Lecture 3 Physical Development: Dr. LIN Dan

Lecture 3 Physical Development
Dr. LIN Dan

Outline
An overview of maturation and development

Brain development
Motor development
Puberty ( )
An Overview of Maturation and Development
Changes in Height and Weight

Rapid increase in height and weight over
first two years
Growth is more gradual during middle
childhood
Puberty (early adolescence) there is
another rapid growth spurt ( )
Figure 6.1 Gain in height per year by males and females from birth through adolescence. At age 10
, girls begin their growth spurt. Boys follow some 2 years later and grow faster than girls once
their growth begins. BASED ON TANNER, WHITEHOUSE, & TAKAISHI, 1966.
Changes in Body Proportions

Cephalocaudal ( ) head
downward growth
At birth, head and legs each
represent 25% of body length
At adulthood, head is 12%, legs
50%
Changes in Body Proportions

Proximodistal ( )
center outward growth
Internal organs followed by limbs
Trend reverses in puberty
hands and feet followed by limbs,
then trunk
Figure 6.2 Proportions of the human body from the fetal period through adulthood. The head
represents 50 percent of body length at 2 months after conception but only 12 to 13 percent of adult
stature. In contrast, the legs constitute about 12 to 13 percent of the total length of a 2-month-old
fetus, but 50% of the height of a 25-year-old adult.
Skeletal Development ( )
Bones lengthen, thicken, and harden with
age completing most growth by 18
Skull has fontanelles (soft spots
for childbirth), and sutures
(seams) for expansion for brain growth
Ankles, feet, wrists, hands develop more
bones
Skeletal age
Figure 6.3 X-rays showing the amount of skeletal development seen in (a) the hand of an average
male infant at 12 months or an average female infant at 10 months and (b) the hand of an average
13-year-old male or an average 10-year-old female.
Muscular Development ( )
Born with all muscle fibers
Increase in density and size, particularly
during growth spurt of adolescence
Variations in Physical Development
Structures develop at different rates
Individuals develop at different rates
Cultural variations also exist
Figure 6.4 Growth curves for different body systems. Each curve plots the size of a group of organs
or body parts as a percentage of their size at age 20 (which is the 100 percent level on the vertical
scale). The general curve describes changes in the bodys size as well as the growth of
respiratory and digestive organs and musculature. The brain and head grow more rapidly than the
body in general, and the reproductive organs are the slowest to reach adult size. (The lymph nodes
and other parts of the lymphatic system, which function as part of the immune system, also grow
Development of The Brain
Neural Development ( )
Last three prenatal months and first two
years of life = brain growth spurt
Neurons basic unit of brain/nervous
system; most present at birth
Form synapses (connective
spaces) with other neurons
Glia nourish neurons and
encase them in myelin; form throughout life
Myelinization
At birth pathways between sense organs
and brain are myelinated ( )
Pathways between muscles and brain are
next
Reticular formation and frontal cortex
Needed for long term concentration
Not fully myelinated at puberty
Neural Plasticity: The Role of Experience

Reisen (1947) dark reared chimp study
Beyond seven months, atrophy of
retina and optic nerve
was irreversible
Increased head circumference in children
from high SES homes
Figure 6.7 Lateral view of the left cerebral cortex and some of the functions that it controls.
Although the cerebellum and spinal cord are not part of the cerebral cortex, they serve important
functions of their own.
Motor Development
Sequence of motor skills is the same for all

infants
Large individual variation of ability to perform
motor skills within children
Rate of motor development not strongly
related to future development outcomes
Table 6.1 Age Norms (in Months) for Important Motor Developments (Based on European
American, Latino, and African American Children in the United States). Sources: Bayley, 1993;
Frankenberg & Dodds, 1967.
Motor Development
Basic Trends in Locomotor Development (

)
Cephalocaudal head-downward
Exception is coordination of hip
movement before shoulder movement
Due to structure of joints
Proximodistal center-outward
Motor Development
Fine Motor Development

Development of Voluntary Reaching
Prereaching is replaced by voluntary
reaching
Development of Manipulatory Skills
Claw-like ulnar grasp( ) is
replaced by the pincer grasp (near end
of first year)
Motor Development
The Maturational Viewpoint

Motor development is a genetically
programmed sequence of events
The Experiential/Practice Hypothesis
Maturation and practice are important
Dynamical Systems Theory
New skills are constructed as infants
actively reorganize existing capabilities
Desire is to achieve a goal
Motor Development
Psychological Implications of Early Motor

Development
Motor skills allow for fun social interaction
Provide evidence of normal development
Enhances perceptual, cognitive, and social
development
Distance, spatial memory
Motor Development
Beyond Infancy: Motor Development in

Childhood and Adolescence
Each year, skills improve
Large muscles, eye-hand coordination
Young children tend to overestimate
physical feats they can perform.
Puberty males increase in muscle
development; females tend to become less
active
Puberty: The Physical Transition From Child to
Adult
The Adolescent Growth Spurt

