Chapter 1 Flashcards
What is developmental psychology?
The field of study that deals with the behavior, thoughts, and emotions of individuals as they go through various parts of the life span
Example sentence: Developmental psychology examines how individuals change physically, mentally, and emotionally from infancy to old age.
What is adult development?
The changes that take place within individuals as they progress from emerging adulthood (end of adolescence) to the end of life
Example sentence: Adult development focuses on understanding how individuals mature and change as they transition from young adulthood to old age.
What is empirical research?
Scientific studies of observable events that are measured and evaluated objectively
Empirical research is the foundation of psychology and involves conducting experiments to gather data.
Individual differences
things that are unique to the individual
Ex: biological makeup, experiences, collection of personality traits, perceptions
Commonalities
typical aspects of adult life that most of us can relate to (either now or in the future)
Ex: moving out of parents’ home, getting a job, being in a relationship
Stability
the things about you that stay relatively the same throughout your adult life
Change
what changes to makes us different as we get older
While the next few slides will discuss different types of change, be aware that we will be focusing on both change and stability this semester
Continuous vs stage change/development
Continuous - slow and gradual
Ex: cognitive processes; learning
Typical vs atypical stages
Typical - most adults, same order, around the same age period
Atypical - unique to the individual
External vs internal changes
External - visible and noticeable; usually physical changes
Ex: gaining losing weight; other signs of aging
Internal - not as visible or obvious
Ex: changes in personality or emotions; changes in how we think or see the world
Stage
abrupt change
Ex: moving out of parents home; moving in with a partner, becoming a parent
CHRONOLOGICAL AGE
number of years since birth
Now, we certainty use chronological age (18, 21, 25) for certain social milestones (legal adult, drinking age, renting a car), but chronological age doesn’t really have anything to do with development
BIOLOGICAL AGE
a measure of how an adult’s physical condition compares with others
Keanu Reeves is in his 50s but has the physical condition and abilities of someone much younger
PSYCHOLOGICAL AGE
a measure of how an adult’s ability to deal effectively with the environment compares to others
Ex: someone in their early 20s who is going to school, taking care of younger siblings and grandparents, working, and contributing financially to their household. You would probably think they are really mature and carry the responsibilities of someone much older
SOCIAL AGE
based on the expected roles a person takes on at a specific point in his or her life
FUNCTIONAL AGE
biological age, psychological age, and social age as a package
How well a person is functioning as an adult compared to others
What are normative age-graded influences?
Influences that are linked to age and experienced by most adults of every generation as they get older
Example: common changes such as graying hair, skin wrinkling, and loss of muscle tone and physical strength
What are normative history-graded influences?
Experiences that result from historical events or conditions
Culture can play a big role in this
What is a cohort in the context of normative history-graded influences?
A group of people who share a common historical experience at the same stage in life
Cohorts can be general (e.g. millennials) or very specific (short period of time or come from a certain area)
What are non-normative life events?
Events that influence your life that are unique to you, not shared with many others
Example: death of a spouse early in adulthood, losing a job suddenly
GENETICS
We know that genes play a big role in human development.
ENVIRONMENT
The environment we grow up in can have long-lasting effects on our developmental path.
INTERACTIONIST VIEW
DEF: one’s unique traits are determined by how one interacts with the environment.
GUIDING PERSPECTIVES
We have different theoretical viewpoints that guide our understanding of human development.
LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH
This approach emphasizes that development occurs across the entire lifespan and involves biological, psychological, and social changes.
BIOECOLOGICAL MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT
DEF: this model considers the developing person within the context of multiple environments.
What is the Bioecological Model of Development?
Brofenbrenner’s model that includes 5 systems (see figure 1.21)
Brofenbrenner’s model consists of the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.
What is covered in the section on Developmental Research Methods?
Cross-sectional studies
Cross-sectional studies involve data collection from different individuals at the same time point.
What are Cross-Sectional Studies?
Studies that compare different groups at the same time
Cross-sectional studies compare groups at a single point in time.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of Cross-Sectional Studies?
Advantages - quick, easy, and cost-effective
Disadvantages - cannot establish causal relationships between groups, potential for differences among groups, no information on change over time
Cross-sectional studies are efficient but have limitations in establishing causality and capturing change over time.
What are Longitudinal Studies?
Studies where the same group participates over time
Longitudinal studies follow the same group over an extended period to track changes.
What makes Longitudinal Studies unique?
They track the same group over time
Longitudinal studies provide insights into individual development over time.
What are Sequential Studies?
Studies that involve multiple groups at different times
Sequential studies examine multiple groups at various points in time.
Personal Interview
Experimenter asks participants questions, one-on-on
Types of personal interviews
Structured – pick from a set of responses (multiple choice)
Open ended – can respond however you like
Combination of both
Advantages of personal interviews
Interviewer can clarify questions or ask follow up questions
Participants might feel more comfortable talking to another person
Disadvantages of personal interviews
Socially desirable responses
Experimenter bias
What is a survey questionnaire?
Contains structured and focused questions that the participant fills out
Survey questionnaire advantages
Large-scale – can get responses from lots of participants quickly and easily
Honest responses (if anonymous)
Less expensive and time consuming
Disadvantages of survey questionnaires
Low return rate
Can be difficult to construct
Reliability
consistency; getting a same measurement each time
Validity
truthfulness; measuring what it’s supposed to measure
What is correlational analysis?
The extent to which variables are related and how are they related; if related, can use one to predict the other
Types of correlations
-positive
-negative
-no correlation
(Correlation does not equal causation)
What is Meta-Analysis
Combining data from a large number of research studies that deal with the same research question
Experimental design
With this design, the researcher CAN make causal conclusions/statements about their results
•Can say that “variable A” caused a change in “variable B”
Experimental design
With this design, the researcher CAN make causal conclusions/statements about their results
•Can say that “variable A” caused a change in “variable B”
non-experimental design
-researcher CANNOT make causal conclusions/statements about their results
•Can only say that “variable A” is related to or associated with “variable B”
Descriptive Research
•Describes Ps on some variable of interest
•Ex: demographics, means
Qualitative Research
•More verbal descriptions of the data
•Ex: how motivated are you right now?
•Response is open ended (participants can say whatever they want)
Quantitive Research
– numerical data
•Ex: how motivated are you right now?
•Response is based on a given scale (participants must choose an option that corresponds to a particular number on the scale)
•1 = not at all motivated; 4 = neutral; 7 = extremely motivated
