ch. 9 lifespan developent Flashcards
developmental psychology
the study of how people change physically, cognitively, and socially throughout the lifespan
longitudinal design
tracks a particular variable or group of variables in the same group of participants over time
cross-sectional design
studies a variable or group of variables among a group of participants at different ages or developmental stages (look for age-related differences)
basic stages of development
prenatal, infancy and toddlerhood (0-2), early childhood (2-6), middle childhood (6-12), adolescence (12-18), emerging adulthood (18-25), young adulthood (25-40), middle adulthood (40-65), late adulthood (65- )
critical periods
periods during which a child is maximally sensitive to environmental influences
germinal period
first 2 weeks of prenatal development, zygote undergoes rapid cell division and implants on the uterus wall, develops into the embryo (cluster of cells)
embryonic period
weeks 3 to 8 of prenatal development, rapid growth and intensive cell differentiation, organs and major body systems form, embryo is protectively housed in the fluid-filled amniotic sac and is delivered nourishment via the umbilical cord which is filtered by the placenta
teratogens
harmful substances that can cause abnormal development or birth defects, greatest vulnerability during embryonic stage
fetal alcohol syndrome
abnormal facial features, poor coordination, learning disabilities, behavior problems, and intellectual disability
neural tube
sheet of primitive neural cells, lined with stem cells
fetal period
3rd month of prenatal development to birth, longest stage, body systems grow and reach maturity, quickening (mom can feel the fetus moving), unused synaptic connections are pruned
rooting reflex
touching a newborns cheek triggers it to turn towards the source of the touch and open its mouth
sucking reflex
touching a newborn’s lips will trigger it to suck
grasping reflex
touching a newborn’s palms with your fingers will trigger it to grip your finger tightly
cephalocaudal pattern
physical and motor skill developments follow a “top to bottom” sequence
proximodistal trend
tendency of infants to develop motor control from the center of their bodies outwards
temperament
inborn predispositions to consistently behave and react in a certain way (easy, difficult, or slow-to-warm-up or high-reactive or low-reactive)
attachment
emotional bond that forms between infants and caregivers during the first year of life
Mary D. Salter Ainsworth
conceptualized attachment, caregivers ideally function as a secure base for the infant to explore their environment
secure attachment
infant develops when parents are conssitently warm, responsive, and sensitive to the infants needs, infants expects that their needs will be met by their caregivers
insecure attachment
develops when an infant’s parents are neglectful, inconsistent, or insensitive to the infants moods or behaviors, reflects ambivalent or detached emotional relationship between infant and caregivers
Strange Situation
devised by Ainsworth to measure attachment, baby and mother are brought into unfamiliar room with toys, a stranger then enters the room, the mother then leaves the room and returns repeatedly, securely attached babies use mom as a secure base to explore the room, show distress when she leaves, and are easily soothed when she returns, insecurely attached babies are less likely to explore the room, avoid present mothers, hard for mom to soothe babies after return
universal grammar
possessed by children, a basic understanding of the common principles of language organization
infant-directed speech
distinct pronunciation, simplified vocabulary, short sentences, high pitch, and exaggerated intonation and expression
Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
children actively try to make sense of their environment and progress through 4 cognitive stages
sensorimotor stage
(0-2) infants acquire practical sensory knowledge of the world, gain object permanence at the end of the stage
preoperational stage
(2-7) children engage in symbolic thought, display egocentrism, through is characterized by irreversibility and centration, inability to understand conservation
concrete operational stage
(7-11) children become capable of true logical thought, less egocentric, can reverse mental operations, understand conservation, logic is limited to concrete reality
formal operational stage
(11- ) ability to think logically in abstract and hypothetical situations, increases in sophistication throughout the lifetime but in specific domain of knowledge
Renee Baillargeon
used visual rather than manual tasks to prove that object permanence occurs earlier than Piaget proposed
Lev Vygotsky’s theory of cognitive development
children are able to attain higher levels of cognitive development through support and instruction from others
zone of proximal development
gap between what children can accomplish on their own and what they can accomplish with the help of others who are more competent
information-processing model of cognitive development
focuses on the development of fundamental mental processes such as attention, memory, and problem solving, cognitive development is viewed as a process of continuous change over the lifespan
adolescence
the transitional stage between late childhood and the beginning of adulthood
puberty
the physical process of attaining sexual maturation and reproductive capacity that begins during early adolescence
identity
sense of self; memories, experiences, and values and beliefs that guide behaviors
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychological development
each of the 8 stages of life is associated with a particular psychological conflict that can be resolved in a positive or negative direction
infancy psychosocial conflict
trust vs mistrust
toddlerhood psychosocial conflict
autonomy vs doubt
early childhood psychosocial conflict
initiative vs guilt
middle and late childhood psychosocial conflict
industry vs inferiority
adolescence psychosocial conflict
identity vs role confusion
young adulthood psychosocial conflict
intimacy vs isolation
middle adulthood psychosocial conflict
generativity vs stagnation
late adulthood psychosocial conflict
ego integrity vs despair
moral reasoning
how an individual thinks about moral and ethical decisions, changes during adolescence
Lawrence Kohlberg’s theory of moral development
stages of moral development unfolded in an age-related, step-by-step fashion
preconventional level
moral reasoning is guided by external consequences (stage 1: punishment and obedience, stage 2: mutual benefit)
conventional level
moral reasoning is guided by conformity to social roles, rules, and expectations that there person has learned (stage 3: interpersonal expectations, stage 4: law and order)
postconventional
moreal reasoning is guided by internalized legal and moral principles that protect the rights of all members of society (stage 5: legal principles, stage : universal moral principles) rarely reached
emerging adulthood
period of development from late teens to mid or late 20s
