EDUS 220 Educational Psychology

1. EDUS 220 Educational Psychology Unit I: Biological Development Dean Owen, Ph.D., LPCC Spring 2011

2. Fundamental Definitions Human development: The process of change that begins at the moment of conception and ends in death.

3. Human Development in five domains….. 1. Neurological / Physical Today’s topic

4. Human Development in five domains….. 2. Cognitive

5. Human Development in five domains….. 3. Emotional

6. Human Development in five domains….. 4. Social

7. Human Development in five domains….. 5. Moral

8. Defining Themes of Human Development Source What are the basic triggers or determiners for human change? What drives change in us….genetics or environment??

9. Defining Themes of Human Development Continuity Is human development like a ramp or series of steps…..Is it a smooth and continuous process or a series of stages through which we pass?

10. Defining Themes of Human Development Stability Are human characteristics predetermined or can they be changed? The Science of Individual Differences

11. Sir Francis Galton: Cousin of Charles Darwin, he applied evolutionary principles to the human species. Suggested that the predisposition to “intelligence” or high achievement could be inherited like eye color or body stature. Human characteristics (ht., wt., reaction time, intelligence…etc.) were normally distributed…..

12. Sources The forces that dictate or stimulate human change over time. The Four Developmental Perspectives: 1. Biological determinism 2. Environmental shaping 3. Active adaptation 4. Cultural Contextualism

13. Biological determinism The perspective posits that physiological and neurological conditions determine the vast majority of human qualities and genetics is the primary determiner of who and what we are. Sigmund Freud 1856-1939 A strong proponent of the idea of biological determinism he held that all mental conditions had causes beyond human control and much of human development was regulated by deeply ingrained biologic drives.

14. Biological determinism Twin studies suggest the strength of genetic endowment in determining many aspects of human development including body stature, physical appearance, mental processing ability, and even personality traits.

15. Environmental Shaping The perspective posits it is the specific learned associations that are acquired through life experience that are most significant in determining how individuals develop. Life experiences and one’s environment determine the course of development. The learning theorists Ivan Pavlov John B. Watson B.F. Skinner Albert Bandura Creating the right set of environmental conditions is thought to produce the desired effect.

16. Active Adaptation The perspective posits that individuals play an active role in their own development and see the mental maturity of the individual as critical in determining what is learned from the environment and experience. Jean Piaget Explained cognitive, linguistic and emotional development Believed in reciprocity of endogenous and exogenous forces An individual’s ability to benefit from events depends upon motivation and level of maturity. 1896-1980

17. Cultural Contextualism The perspective posits human development cannot be understood by studying the individual alone but must be considered within the context of culture and social interaction. Lev Vygotsky Human development is a socially motivated and socially experienced process. Human development in many ways is different for individuals in Munich Germany than it is for children growing up in rural Nepal. 1896-1934

18. Biological and Neurological Development

19. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 1. Development progresses in a step-by-step fashion. It is orderly, sequential, and proceeds from the simple to the complex. Each achieved structure or behavior forms the foundation for more advanced structures and behaviors.

20. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 2. Development is characterized by increasing specificity of function or differentiation as well as integration of these specific functions into a larger response pattern.

21. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 3. Neurological development contributes significantly to the acquisition of physical skills in young children. Physical development proceeds in cephalocaudal and proximodistal directions.

22. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 3a. Cephalocaudal development describes the progression of body control from the head to the lower parts of the body. For example, an infant will achieve head, upper trunk, and arm control before lower trunk and leg control.

23. Physical Development Patterns of physical maturation Cephalocaudal development

24. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 3b. Proximodistal development describes progress from the central portions of the body (i.e., the spinal cord) to the distal or peripheral parts. In this developmental progression, gross motor skills and competencies precede fine motor skills.

25. Physical Development Patterns of physical maturation Proximodistal development

26. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 4. Development of any structure follows a sequential pattern; however, there appear to be specific times during development in which a developing structure is most sensitive to external conditions. These sensitive periods, or critical periods, are the times during which a specific condition or stimulus is necessary for the normal development of a specific structure.

27. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 4. Critical Periods (time window) Oxana Malaya Ukranian Dog girl Raised by a pack of dogs from age 3 to age 8 when she was discovered. She had acquired many of the dog’s behaviors. Such children often have difficulties is achieving normal development….

28. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 5. All development is interrelated. Although it is convenient for the student or early interventionist to discuss development in terms of discrete developmental areas, such as motor skills, development in other areas such as social-emotional or communication functions does not cease, nor is it necessarily separate from other areas.

