Chapter 1: History, Theory, and Research Strategies

Question 1

Child Development

Answer 1

A discipline studying how children remain the same and change from birth to 18 years of age

Question 2

Developmental Science

Answer 2

The science studying every change that happens throughout a child’s life

Question 3

Domains of Development

Answer 3

1) Physical
2) Cognitive
3) Emotional and social

Question 4

Physical Development Domain

Answer 4

The domain focusing on physical changes experienced by a child, including both growth within and without

Question 5

Cognitive Development Domain

Answer 5

The domain focusing on mental changes experienced by a child, including development of memory, problem solving, and language

Question 6

Emotional and Social Development Domain

Answer 6

The domain focusing on emotional changes experienced by a child, including both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills

Question 7

Prenatal Period

Answer 7

Conception to birth; the most rapid time of change

Question 8

Infancy and Toddlerhood

Answer 8

Birth to two years old; motor, perception, and intellect begin forming as well as language abilities; when a child takes its first steps

Question 9

Early Childhood

Answer 9

Two years old to six years old; when a child’s body begins growing taller, inner and outer language develop rapidly, morals begin to be defined, and friendships with peers begins

Question 10

Middle Childhood

Answer 10

Six years old to eleven years old; when a child begins becoming more athletic, is able to master core subject concepts, and becomes more adept at understanding themselves as well as other people

Question 11

Adolescence

Answer 11

Eleven years old to eighteen years old; transitory period from childhood to adulthood; puberty and sexual maturity; autonomy is created as well as what is most important to the individual

Question 12

Emerging Adulthood

Answer 12

Eighteen years old to mid- to late-twenties; marked by exploration of choices before more defined commitments

Question 13

Theory

Answer 13

An organized grouping of statements that defines behavior and its predictors

Question 14

Continuous Development

Answer 14

A slower (gradual) process which increasingly adds the same skill over time

Question 15

Discontinuous Development

Answer 15

Skills are added or appear at specific times and intervals

Question 16

Discontinuous Perspective

Answer 16

Development is accomplished through steps until an individual reaches the top tier of functioning

Question 17

Developmental Stages in the Discontinuous Perspective

Answer 17

Qualitative rather than quantitative; changes tend to be quicker rather than slower

Question 18

Contexts

Answer 18

A developmental model suggesting that children grow and mature according to their environment

Question 19

Nature-Nurture Controversy

Answer 19

Factors contributing to a child’s development and maturity based on genetic and environmental factors

Question 20

Plasticity

Answer 20

Theory of development stating that a child’s behavior can change over time according to environmental experiences

Question 21

Stability vs. Plasticity

Answer 21

Differences in theoretical opinion stating that development due to environmental factors happens either all at once (stability) or throughout time (plasticity)

Question 22

John Locke (1632-1704)

Answer 22

Precursor to behaviorism; saw a child as a tabula rasa (blank slate) whose characters are a result of collective experiences; his philosophies changed harsh punishments into more compassionate ones; held that a child’s development was continuous, nurtured, and characterized by high plasticity - also held that children were inactive participants in their development

Question 23

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

Answer 23

Rejected the tabula rasa opinion of John Locke; referred to children as noble savages whose behaviors were innate and a result of their natural-born instincts; held that adults could either help or hinder a child’s development; held that a child’s development was discontinuous, determined by nature - also held that children were active participants in their development whose destinies were determined solely by them

Question 24

Four Stages of Development (Rousseau)

Answer 24

1) Infancy
2) Childhood
3) Late childhood
4) Adolescence

Question 25

Maturation (Rousseau)

Answer 25

Development occurs as determined by a child’s genetic design

Question 26

Charles Darwin (1809-1882)

Answer 26

Discovered that early prenatal growth is the same throughout numerous species; believed that development followed the same general template throughout human evolution - because of his studies, scientific child study was born

Question 27

G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924)

Answer 27

Generally regarded as the founder of the child-study movement; working alongside his student, Arnold Gesell (1880-1961), formed a theory stating that development was a maturational process - a genetically determined series of events that unfold automatically

Question 28

Normative Approach

Answer 28

(Hall and Gesell) Measures of behavior are studied on large sets of individuals, averaging results to form a template of what normal development should look like

Question 29

Alfred Binet (1857-1911)

Answer 29

Proponent of the normative approach; worked with Theodore Simon to identify students with learning disabilities who needed to be placed in special classes; developed the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale

Question 30

Psychoanalytic Perspective

Answer 30

Proposed by Sigmund Freud, the theory that states children progress through different periods where they experience problems between their inner biological drives and outer societal expectations; how these conflicts are resolved determines the person’s ability to learn, cooperate, and deal with anxiety

Question 31

Psychosexual Theory

Answer 31

Developed by Sigmund Freud, the theory that states how parents deal with their child’s early sexual urges ultimately becomes crucial for overall healthy personality development

Question 32

Three Parts of the Personality

Answer 32

1) ID - largest part; source of biological needs and desires
2) EGO - conscious; redirects the id’s urges in more appropriate means
3) SUPEREGO - conscious; drives moral behavior

Question 33

Psychosocial Theory

Answer 33

Developed by Erik Erikson, the theory that emphasizes the ego as making valuable contributions to overall development in addition to acquiring a personality and skills that make the individual a functioning member of society

Question 34

Sigmund Freud’s Theory vs. Erik Erikson’s Theory

Answer 34

Sigmund Freud: stressed the role of the early parent-child relationship on a child’s development
Erik Erikson: recognized the lifespan nature of development; stressed that a child’s normal growth can only be comprehended according to a culture’s life situation

Question 35

Behaviorism

Answer 35

Developed by John Watson, the theory states that directly observable events (stimuli and responses) are the correct focus of study

Question 36

Social Learning Theory

Answer 36

Stressed modeling as a vital source of development - the child who observes behavior will repeat the same behavior in a like manner

Question 37

Applied Behavior Analysis

Answer 37

The process whereby inappropriate behaviors are replaced with appropriate behaviors; accomplished through studying a child’s environment and environmental responses/stimuli

Question 38

Cognitive-Developmental Theory

Answer 38

Proposed and developed by Jean Piaget, the theory states that children create their knowledge through exploration of their personal world; central to his theory is the biological concept of adaptation

Question 39

Piaget’s Four Stages

Answer 39

1) Sensorimotor stage - a baby uses its senses and movements to explore the world
2) Preoperational stage - symbolic and illogical thinking develop (preschool)
3) Concrete operational stage - reasoning becomes more organized (school-aged)
4) Formal operational stage - abstract, systematic reasoning (adolescence/adulthood)

Question 40

Information Processing

Answer 40

A belief which states the human mind is a system that manipulates and processes symbols as information; information is encoded at input and processed as a behavior at output