Chapter 1

Question 1

Life Span Perspective

Answer 1

the general course of our development, the patter of movement or change that begins at conception and continues through the human life span.

Question 2

what is the importance of studying life-span development?

Answer 2

you will discover it addresses some provocative questions about who we are, how we came to be this way & where our future will take us

Question 3

dimensions of life-span perspective (6)

Answer 3

1- lifelong
2- multidimensional
3- multidirectional
4- plastic
5- multidisciplinary
6- contextual

Question 4

normative age-graded influences

Answer 4

biological & environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group

Question 5

normative history-graded influences

Answer 5

common to a generation

Question 6

normative life events

Answer 6

unusual occurrences that have a major impact on the individuals life

Question 7

social policy

Answer 7

a government course of action designed to promote the welfare of its citizens

Question 8

why is health & wellbeing a concern?

Answer 8

lifestyle & psychological states have powerful influences on health & wellbeing

Question 9

why is parenting & education?

Answer 9

many questions involve pressures on the contemporary family & conditions impairing the effectiveness of US schools

Question 10

biological processes

Answer 10

changes in an individual’s physical nature

Question 11

cognitive processes

Answer 11

changes in an individuals thought, intelligence & language

Question 12

socio-emotional processes

Answer 12

changes in an individuals relationships, emotions & personality

Question 13

developmental cognitive neuroscience

Answer 13

explores links b/w development, cognitive processes & the brain

Question 14

developmental social neuroscience

Answer 14

examines connections b/w socio-emotional processes, develop & the brain

Question 15

developmental period

Answer 15

refers to a time frame in a person’s life characterized by certain features

Question 16

biological age

Answer 16

age in terms of biological health

Question 17

psychological age

Answer 17

a person’s adaptive capacities compared w/ those of there individuals of the same chronological age

Question 18

social age

Answer 18

a persons connectedness w/ others & the adoption of social roles

Question 19

normal aging

Answer 19

describes most individuals w/ above average functioning peaking early middle age

Question 20

pathological aging

Answer 20

describes individuals w/ above average decline as they age & a disease impairs daily functioning

Question 21

successful aging

Answer 21

describes individuals maintaining positive physical physical, cognitive & socio-emotional development longer in life

Question 22

nature (in terms of nature v nurture)

Answer 22

refers to an organisms biological inheritance

Question 23

nurture (in terms of nature v nurture)

Answer 23

refers to its environmental experiences

Question 24

stability-change issue

Answer 24

debate about early traits & characteristics persist through life or chnage

Question 25

continuity-discontinunity issue

Answer 25

extent to which development involves graduals, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages (discontinuity)

Question 26

theory:

Answer 26

an intended, coherent set of ideas that helps to explain phenomena & facilitate predictions

Question 27

hypothesis

Answer 27

specific assumptions & predictions that can be tested to determine their accuracy

Question 28

psychoanalytic theories

Answer 28

describe development as primarily unconscious & heavily colored by emotion

Question 29

freud's psychoanalytic theory

Answer 29

adult personality is determined by the way we resolve conflicts b/w sources of pleasure at each stage & the demands of reality

Question 30

ericksons psychoanalytic theory

Answer 30

-personality & development change occurs throughout the life span -includes eight stages of human development, each representing a crisis that must be resolved