Chapter 1 Flashcards
what is developmental psychology
the branch of psychology that studies the changes- physical, mental, and behavioural- that occur from conception to old age AND investigates the various biological, neurobiological, genetic, psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors that affect development throughout the lifespan
factors (cause)
biological, neurobiological, genetic, psychological, social, cultural, environmental
changes (effect)
physical, mental, behavioural
age groups
prenatal (before birth)
Infant (0-12 months)/ Toddler (1-3 years)
early childhood (4-8 years)
middle childhood (9-12 years)
adolescence (13-18 years)
historical foundations: Plato
self-control and discipline
knowledge= innate (nature)
historical foundations: Aristotle
consider equal needs
knowledge= experience (nurture)
historical foundations: Locke
character, then freedom
knowledge= tabula rasa (nurture)
historical foundations: Rousseau
maximum freedom
knowledge= spontaneous interactions (nurture)
historical foundations: social reform
industrial revolution
first child labour laws
child-based research
historical foundations: Darwin
children provide insight into human nature
og influencer
reasons to learn about child development
raising children
choosing social policies
understanding human nature
empathy
a person’s capacity to understand and share the feelings of another person and is a key part of emotional and moral development
meta-analysis
combining the results from independent studies to reach conclusions based on all of them
nativists
argue that evolution has created many remarkable capabilities that are present even in early infancy, particularly in areas of special importance, such as understanding the basic properties of physical objects, plants and animals, and other people
empiricists
argues that infants possess general learning mechanisms that allow them to learn a great deal quite quickly, but that infants and young children lack the specialized capabilities that nativists attribute to them
How do nature and nurture shape development together?
nature refers to our biological endowment, in particular, the genes we receive from our parents
nurture refers to the wide range of physical and social environments that influence development
the genome (each person’s complete set of hereditary info) that influences behaviours and experiences, behaviours, and experiences influence the genome
how do children shape their own environment? (the active child)
children’s own actions contribute to their development
infants shape their own development through selective attention
Young children’s play (especially fantasy play) provides many other examples of how their internally motivated activity contributes to development
older children’s play, which typically is more organized and rule-bound than the play of younger children, promotes additional useful capabilities, such as the self-control needed for turn-taking, adhering to rules, and controlling one’s emotions in the face of setbacks
In what ways is development continuous and discontinuous (continuous/ discontinuous)
Some scientists envision children’s development as a continuous process of small changes, like that of a pine tree growing taller and taller. Others see the process as a series of occasional, sudden, discontinuous changes, like the transition from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly
Amongst the best-known stage theories is Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development. This theory of the development of thinking and reasoning holds that between birth and adolescence, children go through four stages of cognitive growth, each characterized by distinct intellectual abilities and ways of understanding the world.
How does change occur? (Mechanisms of change)
all attempts to specify mechanisms share the goal of producing increasingly precise accounts of the processes that produce an outcome of interest.
Developmental mechanisms can be behavioural, neural, or genetic
One particularly interesting analysis of mechanisms of developmental change involves the roles of brain activity, genes, and learning experiences in the development of effortful attention
How does the sociocultural context influence development? (The sociocultural context)
Together, these physical, social, cultural, political, economic, and historical circumstances constitute the sociocultural context of a child’s life.
Sociocultural contexts influence every aspect of children’s development.
The most obviously important components of children’s sociocultural contexts are the people with whom they interact and the physical environment in which they live
How do children become so different from one another? (Individual differences)
Differences among children emerge quickly
Scarr (1992) identified four factors that can lead children from a single family (as well as children from different families) to turn out very different from one another:
Differences in genetics
Differences in treatment by parents and others
Differences in reactions to similar experiences
Differences in choices of environments
assent of the minor
facial expression
positive language
accepts materials
approaches research
dissent of the minor
facial expression
language
interaction with materials
interaction with researcher
departure from consent
no therapeutic interventions
only minimal risk
privacy and confidentiality
privacy: an individual’s right to be free from intrusion or interference by others
confidentiality: the obligation of an individual/ organization to safeguard entrusted info
return of research results
individual results and incidental findings:
-significant implications
-prevention or treatment
evaluation of risks and benefits
no more than minimal risk
direct or indirect benefits
payment in research
reimbursement
compensation
appreciation
incentive
some core principles in the policy statement are as follows
respect for persons
concern for welfare
justice
what are the course guiding themes
nature and nurture
active child
continuity/discontinuity
mechanisms of change
sociocultural context
individual differences
research and child welfare
