Developmental Psychology: The Cohort Effect

The Cohort Effect

• The cohort effect is a phenomenon that impacts who we are and how we relate to others, often mistaken for age.
• A cohort refers to a group of people born at roughly the same period in a particular society, sharing histories and contexts that shape their values, priorities, and goals.

Multidisciplinary Fields

• Developmental Psychology is related to other applied fields, including Educational Psychology, Psychopathology, Forensic Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Gerontology, and Child Development.

Cohort Effect and Generations

• The cohort effect complements the concept of generations, including Baby Boomers (1946-1960), Generation X (1961-1980), Generation Y (1981-1995), and Generation Z (born after 1995).

Consequences of Behavior

• The cohort effect involves consequences rather than predictors of behavior, where an organism (animal or human) tends to repeat a response that has been reinforced by desirable consequences and suppresses a response that has been punished.

Reinforcement and Punishment

• Reinforcement is the process by which a behavior is strengthened, increasing the likelihood of repetition.
• Punishment is the process by which a behavior is weakened, decreasing the likelihood of repetition.

Social Learning Theory

• Social Learning Theory (Albert Bandura) states that we cannot isolate the root of any single behavior as a result solely of nature or nurture.

Genetics and Environment

• Almost all human features are polygenic (resulting from many genes) and multifactorial (resulting from many factors, both genetic and environmental).
• The genetic makeup sets up a range of possibilities, but genes may or may not be realized depending on environmental experiences.
• There is a bidirectional interplay between the environment and genetic predispositions.

Intelligence and Heritability

• Heritability is a statistic that represents the proportion of phenotypic variance that is due to genetic differences.
• Intelligence is inherited in a person's genetics, with estimates of heritability ranging from 50% to 80%.

Genotypes and Phenotypes

• Genotype refers to the genetic complement, coded in DNA inherited from parents.
• Phenotype refers to the expression of genes in behavioral traits that can be measured.

Infant Development

Sensory Development

• Infants are sensitive to touch and temperature, and are highly sensitive to pain, responding with crying and cardiovascular responses.
• Newborns can distinguish between sour, bitter, sweet, and salty flavors, and show a preference for sweet flavors.
• Infants prefer the smell of their mothers.

Motor Skills

• Gross motor skills involve the use of large muscle groups, typically developing first in infants, including lifting their head, propping up their body, rolling, sitting, crawling, standing, and walking.

Attachment Theory

• John Bowlby's Attachment Theory integrates object relations theory with an evolutionary perspective, infusing knowledge of ethology.
• The theory states that babies have social as well as physical needs, and contact comfort is the foundation for attachment.

Mary Ainsworth and the Strange Situation Technique

• The Strange Situation Technique is a method for determining the type of attachment style, involving a stranger interacting with the infant as the mother leaves.
• The technique assesses the critical behavior of how the infant reacts when the mother returns.

Three Attachment Styles

• The three attachment styles identified through the Strange Situation Technique are secure, anxious-resistant, and avoidant.

Explore how the cohort effect influences our identity and relationships, and how it differs from the impact of age. Discover its significance in developmental psychology.