Chapter 10

• Development is continuous and gradual
• ex) Learning to walk

• Development occurs in leaps, progressing though distinct changes
• ex) Puberty

• Development occurs from the "head to tail"
• Head size of infant is large compared to rest of the bodu

• Development occurs "near to far" in relation to thje torso
• Heart and internal organs function well before limbs and fine motor skills

• An age range during which certain experiences must occur for development to proceed normally
• ex) Language

An optimal range for certain experiences that will maximize development

• 1) germinal stage: first 2 weeks. zygote.
• 2) embyonic stage: 2 weeks to 2 months. embryo. formation of vital organs
• 3) fetal stage. 2 months to birth. fetus. bodily growth continues. grows in size

Age at which, if born, the fetus will survive

Substances that can cross the placental barrier which have a negative impact on prenatal development

Absorbing new info into existing cognitive structures

Modifying existing cognitive structures in response to experience and new info

• Sensorimotor: Birth -2 years. Sensory perceptions and motor skills. gradual appearance of symbolic thought
• mental symbols to represent objects
• object permanence ( things continue to exist when out of sight)

• Preoperational: 2 - 7. not good at conservation tasks yet.
• Centration- focusing on one feature of a problem and neglecting other aspects
• Irreversibility- cant reverse and action in mind
• egocentric. animism

Concrete operational: 7-11. decentration. master reversability.

• Formal Operational: 11+. abstraction
• abstract reasoning

emphasized the sociocultural influences on cognitive development