PSYC 3520 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Homo Sapiens, Infant Mortality, Human Ecology
1 Mar 2020
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Development as transformation (many rapid changes in infancy ex. brain development, @ birth brain = 25% of adult eventual size, by 3 yrs reaches 75%, age 5-6=90%) Period of protected immaturity allows children to learn about their specific physical environment: other animals may have built-in instincts from birth, particular to their niche. Humans are not but we learn quickly is adaptive (not locked into a particular environment based on skills born with). Humans tend to live in more diff environments than animals. Humans are very social have evolved so that social life is very important (by 2-3 months they are trying to engage people in environ) Even more significant, it allows children to learn about their specific social environment. Quantitative archival evidence (popn stats, infant mortality) Material culture (toys and books that have survived, showing what infants interacted w at diff points in history - clothes, furniture, etc. ) Prehistory of infancy (1. 6 million to 10,000 years ago):
