7121 Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Teratology, Energy Level, Heredity
21 Jun 2018
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DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY SELF LEARNING
CHAPTER 5
Roots of personality; infant temperament
- Temperamental difference is evident from birth and will influence most other aspects of the
babys development from that moment forward
oIe cheerful vs gloomy, active vs sluggish
oShape growth of perceptual and motor skills and patterns of exploration, learning and
intellectual curiosity
- All babies are different
oEven siblings when born may exhibit different ways of behaving
Even beforehand with kicking etc
- Dimensions of temperament in australian infants; sanson and collegues
oActivity level
Level and extent of motor activity
oIrregularity (vs rhythmicity)
Regularity with which behaviours such as sleeping and feeding occur
oApproach-withdrawel
Nature of the response to a new person or stimulus’
oAdaptability
Ease that a child adapts to, or fits in with, changes in the environment
oIntensity
Energy level of a response or reaction
oThreshold of responsiveness
Strength of stimulation necessary to evoke a discernible response
oMood
Ratio of cheerful – unfriendly nature etc
oDistractibility
How easy ongoing behaviour like crying can be changed by a new stimulus
oPersistence or attention span
How continually an activity is maintained and the effect of distraction on the
activity
- Patterns of temperament
oSanson and collegues noted Australian children as less active and restless than US
slept longer, moved less when awake
greater placidity could be due to less regular feeding, sleeping and elimination
and also less adaptive to new situations
ocombo of traits can make raising a baby easier
o3 types based on combined dispositional qualities
Easy
Not overly active or too lethargic, cheerful, happy – balanced.
Regular sleeping, waking, huner and elimination
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Helps predict needs
Adaptability is huge
oLeaving with relative, new foods etc
Low chance of getting ‘difficult or ‘slow to warm up’ in Australia
Slow to warm up
Placid and inactive; result in being left along too often, without the
interesting sights and sounds needed to ouse curiosity.
Variable hunger schedules and wakefulness – make it hard to predict
needs; hard to help them fit into home life
When a positive response occurs; warm parents heart
Difficult
Irregular habits, resistant to novel experiences and to parental effrts to
modify routines
More intense reactions than slow to warm up; but have greater
predominance of unhappy, unpleasant moods over happy states
Time spent in vigorous protest and unsoothable crying
Good to introduce new things gradually to slow to warm up and difficult babies;
so as to help them make up their own minds
- Influence of heredity and envornment
oExperiences begin well before birth aswell as susceptibility to adverse environmental
influences – teratogens.
oMothers hormones reach fetus through bloodstream respond to activity level such as
loud noise
oAuditory and vestibular stimulation could influence thr growth of the new babys
temperament before birth
oTwin studies hace shown close resemblance btw MZ pairs than DZ same sex twins.
oEven with MZ pairs – one can still be difficult while the other can be easy.
Sanson and co compared infants with complicated deliveries vs uncomplicated;
no difference in frequencies of easy – difficult
oBirth order
Sanson and co; first borns showed no consistent differences (not more difficult
as per thought) in temperament from later born, nor did rural from urban
No significant sex differnces either in dimensions or overall temperament
classification
- Cultural variations in temperament and changes over generations
oParents cultural background will shape ideas around infants temperament
Therefore can influence temperament, aswell as disciplinary, socialization and
childrearing practices
oKyrios and co foud greek-aus babies were more likely than anglo-aus to have bad
temperament – difficult; more negative moods, less adaptable, less easily distracted and
less positive mood
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
All babies are different: even siblings when born may exhibit different ways of behaving. Dimensions of temperament in australian infants; sanson and collegues: activity level. Level and extent of motor activity: irregularity (vs rhythmicity) Regularity with which behaviours such as sleeping and feeding occur: approach-withdrawel. Nature of the response to a new person or stimulus": adaptability. Ease that a child adapts to, or fits in with, changes in the environment: intensity. Energy level of a response or reaction: threshold of responsiveness. Strength of stimulation necessary to evoke a discernible response: mood. Ratio of cheerful unfriendly nature etc: distractibility. How easy ongoing behaviour like crying can be changed by a new stimulus: persistence or attention span. How continually an activity is maintained and the effect of distraction on the. Not overly active or too lethargic, cheerful, happy balanced. Adaptability is huge: leaving with relative, new foods etc. Low chance of getting difficult or slow to warm up" in australia.
