Chap 1 - Orientation to Lifespan Dev Flashcards
Physical development
Development involving the body’s physical makeup, including the brain, nervous system, muscles, & senses, & the need for food, drink, & sleep
Lifespan development
Field of study that examines patterns of growth, change & stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span.
Cognitive development
Development involving the ways that growth & change in intellectual capabilities influence a person’s behavior
Personality development
Development involving the ways that the enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the life span
Social development
The way in which individuals’ interactions with others & their social relationships grow, change, & remain stable over the course of life.
Continuous change
Gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels
Discontinuous change
Development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is assumed to be qualitatively different from behavior of earlier stages
Critical period
Specific time during development when a particular event has its greatest consequences & the presence of certain kinds of environmental stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally
Sensitive period
A point in development when organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences
Maturation
The predetermined unfolding of genetic info
Theories
Explanations & predictions concerning phenomena of interest, providing a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or principles
Psychodynamic perspective
The approach stating that behavior is motivated by inner forces, memories, & conflicts that are generally beyond people’s awareness & control
Psychoanalytic theory
The theory proposed by Freud that suggests that unconscious forces act to determine personality & behavior
Psychosexual development
According to Freud, a series of stages that children pass through in which pleasure, or gratification, focuses on a particular biological function & body part
Psychosocial development
The approach that encompasses changes in our interactions with & understandings of one another, as well as in our knowledge & understanding of ourselves as members of society
Behavioral perspective
The approach suggesting that the keys to understanding development are observable behavior & outside stimuli in the environment
Classical conditioning
A type of learning in which an organism responds in a particular way to a neutral stimulus that normally does not bring about that type of response
Operant conditioning
A form of learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened by its association with positive or negative consequences
Behavior modification
A formal technique for promoting the frequency of desirable behaviors & decreasing the incidence of unwanted ones
Social-cognitive learning theory
Learning by observing the behavior of another person, called a model
Cognitive perspective
The approach that focuses on the processes that allow people to know, understand, & think about the world
Information processing approaches
Models that seek to identify the ways individuals take in, use, & store info
Cognitive neuroscience approaches
Approaches that examine cognitive development through the lens of brain processes
Contextual perspective
The theory that considers the relationship between individuals & their physical, cognitive, personality, & social worlds
Humanistic perspective
The theory contending that people have a natural capacity to make decisions about their lives & control their behavior
Bio ecological approach
The perspective suggesting that different levels of the environment simultaneously influence individuals
Sociocultural theory
The approach that emphasizes how cognitive development proceeds as a result of social interactions between members of a culture
Evolutionary perspective
The theory that seeks to identify behavior that is a result of our genetic inheritance from our ancestors
Scientific method
The process of posing & answering questions using careful, controlled techniques that include systematic, orderly observation & the collection of data
Hypothesis
A prediction stated in a way that permits it to be tested
Experimental research
Research designed to discover casual relationships between various factors
Correlational research
Research that seeks to identify whether an association or relationship between two factors exist
Naturalistic observation
A type of correlational study in which some naturally occurring behavior is observed without intervention in the situation
Case studies
Studies that involve extensive, in-depth interviews with a particular individual or small group of individuals
Survey research
A type of study where a group of people chosen to represent some larger population are asked questions about their attitudes, behavior, or thinking on a given topic
Psychophysiological method
Research that focuses on the relationship between physiological processes & behavior
Experiment
A process in which an investigator, called an experimenter, devises two different experiences for participants & then studies & compares the outcomes
Independent variable
The variable that researchers manipulate in an experiment
Dependent variable
The variable that researchers measure in an experiment & expect to change as a result of the experimental manipulation
Sample
The group of participants chosen for the experiment
Field study
A research investigation carried out in a naturally occurring setting
Laboratory study
A research investigation conducted in a controlled setting explicitly designed to hold events constant
Theoretical research
Research designed specifically to test some developmental explanation & expand scientific knowledge
Applied research
Research meant to provide practical solutions to immediate problems
Longitudinal research
Research in which the behavior of one or more participants in a study is measured as they age
Cross-sectional research
Research in which people of different ages are compared at the same point in time
Sequential studies
Research in which researchers examine a number of different age groups over several points in time
Cohort
A group of people born at around the same time in the same place
Confounding variables
Can’t control in experiment but will most likely affect outcome of experiment
Control group
Getting placebo
Experimental group
Getting meds
Social construction
A shared notion of reality, one that is widely accepted but is a function of society & culture at a given time
Nature
Refers to traits, abilities, & capacities that are inherited from one’s parents
Nurture
Refers to the environmental influences that shape behavior
Fixation
Behavior reflecting an earlier stage of dev due to an unresolved conflict
