Chapter 1 IQ's Flashcards
developmental psychology
the scientific study of AGE-RELATED changes in our body, behaviour, thinking, emotions, social relationships, and personalities
Original sin
- rooted in Christianity
- all humans are born with a selfish and stubborn nature
- humans must seek redemption for this inborn tendency to sin by being disciplined
- parents must restrain and correct their child’s immoral inborn tendencies
The Blank Slate
- John Locke
- draws on empiricism (humans don’t possess innate tendencies; all differences among humans are due to experience)
- the mind of a child is a blank slate
- parents can mould their children into whatever they want them to be through their childhood environments
Innate Goodness
- Jean-Jacques Rousseau
- proposed that all human being were naturally good and seek out experiences that help them grow
- good development happens when a child’s environment refrains from interfering with the child’s attempts to nurture their own development and express their innate goodness
- parents must nurture and protect their children to enable them to reach their full potential
if you worked at an elementary school that decided to reduce teachers because students are naturally driven to learn and succeed, this would be based upon the principles of which philosophical parenting theory?
The Innate Goodness Theory (Rousseau)
what concept did Darwin’s theory of evolution contribute to modern developmental psych?
The concept of developmental stages (baby biographies)
What did Hall believe developmentalists should identify?
norms
Norms
Average ages at which developmental milestones are reached
What did Gesell suggest?
That some of human behaviour occurs as a result of maturation
Maturation
- age solely determines outcomes and change
- this development occurs regardless of training, practice, or effort
- ex. infants don’t have to be taught how to walk - they begin to do so on their own
- discussed in Piaget’s theories as well
3 ways that developmental psychology has changed since the early days
- the term “development” now encompasses the whole human lifespan rather than just childhood and adolescence
- developmentalists now understand that inborn characteristics interact with environmental factors (interactionist view - epigenetics)
- change was once thought of solely in terms of norms, but now developmentalists view norms as only one way of measuring change (ie. group-specific differences like cultural and generational differences as well as individual differences)
which disciplines does the lifespan perspective combine?
- psychology (focuses on the individual)
- anthropology (focuses on culture)
- sociology (focuses on social factors like race and socioeconomic status)
what are the points of view held by the lifespan perspective?
- changes happen throughout the entire lifespan
- changes must be interpreted in light of the culture and context in which they occur
- interdisciplinary research is critical to understanding human development
What did Paul Baltes propose about positive change or plasticity?
- the capacity for positive change/plasticity is possible throughout the entire lifespan
- ex. personal goals - older adults pursue their personal goals more intensely than younger adults
3 domains of human development
- physical domain
- cognitive domain
- social domain