Chapter 1 - Basic Concepts and Methods Flashcards
define human development
the study of age related changes and similarities in bodies, emotions, behaviours, thinking, social reactions, and personalities
what are the three domains of development?
social, physical, cognitive
define original sin
the idea that children are born bearing the weight of their ancestors sins, and it is the parents job to make them good (Augustine)
what is the blank slate concept / who created it?
the idea that infants have no natural inborn tendencies and they learn through experience (John Locke - empiricism)
what is empiricism? (Locke)
the idea that all knowledge comes from experience
what is innate goodness / who created it?
the idea that infants are born naturally good and parents shouldn’t interfere (Rousseau)
what were the first organized studies of development?
the baby diaries
what was Stanley Hall’s contribution?
he established milestones
what is Piaget considered?
the father of cognitive development
what are the modern views on the nature-nurture debate?
that they interact in complex ways, there are not one or the other
what is the lifespan perspective?
that important changes occur during each stage/period of development, and that they should be interpreted in terms of cultural context
what was Baltes discovery about plasticity?
that plasticity exists throughout the lifespan but the brain becomes less plastic as you age
what is the interactionist model of development?
that development is a result of complex reciprocal interactions between various personal and environmental factors
what is qualitative vs quantitative?
qualitative: change in type (discontinuous)
quantitative: change in amount (continuous)
what is a social clock?
defines the sequence of normal life experiences
define cohort
a group of individuals born in similar times and share the same historical experiences
what is the difference between a critical / sensitive period?
critical period: development must occur here or it never will
sensitive period: more wiggle room than a critical period
what are the 4 goals scientists aim to achieve using the scientific method?
- describe
- explain
- predict
- influence
what are naturalistic observations?
observing someone in their natural environments
what is the independent variable vs dependent variable?
independent: manipulated variable
dependent: effected by the independent variable
what is a quasi-experiment?
an experiment that does not use random assignment
what is an ethnography?
a detailed description of a culture or context
what is jeopardy?
if you find out a child is in danger, it becomes the number one priority and you must report it
