Chapter 1: Introduction to Developmental Psych

Question 1

what is the lifespan perspective?

Answer 1

from conception to death

Question 2

development

Answer 2

the pattern of movement/change that begins @ conception and continues through lifespan

Question 3

types of contextual influences

Answer 3

normative age-graded influences (ex: puberty)
normative history graded (ex: baby boomers)
nonnormative live events (ex:divorce)

Question 4

what are developmental issues?

Answer 4

-nature vs nurtute? (think biological vs environment)
-stability and change (have you stayed the same or changed?)
-continuity and discontinuity (gradual and slow vs stages)

Question 5

types of theories of development

Answer 5

-psychoanalytic, cognitive, behavior and social, ethological, and ecological

Question 6

describe the psychoanalytic theories

Answer 6

-freud’s theory (motivation=sex)
-erikson’s psychosocial theory (motivation=social/nature)

Question 7

describe the cognitive theories

Answer 7

-piaget’s theory (cognition happens differently at each stage)
-vygotsky’s theory (social and culture interaction)
-information-processing theory (thinking!)

Question 8

describe the behavior and social theories

Answer 8

-skinner (operant thinking)
-bandura (social cognitive theory…social personal cognitive)

Question 9

describe the ethological theory

Answer 9

behavior=strongly influenced by biology (NATURE), characterized by critical/sensitive periods (attachment)

Question 10

describe the ecological theory

Answer 10

development reflects the influence of several environmental systems (NURTURE)

Question 11

socioeconomic status

Answer 11

a person’s position within a society based on occuptional, educational economic characteristics