1. Introduction: Theories of Social Development Flashcards
accommodation
Modifying an existing schema to fit a new experience.
age cohorts
People who were born in the same time period and share historical experiences.
assimilation
Applying an existing schema to a new experience.
chronosystem
The time-based dimension that can alter the operation of all other systems in Bronfenbrenner’s model, from microsystem to macrosystem.
classical conditioning
A type of learning in which a new stimulus is repeatedly presented with a familiar stimulus until an individual learns to respond to the new stimulus in the same way as to the familiar stimulus.
cognitive social learning theory
A theory that stresses the importance of observation and imitation in the acquisition of new behaviors, with learning mediated by cognitive processes.
critical period
A specific time in an organism’s development during which external factors have a unique and irreversible impact.
desensitization
Classical conditioning therapy used to overcome phobias and fears through exposure to increasingly intense versions of the feared stimulus; the process by which people show diminished emotional reaction to a repeated stimulus or event.
domain specificity
Processes of development are different for different types of behavior, for example, moral judgments, manners, and peer relationships.
drive-reduction theory
A version of learning theory suggesting that the association of stimulus and response in classical and operant conditioning results in learning only if it is accompanied by reduction of basic primary drives such as hunger and thirst.
ecological theory
A theory stressing the influences of environmental systems and relations between systems on development.
ego
In Freud’s theory, the rational component of the person- ality, which tries to satisfy needs through appropriate, socially acceptable behaviors.
egocentric
Tending to view the world from one’s own perspective and having difficulty seeing things from another’s viewpoint.
Electra complex
According to Freud, girls blame their mother for their lack of a penis and focus their sexual feelings on their father.
equifinality
The convergence of developmental paths in which children follow very different paths to reach the same developmental end point.
ethological theory
A theory that behavior must be viewed in a particular context and as having adaptive or survival value.
exosystem
In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, the collection of settings that impinge on a child’s development but in which the child does not play a direct role (e.g., parental workplace).
generativity
A concern for people besides oneself, especially a desire to nurture and guide younger people and contribute to the next generation.
id
In Freud’s theory, instinctual drives that operate on the basis of the pleasure principle.
life history theory
The schedule of key events over the life course is influenced by natural selection to produce the largest
possible number of surviving offspring and thus maximize the successful passing on of the organism’s genes.
macrosystem
In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, the system that surrounds the microsystem, mesosystem, and exosystem, representing the values, ideologies, and laws of the society or culture.
maturation
A biologically determined process of growth that unfolds over a period of time.
mesosystem
In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, the inter-relations among the components of the microsystem.
microsystem
In Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory, the context in which children live and interact with the people and institutions closest to them, such as parents, peers, and school.
