Question

Identify the stages and prenatal development and the role of teratogens Describe the key milestones and unique abilities of babies during the first 2 years Discuss attachment and parenting styles in terms of impacts to child development Summarize the theories of Piaget. Vygotsky Erikson and Kohlberg. Describe the unique developmental challenges of adolescence and young adulthood Describe the developmental challenges of middle and late adulthood .

chatper 5. please write atleast 2 pages.

Answer 1

(Hello! I will be answering the first four as per Chegg guidelines, kindly post the rest of the questions separately and we would be happy to help you with the rest).

1) Prenatal development usually occurs around 40 weeks prior to the birth of the child. It is mostly influenced by genetics. There are three most important stages in this period -

a) The Germinal stage - 36 hours after conception is called the germinal stage. The implantation stage takes around 7 days to complete where the zygote, gets embedded in the wall of the uterus. Also, formation of the placenta takes place in this stage.

b) Embryonic stage - end of germinal stage to 2 months after conception. Ball of cells is known as embryo and all the major organs begin to develop during this stage. The main danger is that of TERATOGENS - they are agents like drugs, virus, radiation etc which might result in congenital malformations.

c) The fetal stage - 2 months after conception till birth - sex organs form,bones, muscles etc develop. In the last months the brain increases rapidly in size.

2) Key milestones in the first 2 years are - ability to make eye contact, cooing and babbling. In the cooing, the throat is used and in babbling the front of the mouth and the tongue is used.

Some of the most unique developments in the first 2 years are - babies learn to smile socially, i.e.. babies smile reciprocally- when someone else smiles. Princer grasp develops , i.e.. when the baby picks up anything by using all the fingers and the thumb. Even the first word appears around 12 months and by 21 months they often start imitating parents and engaging in pretend play.

3) There are four attachment styles -

• Secure – autonomous;
• Avoidant – dismissing;
• Anxious – preoccupied; and.
• Disorganized – unresolved.

Also Baumrind identified three parenting styles - authoritative parenting, authoritarian parenting and permissive parenting.

Extensive researches have been carried out and it was found that authoritative and permissive parenting styles highly correlated with secure attachment. Children tend to be more self regulated, secure, confident whereas authoritarian and neglectful parenting styles were associated with insecure attachment. In fact, authoritative parenting style results in children who are brilliant academically and are also emotionally stable.

4) Summaries of the theories are -

a) Piaget - According to Piaget, humans move through 4 stages called the developmental stages and they are the sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal operational. He tried to understand the nature of intelligence, and also stated that both biological maturation and environmental interaction resulted in cognitive development .

b) Vygotsky - Vygotsky, 1978), as he believed strongly that "community plays a central role in the process of "making meaning.  In other words, social learning tends to precede (i.e.., come before) development."

c) Erikson - He forwarded 8 stages of personality development spanning from infancy to adulthood which results in the development of personality. In each stage, there is a psychosocial crisis and overcoming that, might result in either a positive or a negative outcome for personality development.

d) Kohlberg - He extended Piaget's work to talk about moral development in children. He gave 3 stages with 2 levels each. His theory explains how children and adults understand right from wrong.