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