HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

Psychologist are focusing their attention in later periods of

*Life cycle *Adulthood *Old age
Developmental psychologist uses 2 approaches in study of human development
1. by ages
2. by stages
NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT
Development is a process that produces a progressive series of changes that are orderly and coherent.
Growth…
Quantitative changes-change in size, , lengthening of bones, increase in height.
Qualitative Changes-development of locomotion
FACTORS OF DEVELOPMENT
• Heredity-transmission of traits from parents to offspring
• Environment-includes all forces that affect or influence man.
• Maturation- unfolding of the hereditary potentials
• Learning- through the effort of learner
MECHANICS OF HEREDITY
Ovum or egg+Spermatozoon=Zygote
Zygote-contains all the heredity potentials that later on develop into traits
PRENATAL PERIOD
Gestation/prenatal period
Period of Ovum-change occur rapidly in the fertilized egg but not in size
Period of Embryo-all the important structures and features start to develop and to function.
You can now tell the sex of the unborn child
Embryo forms into three germ layer:
• Mesoderm- differentiates into the skeletal system,muscle system,skin and lymphatic
system including spleen gonads and tissues
• Endoderm- becomes the lining of the respiratory tract, tympanic membrane
and Eustachian tube, part of the bladder, and urethra, thyrois, parathyroids,
thymus, liver and pancreas and gastro intestinal tract.
• Ectoderm-derived the central peripheral nervous systems, the epithelium
of the sensory organs including the hair, nails and subcutaneous glands.
Accessory apparatus develop:
• Placenta-source of nourishment
• Amniotic sac-houses the fetus and protects it from serious injury during the
prenatal period
• Umbilical cord-only tangible connection between the unborn and the
mother and carries the oxygen and the nourishment.
Period of Fetus-end of second month ushers at in the period of fetus
-increase fetal activity is observe, like kicking and squirming
Viability- ability to live an independent existence outside the womb by the 6th or 7th months
Pre-mature- birth before the completion of 280 days in the womb
Rooting Reflex-which baby turns his head towards the source of
stimulation and make sucking movements
Pupillary reflex- baby closes his eyes automatically when a bright light shines on them
Motor Development- is the attainment of the ability to control movement in four main areas:
(region of the head, the trunk, arms and hands)
Phylogenetic skills- skills depend largely on maturation
Ontogenetic skills-have to be learn, like riding a bicycle and skating.
Cognitive Development- cognition or understanding is dependent on child’s
readiness to understand himself and his environment
Jean Piaget,a swiss psychologist(4 sequential phases in intellectual development)
1. Sensorimotor stage (from birth to 2 years)
2. Preoperational Stage (from approximately 2-7 years)
3. Concrete operational stage(7-11)
4. Formal operational stage (11-12 to maturity)
SENSATION AND PERCEPTION

Stimulus- anything inside or outside the body which initiates actinity of some
form of radiant, chemical or other energy
characteristics of sense receptors:
absolute threshold- minimum of sense receptor stimulation.
Linen-energy strong enough to produce a response
Subliminal-energy too weak to produce a conscious response
Sense of sight(visual sensation)
Light waves-sensitive is in the form of electromagnetic rays
Millimicron-express as a millionth of a millimeter(380-780)
CORNEA: transparent protective coating over front of eye
PUPIL: small opening in iris through which light enters
IRIS: coloured part of eye
LENS: transparent part of eye inside pupil that focuses light onto retina
RETINA: lining of eye containing receptor cells sensitive to light
FOVEA: area of retina that is centre of visual field
RODS: receptor cells in retina responsible for night vision and perception of brightness
CONES: receptor cells in retina responsible for colour vision (less sensitive to light)
CILIARY MUSCLES:lens can be change by curvature by the ciliary muscles.
VITREOUS HUMOR:gel vitreous body that fills the main cavity of the eye between the lens and the retina
OPTIC NERVE: light rays reach the retina these are carried to the brain by the optic nerve.
HYPEROPIA/FARSIGHTEDNESS: lens does not bulge out enough for close vision
MYOPIA/NEARSIGHTEDNESS: lens bulges out too far
ASTIGMATISM: unfocused vision in other dimension
TUNNEL VISION: caused by concentric narrowing of the field of vision.