29. Principles of Biological and Neurological Development 6. Development is influenced by heredity and environment. A child’s genetic inheritance (i.e., heredity) provides the basic foundation for many physical and personality attributes, but the influences of social, cultural, and familial variables (i.e., environment) also contribute to development. Published 1932

30. Biological bases for development Rapid brain growth… 3 months before birth to 24 months At birth the brain is 25% of adult size At 24 months = it is 75% of adult size

31. Biological bases for development Neuron Structure

32. Biological bases for development Training and education change the forest wilderness into a series of trails……..When is it easiest to learn a new language?????

33. Physical Development Patterns of physical maturation At birth the average child weighs 3.4 kg and about 50cm long. By age 2 this same child will have achieved about 20% of adult height and weight.

34. Major Body Systems Skeletal System

35. Major Body Systems Cardiovascular System

36. Major Body Systems Neurological System

37. Major Body Systems Endocrine System

38. Major Body Systems Digestive System

39. Major Body Systems Muscular System

40. Major Body Systems Respiratory

41. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development

42. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development The Newly Born Child Depending on the nutrients available to the child within pregnancy and the genetic make up of the child, most healthy babies weight between five and eight pounds. Since the placenta is absent, which previously provided the baby with nutrients, food is required for the metabolic processes and the continued growth of the baby. Its nutrients derive from feeding of liquids by the parents to begin with, as the young baby's digestive system cannot cope with more complex solid foods. This provides the nutrients to begin with for continued growth and development

43. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development Toddlers Through learning and development , by the end of the first year the baby can feed on solids and perform basic functions such as crawling and walking. The dependence on growth from food from the mother is now switched to the production of hormones in the young child, which now has a developed endocrine system for hormone secretion. At this stage the young child is at a period of accelerated growth, which will continue into early childhood Depending on the genetics of the baby, the hormones secreted will determine the height of the child in its future years. As a general rule of thumb, the size of the child at 2 years is roughly proportional to its final height barring unusual factors.

44. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development Puberty and Adolescence After early childhood, the child continues to grow steadily in its single figure years up until it becomes a teenager. At this point, puberty begins.  Puberty is the point in time where the development of sexual characteristics begin, and will allow these humans to become sexually active and be able to produce gametes for reproduction.

45. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development Puberty in Females On average, most girls tend to reach puberty before boys (12 earliest, 18 latest). Estrogen, a female hormone is secreted by the ovaries, begins to enlarge the breasts. Growth is increased and accelerates over the teenage years as a result of increases in the secretion of growth hormone. On average, 20 centimetres are gained in height from puberty  The menstrual cycle is initiated by the thickening of the uterus caused by the cyclical changes in the presence of Estrogen. This is shed every 28 days and is known as a period. At this point, the female is fertile and able to reproduce

46. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development Puberty in Males On average, most boys tend to reach puberty after most girls have developed, though puberty lasts longer As with girls, a growth spurt occurs Testosterone is produced by the male testes, which initiates the growth spurt, and does so more effectively than oestrogen, making most males on average taller than females After secretion of prolonged testosterone, the male shows secondary sex characteristics such as increased bodily hair, deepening of the voice and increased development of muscularity The initial secretion of testosterone initiates sperm production, giving the male fertile gametes available for reproduction

47. Patterns of Growth and Development Physical Development By the end of the teenage years puberty ceases and maturity has been reached. At this point, no more true growth occurs (an increase in cell number) and new cells are solely used for regeneration purposes. What is the pattern of physical development associated with: Early adulthood Middle adulthood and Late Adulthood.

48. Patterns of Growth and Development Brain and neurological development……Human

49. Patterns of Growth and Development The brain grows at an amazing rate during development. At times during brain development, 250,000 neurons are added every minute!! At birth, almost all of the NEURONS that the brain will ever have are present. However, the brain continues to grow for a few years after birth. By the age of 2 years old, the brain is about 80% of the adult size. You may wonder, "How does the brain continue to grow, if the brain has most of the neurons it will get when you are born?". The answer is in GLIAL CELLS. Glia continues to divide and multiply. Glia carries out many important functions for normal brain function including insulating nerve cells with myelin. The neurons in the brain also make many new connections after birth.

50. Patterns of Growth and Development The Brain During Development The nervous system develops from embryonic tissue called the ectoderm. The first sign of the developing nervous system is the neural plate that can be seen at about the 16th day of development. Over the next few days, a "trench" is formed in the neural plate - this creates a neural groove. By the 21st day of development, a neural tube is formed when the edges of the neural groove meet. The rostral (front) part of the neural tubes goes on to develop into the brain and the rest of the neural tube develops into the spinal cord. Neural crest cells become the peripheral nervous system.