Chapter 1: An orientation to lifespan development Flashcards
lifespan development
the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span
physical development
development involving the body’s physical makeup, including the brain, nervous system, muscles, and senses, and the need for food, drink, and sleep
cognitive development
development involving the ways that growth and change in intellectual capabilities influence a person’s behaviors
personality development
development involving the ways that the enduring characteristic that differentiate one person from another change over the life span
social development
the way in which individuals’ interactions with others and their social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the course of life
cohort
a group of people born at around the same time in the same place
continuous change
gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels
discontinuous change
development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is assumed to be qualitatively different from behavior at earlier stages
critical period
a specific time during development when a particular event has its greatest consequence and the presence of certain kinds of environmental stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally
sensitive period
a point in development when organisms are particularly susceptible to but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequence
maturation
the predetermined unfolding of genetic information
theories
explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest, providing a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or principles
psychodynamic perspective
the approach stating that behavior is motivated by inner forces, memories, and conflicts that are generally beyond people’s awareness and control
psychoanalytic theory
the theory proposed by Freud that suggests that unconscious forces act to determine personality and behavior
psychosexual development
according to Freud, a series of stages that children pass through in which pleasure, or gratification, focuses on a particular biological function and body part
pyschosocial development
the approach that encompass changes in our interactions with and understandings of one another, as well as in our knowledge and understanding of ourselves as members of society
behavioral perspective
the approach suggesting that the keys to understanding development are observable behavior and outside stimuli in the environment
classical conditioning
a type of learning in which an organism responds in a particular way to a neutral stimulus that normally does not bring about that type of response
operant conditioning
a form of learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened by its association with positive or negative consequences
behavior modification
a formal technique for promoting the frequency of desirable behaviors and decreasing the incidence of unwanted ones
social-cognitive learning theory
learning by observing the behavior of another person, called a model
cognitive perspective
the approach that focuses on the processes that allow people to know, understand, and think about the world
information processing approaches
models that seek to identify the ways individuals take in, use, and store information
cognitive neuroscience approaches
approaches that examine cognitive development through the lens of brain processes
humanistic perspective
the theory contending that people have a natural capacity to make decisions about their lives and control their behavior
contextual perspective
the theory that considers the relationship between individuals and their physical, cognitive, personality, and social worlds
bioecological approach
the perspective suggesting that different levels of the environment simultaneously influence individuals
socialcultural theory
the approach that emphasizes how cognitive development proceeds as a result of social interactions between members of a culture
evolutionary perspective
the theory that seeks to identify behavior that is a result of our genetic inheritance from our ancestors
scientific method
the process of posing and answering questions using careful, controlled techniques that include systematic, orderly observation and the collection of data
hypothesis
a prediction stated in a way that permits it to be tested
correlational research
research that seeks to identify whether an association or relationship between two factors exists
experimental research
research designed to discover causal relationships between various factors
naturalistic observation
a type of correlational study in which some naturally occurring behavior is observed without intervention in the situation
case studies
studies that involve extensive, in-depth interviews with a particular individual or small group of individuals
survey research
a type of study where a group of people chosen to represent some larger population are asked questions about their attitudes, behavior, or thinking on a given topic.
psychophysiological methods
research that focuses on the relationship between physiological processes and behavior
experiments
a process in which an investigator, called an experimenter, devises two different experiences for participants and then studies and compares the outcomes
independent variable
the variable that researchers manipulate in an experiment
dependent variable
the variable that researches measure in an experiment and expect that change as a result of the experimental manipulation
sample
the group of participants chosen for the experiment
field study
a research investigation carried out in a naturally occurring setting
laboratory study
a research investigation conducted in a controlled setting explicitly designed to hold events constant
theoretical research
research designed specifically to test some developmental explanation and expand scientific knowledge
applied research
research meant to provide practical solutions to immediate problems
longitudinal research
research in which the behavior of one of more participants in a study is measured as they age
cross-sectional research
Research in which people of different ages are compared at the same point in time
sequential studies
research in which researches examine a number of different age groups over several points in time
