Chapter 1

Question 1

science of human development

Answer 1

science that seeks to understand how and why people of all ages/circumstances change or remain the same over time

Question 2

scientific method

Answer 2

a way to answer questions beginning with empirical research before drawing conclusions

Question 3

hypotheses

Answer 3

a specific prediction that can be tested

Question 4

empirical evidence

Answer 4

evidence that is based on data, i.e, that is demonstrated not assumed

Question 5

replication

Answer 5

repeating a study, usually using a different participants but similar or identical procedures and measures

Question 6

nature

Answer 6

the genetic influences on a person

Question 7

nurture

Answer 7

the non-genetic influences on each developing person, which is everything from the mothers nutrition while pregnant to the national culture

Question 8

differential susceptibility

Answer 8

the idea that people vary in how sensitive they are to particular experiences, either because of their genes or because of past events

Question 9

critical period

Answer 9

a crucial time when certain events (either biological or social) must occur in order for development to proceed normally)

Question 10

sensitive period

Answer 10

a crucial time when a certain development is most likely to occur. (early childhood)

Question 11

ecological-systems approach

Answer 11

a perspective on human development that considers all of the influences from the various contexts of development

Question 12

microsystem

Answer 12

the immediate social contexts that directly affect each person, such as family, peer group, work team

Question 13

exosystem

Answer 13

the community institutions that affect the immediate contexts, such as school, church, hospital, court

Question 14

macrosystem

Answer 14

the overarching national or cultural policies and customs that affect the more immediate systems, such as the effect of the national economy on local hospitals (an exosystem) or families (microsystem)

Question 15

chronosystem

Answer 15

the impact of historical conditions (wars, inventions, policies) on the development of people who live in that era

Question 16

mesosystem

Answer 16

a connection between one system and another, such as parent-teacher conferences (connects home and school) or workplace schedules (connecting family and job)

Question 17

cohort

Answer 17

people born within the same historical period who move through life together

Question 18

socioeconomic status (SES)

Answer 18

s person’s position in society as determined by income, occupation, education, and place of residence (social class)

Question 19

culture

Answer 19

a system of shared beliefs, norms, behaviors, and expectations that persist over time and guide behavior and assumptions

Question 20

social construction

Answer 20

an idea that is built on shared perceptions, not an objective reality

Question 21

difference-equals-deficit error

Answer 21

the mistaken belief that unusual behavior or conditions are necessarily inferior

Question 22

ethnic group

Answer 22

people whose ancestors were born in the same part of the world, often sharing language, culture, and religion

Question 23

race

Answer 23

categorizing people based on inherited traits

Question 24

intersectionality

Answer 24

the idea that the various identities need to be combined - especially important in determining if discrimination occurs

Question 25

plasticity

Answer 25

the concept that suggests abilities, personality, neurons, and so one re moldable, not immutable

Question 26

dynamic systems approach

Answer 26

a view of human development as an ongoing, everchanging interaction between the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial influences. recognizes that development is never static

Question 27

scientific observation

Answer 27

a method of testing a hypothesis by systematically watching and recording participant's behavior, in a natural setting, in a laboratory, or in archival data

Question 28

experiment

Answer 28

research method where the researcher seeks to discover what causes what

Question 29

independent cariable

Answer 29

the variable that's introduced to see what effect it has on the dependent variable (experimental)

Question 30

dependent variable

Answer 30

the variable that may change as a result of whatever new condition or situation the experimenter adds

Question 31

survey

Answer 31

research method in which information is collected from a large number of people by interview, written questionnaires, or some other means

Question 32

meta-analysis

Answer 32

combining the results of many studies, each of which may have small, and limited samples, to reach a general conclusion

Question 33

cross-sectional research

Answer 33

research that compares people who differ in age but are similar in other important characteristics

Question 34

longitudinal research

Answer 34

research in which the same individuals are followed over time, as their development is repeatedly assessed

Question 35

cross-sequential research

Answer 35

research that begins by comparing people of different ages and then follows those people over the years

Question 36

correlation

Answer 36

a number between -1.0 and +1.0 that indicates the relationship between two variables, expressed in terms of the likelihood that one variable will (or will not) change when the other variable does (or does not)

Question 37

quantitative research

Answer 37

research that provides data that can be expressed with numbers, such as ranks or scales

Question 38

qualitative research

Answer 38

research that considers qualities instead of quantities, and hence includes narratives and other aspects of development that express individuality