosis = cell division
Cell migration: cells move within embryo
Cell differentiation: cells reach specific destination and serve specific function
Apoptosis = cell death
Identical twins: develop when inner cell mass splits
Fraternal twins: develop during conception
Teratogens = environmental influences that can lead to damage or even death of the
prenatally developing child. Extent of damage depends on: severity, duration, timing
(sensitive periods)
Attachment = an emotional bond with a specific person that is enduring across space
and time
Development human being
Zygote (0-2 weeks): migration to uterus > cell division > implantation in the uterine
wall (cells become hollow sphere with inner cell mass and later becomes support
system embryo) > hCG is secreted (pregnancy tests can detect this)
Embryo (3-8 weeks): inner cell mass forms 3 layers (different parts of the body) >
Formation neural tube (becomes brain and spinal cord) > support system develops:
placenta with umbilical cord and amniotic sac > organ systems develop (vulnerable
for teratogens)
Fetus (<9 weeks): further development of organs and systems, physical growth
(mostly lower part of the body)
Week 5-6: embryo starts moving
Week 7: hiccups
Week 10: fetal breathing (amniotic fluid flows in and out of lungs) and wake-sleep
cycle (awake 1/3 of the time)
Week 12: all behaviours of a new-born present (thumb sucking, grasping, swallowing)
Prenatal sensory experiences:
Only some visual stimulation
Tactile stimulation through movement
Amniotic fluid takes on flavour and scent of ingested food (sweet tooth)
Fetus responds to internal and external sounds
Prenatal learning:
During 3rd trimester
Animal studies: memory for amniotic fluid scent (phylogenetic continuity: humans
are similar to animals)
Research with new-borns: preference for mother’s voice (sucking pattern)
,Changing perspectives attachment:
Before 1940: Emotional care unnecessary for healthy development
After 1945: Emotional connection with caregiver is important from a very young age
Start of systematic attachment research: Attachment quality -> developmental
outcome
Attachment theory:
Babies have an innate drive to bond with their caregiver(s) -> increases survival
(evolution)
Babies use their parent as a ‘secure base’ to explore their environments
Co-regulation: regulating emotions through the parent
Attachment stages:
1. Pre-attachment (0-6 weeks): baby communicates with innate behaviours, such as
crying
2. Attachment-in-the-making (6 weeks-6/8 months): preference for familiar people,
development of trust
3. Clear-cut attachment (8-18 months): actively seeks contact, separation anxiety
4. Reciprocal relationships (18/24 months-…): understanding of others, regulation
(separation anxiety decreases)
Social-emotional development:
Enduring emotional tie between caregiver and child
Child develops an internal working model of attachment
Attachment quality is important for later social functioning
Attachment quality can be based on:
1. The extent to which the child uses the caregiver as a secure base
2. The child’s reaction to separation from and returning of the caregiver
Attachment categories:
secure attachment (warmth, authoritative, involved)
insecure attachment
a. Insecure/resistant (ambivalent)
b. Insecure/avoidant
c. Disorganized/disoriented
Lecture 2: -
Lecture 3: seeing, thinking & doing in infancy
Perception
Newborns have low visual acuity, poor colour vision and poor contrast sensitivity ->
immature retina (low amount of cones)
Preferential looking technique
Newborns are fascinated by faces (especially attractive faces)
, Size constancy: seeing object as same size independent of distance
Intermodal perception: connect information from different senses
Newborns use common movement of pieces to identify separate objects -> object
segregation (also knowledge of gravity is used)
Perceptual narrowing: becoming worse at making foreign distinctions and also takes
place in intermodal perception
during first year, newborns develop adult-like vision
Motor development
Newborns show many unconditioned reflexes (majority is temporary)
Disappearing of stepping reflex: brain maturation, training, weight/strength
Experience speeds up or slows down motor development
Timing of motor milestones influenced by brain maturation, physical growth and
experience
Learning
General:
Habituation: auditory localisation
Classical conditioning: neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus
Instrumental conditioning: reinforcement vs. punishment
Observational learning/imitation: watch/imitate a model (parent)
Special types:
Perceptual learning: learning by paying attention
1. Infants learn affordances (=what you can do with objects) and it takes some time
to reckon with the scale
2. Infants perform differentiation (=finding the relationships that remain constant)
Statistical learning: detecting statistically predictable patterns
Rational learning: using prior experiences to predict what will occur in the future
Active learning: learning by acting on the world
Cognition
Object permanence: knowledge that something still exists, even when it is out of
view
Physical knowledge: infants gradually learn more about gravity
Social knowledge: six-month-olds mentally represent the goal object of an actor’s
reach
- False-belief problems (theory of mind)
Lecture 4: cognitive & conceptual development
Part 1: cognitive
Piaget Theory
Fundamental assumptions:
1. “Child as scientist” -> children construct their own knowledge based on their
experiences (constructivist approach)
2. Children don’t need instruction
3. Children are intrinsically motivated to learn
Voordelen van het kopen van samenvattingen bij Stuvia op een rij:
Verzekerd van kwaliteit door reviews
Stuvia-klanten hebben meer dan 700.000 samenvattingen beoordeeld. Zo weet je zeker dat je de beste documenten koopt!
Snel en makkelijk kopen
Je betaalt supersnel en eenmalig met iDeal, creditcard of Stuvia-tegoed voor de samenvatting. Zonder lidmaatschap.
Focus op de essentie
Samenvattingen worden geschreven voor en door anderen. Daarom zijn de samenvattingen altijd betrouwbaar en actueel. Zo kom je snel tot de kern!
Veelgestelde vragen
Wat krijg ik als ik dit document koop?
Je krijgt een PDF, die direct beschikbaar is na je aankoop. Het gekochte document is altijd, overal en oneindig toegankelijk via je profiel.
Tevredenheidsgarantie: hoe werkt dat?
Onze tevredenheidsgarantie zorgt ervoor dat je altijd een studiedocument vindt dat goed bij je past. Je vult een formulier in en onze klantenservice regelt de rest.
Van wie koop ik deze samenvatting?
Stuvia is een marktplaats, je koop dit document dus niet van ons, maar van verkoper fiorafleur. Stuvia faciliteert de betaling aan de verkoper.
Zit ik meteen vast aan een abonnement?
Nee, je koopt alleen deze samenvatting voor €6,49. Je zit daarna nergens aan vast.