INFANCY

Developmental Psychology
By Aamna Tayyaba Khan
Psychology Dept., Lahore
Garrison University
 Physical development

Cognitive development in infancy with

reference to Piaget’s theory

PREAMBLE
Language development in infancy

Socio emotional development in

infancy
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INFANT
• Physical development
• Weight in relation to height is less at birth
• Muscles of new born are soft, small and uncontrolled
• Bones are soft and flexible
• Head is approx. ¼ of the body
• Infant is unable to maintain homeostasis
• An increase in the stability of heartbeat after birth
• Hunger rhythms donot develop until several weeks after birth
• Elimination of waste product
 Brain development
Development of neurons
Development of cerebral cortex
Brain plasticity: the ability of the nervous system to change its
activity in response to intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli by reorganizing its
structure, functions, or connections.
COGNITIVE
DEVELOPMENT
WITH REFERENCE
TO PIAGET’S
THEORY
PG 150-156(DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH A LIFESPAN, LAURA
BECK)
◦ Schema: a concept of framework that already exists at a given
moment in a child’s mind and that organizes information and
provides structure for interpretation
◦ In Piaget’s theory, two processes, adaptation and organization,
account for changes in schemes.
◦ Adaptation involves building schemes through direct interaction
with the environment
1. Assimilation: when children incorporate new information
2. Accommodation: when children adjust their schemas to the environment
◦ Organisation: grouping isolated behaviours into a smoothly
functioning cognitive system
 SENSORIMOTOR STAGE
◦ Object permanence
◦ Mental representation
◦ Imitation
◦ Self recognition

REFER TO CH 2 SLIDES
 LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
Pg 174-177 (Development through a lifespan, Laura Beck)
 Noam Chomsky: language acquisition device (LAD), an
innate system that contains a universal grammar, or set of rules
common to all languages. It enables children, no matter which
language they hear, to understand and speak in a rule-oriented
fashion as soon as they pick up enough words.
 MILESTONES

1. Cooing and babbling

◦ Joint attention
2. First words
◦ Underextension: When young children first learn words, they sometimes apply them too narrowly
◦ Overextension : applying a word to a wider collection of objects and events than is appropriate
3. Two-word utterances
◦ telegraphic speech
 SOCIO EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
Pg 184-189 (Development through a lifespan, Laura Beck)
 ERICKSON PSYCHOSOCIAL STAGES

• BASIC TRUST VS. MISTRUST LEADS TO THE VIRTUE OF HOPE

• AUTONOMY VS. SHAME LEADS TO THE VIRTUE OF WILL

REFER TO CH 2 SLIDES
 EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• BASIC EMOTIONS: HAPPINESS, SADNESS, FEAR, ANGER

• STRANGER ANXIETY: EXPRESSION OF FEAR IS TO UNFAMILIAR ADULTS,
• SECURE BASE: FAMILIAR CAREGIVER
 UNDERSTANDING AND RESPONDING
TO THE EMOTIONS OF OTHERS

• SOCIAL REFERENCING—ACTIVELY SEEKING EMOTIONAL

INFORMATION FROM A TRUSTED PERSON IN AN
UNCERTAIN SITUATION
 EMERGENCE OF SELF-CONSCIOUS
EMOTIONS
• HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF A SECOND, HIGHER-ORDER SET OF
FEELINGS, INCLUDING GUILT, SHAME, EMBARRASSMENT, ENVY,
AND PRIDE. THESE ARE CALLED SELF-CONSCIOUS EMOTIONS
BECAUSE EACH INVOLVES INJURY TO OR ENHANCEMENT OF OUR
SENSE OF SELF
 EMOTIONAL
SELF-REGULATION

• EMOTIONAL SELF-REGULATION REFERS TO THE STRATEGIES WE

USE TO ADJUST OUR EMOTIONAL STATE TO A COMFORTABLE LEVEL
OF INTENSITY SO WE CAN ACCOMPLISH OUR GOALS (EISENBERG,
2006; THOMPSON & GOODVIN, 2007).