Tags: #notes
Links: Dashboard General Psychology

Development

Study of Changes Associated with Age

Key issue:

Are we the way we are because we were born that way or because we become that way? (Nurture vs Nature)

A. Biology or Environment

  1. Biology =Genetics
    1. What we inherit from our biological ancestors
  2. Environment
    1. how parents raised you
    2. Siblings
    3. Birth order
    4. community
    5. Schools
    6. Peers
  3. Biology and Environment interact, meaning they influence each other.
  4. Your biology influences your environment and vice versa
  5. Both influence who you are

How environment influences biology?

EG Stephen Curry
Some abused or neglected children do not develop normally in the brain area that processes empathy

Exceptions

  1. Biology only
    1. Eye color
    2. Finger Print
  2. Environment Only
    1. Language

Child Development

What Do Children Need Most?

  1. Ross Campbell- Feel loved
  2. Job of parents: fill child's emotional tank
  3. How? 4 ways
    1. Eye Contact
    2. Physical Touch
    3. Focused attention
    4. Discipline: training

Role of Fathers

  1. "Father neglect is the most prevalent form of child mistreatment in our society."- Poiller
  2. Women are not necessarily better at parenting then men.
  3. Men are as capable as woman at being a good parent
    1. Expecting dads/new dads change in hormone levels
    2. Prep for Parenting
  4. Mega Study (100)
    1. Dad's love and acceptance is as important as the mom's is in terms of the child's physical and psychological well-being
  5. Children without active dad
    1. Higher risk for various problems:
      1. Drugs
      2. Smoking
      3. Aggressive
      4. Criminal
      5. Alcohol Abuse
      6. (boys) Develop an exaggerated idea of what it means to be a man
      7. Abusive to woman
      8. Sexual Promiscuous
      9. Depression
    2. Fathers are more important than moms:
      1. Self Reliance
      2. Assertiveness
      3. self-discipline
      4. Study (40 years old)
        1. Those who had an active dad were more likely to be happily married, successful, empathetic
      5. Division
        1. Boys:
          1. tend to "act out"
          2. disobedient
          3. fight w/ peers
          4. Grades go down
        2. Girls:
          1. Internalize until adolescence
          2. More likely to have sex at an earlier age (more partners)

Adult Development

Physical Changes

  1. Most physical abilities peak in mid 20s
  2. Change in physical abilities is so gradual that it is typically not noticeable for decades
  3. Decline is more about lifestyle than age
    1. Avoid drugs
    2. Health diet
    3. exercise
    4. seat belt
    5. vaccines
  4. Health
    1. Older people are more likely to get serious illnesses
    2. younger people get more "minor" illnesses such as colds, flus
    3. Someone who's 25 years old is 2x's as likely to get colds and flus then someone who is 65.
    4. Why? The immune system
    5. 3% of 75 Year-Olds have Alzimer's Disease
      1. Caused by the deterioration of the neurons that contain acetylcholine
      2. An active, challenged mind is at lower risk
      3. By age 80, the brain weighs 5% less
      4. New connections between neurons
      5. Staying physically and mentally active helps
    6. Study (non active older adults)
      1. Not intense/Walking Program
      2. Those in the walking program improved memory
      3. Sharpened judgment as well^
      4. "We are more likely to rust from lack of use than over use"
      5. Use it or lose it

    Cognitive Changes

    1. Overall intellect
      1. Initially thought that IQ began to decline by age 30
      2. Further researched found that was false because they interviewed different people with different life experiences (crossed-sectional study)
      3. In order to make this valid, one would need to conduct a longitudinal study. (Look at the same people as the get older)
    2. Memory:
      1. Recognition does not go down with age
      2. Recall does go down with age
    3. Speed of thinking goes down with age
    4. Vocabulary:
      1. Older people do well with vocabulary
    5. General knowledge Older people do well as well
    6. Integrating Info
      1. Older people do better
    7. Wisdom
      1. Expert knowledge regarding life in general and good judgment in complex situations.
      2. Older people do better. Wisdom comes from experience
      3. You can get older but not wiser
    8. How can we stay strong and health cognitively
      1. Exercise
      2. Avoid drugs
      3. Challenges
      4. Novelty
      5. Study - Rats
        1. 1 group had plenty of food and water, while group 2 was given the same and a novel and interesting stimulating environment Rats in group two lived almost 50x longer. The rats brains in group 2 was also larger.

Social Emotional Changes

  1. Midlife crisis
    1. There is no such thing
    2. Are you satisfied with your life? 80% of people across all ages said yes. Midlife crisis would expect a dip where there was none. There is also no emotional instability dip
  2. Marriage & Divorce
    1. Less than 50% of marriages end in divorce. The current statistics didn't do a longitudinal study.
    2. US is #1 or #2 in divorce rate
    3. Divorce is most likely to occur in your 20s
    4. Living together are more likely to get a divorce than people who do not live together before marriage (one study found 3x risk)
      1. Why? Demographics.
        1. People who are young are more likely to live together are divorce
        2. Lack of education
        3. Not religious
      2. Living together seems to weaken a sense of commitment of marriage
    5. Married people live longer than single/cohabiting people
    6. How to have a good marriage
      1. Don't marry too young
        1. people change a lot (ages 18-24) especially attending college
      2. Gottman could predict with a 92% accuracy if the couple would still be together years later
        1. Couples who stay married have a ratio of 5 positive interactions for 1 negative interaction
        2. Couples who divorce have a ratio of 2 positive to 1 negative
        3. Argue in a fair and caring manner
      3. Emotions become more stable with age
        1. adolescence and young adults have bigger swings