Begins at about 10 for females
Begins at about 13 for males
Increase in height and weight
Bodies and faces appear more adultlike
Adult
Sexual Maturation
Timed with growth spurt, predictable pattern
Girls
Onset of breast and pubic hair development
Widening of hips, enlarging of uterus, and
vagina
Menarche (first menstruation) ( )
Completion of breast growth
Adult
Sexual Maturation
Boys
Development of testes and scrotum ( )
Emergence of pubic hair
Growth of penis, sperm production
Appearance of facial hair
Lowering of voice
Large individual differences in timing
Figure 6.9 Milestones in the sexual maturation of girls (a) and boys (b). The numbers represent the
variation among individuals in the ages at which each aspect of sexual maturation begins or ends.
For example, we see that the growth of the penis may begin as early as age 10 or as late as 14
. FROM TANNER, 1990.
Adult
Secular Trends ( ):
Are We Maturing Earlier?
Reaching sexual maturity earlier in
industrialized societies than in the past
Also growing taller and heavier
Due to
Improved nutrition
Improved health care
The Psychological Impacts of Puberty
Does Timing of Puberty Matter?
Why?
Negative/positive body image

Bulimia ( )/anorexia ( ), and
treatment?
Among boys, early maturers (compared to
late maturers) show
Good moods
Being popular; more sociability
Feeling strong; more valued physical
appearance
Problems at school
More deviant behavior
More likely to use drugs and alcohol and
engaged in risky activities
Among girls, early maturers (compared to
late maturers) show
Lower emotional stability/self-control
Higher rates of depression, anxiety,
eating disorders, panic attacks (
)
Popularity with boys (older males)
More deviant behavior
Less school participation
More likely to experience early sexual
intercourse
Adolescent Body Image and Unhealthy
Weight Control Strategies
Positive body image:
High self-esteem
Positive peer relationships
Negative body image
Boys
Either want to lose weight, or become
more muscular
If average weight, tend to be happy
Girls compelled to be thin
34
Eating Disorders
Anorexia nervosa
Obsessed with weight gain
Refuse to maintain normal weight
Bulimia nervosa
Binge eating followed by behavior to
avoid weight gain
Both more common among females
Peak occurrence between 14 and 18
Factors influencing self-concepted body image
and weight behaviors
Family
Chaotic home environment
High conflict levels; low emotionality
Intrapersonal factors
Internalize stress
Emotionally unexpressive
Behavioral factors
Participation in certain sports
Dieting; perfectionism
Treatment of Eating Disorders
Family involvement
Realistic views of consequences of actions
Eating family meals
Create environments emphasizing health
and fitness, not appearance
Adolescent Sexuality
Hormonal changes increase sex drive

Culture influences sexuality
Education on sexual matters
Preparation for role as a sexual being
Liberal versus restrictive cultures
Western societies relatively
restrictive
Sexual Behavior
50% of high school girls, 55% of boys
have had intercourse
70-80% of college students have had
intercourse
Figure 6.10 Historical changes in the percentages of high school students reporting premarital
sexual intercourse. DATA FOR FIRST THREE TIME PERIODS ADAPTED FROM DRYER, 1982;
DATA FOR MORE RECENT PERIODS FROM BAIER, ROSENZWEIG, & WHIPPLE, 1991;
Factors associated with early sexual
involvement
Early maturers from low-income families
Difficulty at school
Sexually active friends
Involved with drug or alcohol abuse
Failure to use contraception ( )
Uninformed about reproductive issues
Cannot understand possibility of long-
term consequences
Fear of being viewed negatively
Peer influences
The Psychological Impacts of Puberty
Sexually Transmitted Disease

20% of adolescents contract one
AIDS fastest growing among those 13 to
19 years old
Teenage Pregnancy and Childbearing
1,000,000 become pregnant each year
500,000 babies born to teen mothers
Much higher rate than other countries
Reference
Textbook.
The Hong Kong Context
Breakthrough Youth Research
http://www.breakthrough.org.hk/ir/researchlo
g.htm
(2011).
A Glossary of Psychology

Lecture 3 Physical Development: Dr. LIN Dan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 3 Physical Development: Dr. LIN Dan

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 3 Physical Development: Dr. LIN Dan

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lecture 3 Physical Development

Dr. LIN Dan

An overview of maturation and development

Changes in Height and Weight

Changes in Body Proportions

Changes in Body Proportions

Neural Plasticity: The Role of Experience

Sequence of motor skills is the same for all

Basic Trends in Locomotor Development (

Fine Motor Development

The Maturational Viewpoint

Psychological Implications of Early Motor

Beyond Infancy: Motor Development in

The Adolescent Growth Spurt

Does Timing of Puberty Matter?

Negative/positive body image

Hormonal changes increase sex drive

Sexually Transmitted Disease

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.