Chapter 12 - Development Flashcards
Developmental Psychology
the scientific study of systematic change across the lifespan
Cross-sectional Designs
compare people of different ages at the same point in time
Longitudinal Designs
repeatedly tests the same cohort as it grows older
Sequential Designs
mixes longitudinal and cross-sectional designs - repeatedly test several age cohorts as they grow older and determine whether they follow a similar developmental pattern
Prenatal development
time from conception until birth (8-9 months)
Period of the zygote/Germinal Stage
cell replication, 0-2 weeks post conception
Period of the embryo
bodily organs and systems begin to form, 2 - 8 weeks post conception
Period of the fetus
immense growth and weight gain, 8 weeks post conception to birth
Age of viability
point of where survival outside the womb is possible, approx 24 weeks
Teratogens
environmental agents that cause abnormal prenatal development
Sensitive/Critical Periods
a time during which the nervous system of the individual is highly sensitive to certain environmental stimuli
Rubella
Disease in adults that is similar to the measles, fetus may have heart or vision related issues, problems with brain and cortex development, learning disabilities, blindness, and may be terminal for the fetus
Thalidomide
treatment for morning sickness, affects development of limbs in infant
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
affects physical and psychological characteristics of child, central nervous system damaged
Eyesight of Infants
very nearsighted, visual acuity is 20/800 which is 40 times worse than normal adult acuity of 20/20
Preferential Looking Procedure
face preference - tend to track faces rather than patterns
Maturation
biological processes that govern our growth
Cephalocaudal Principle
the tendency for development to proceed in a head-to-toe fashion
Proximodistal Principle
states that development begins along the innermost parts of the body and continues toward the outermost parts
Which sound are infants especially attentive to?
voices (especially that of their mother)
Myelination
begins prenatally, myelin sheath increases speed of neural impulse transmission, improves brain communication, rapid myelination during first years of life
higher brain centres myelinated in adolescence and/or early adulthood
Synaptogenesis
the formation of new synapses, occurs rapidly during infancy and childhood
Synaptic Pruning
less stimulated neurons lose synapses
Jean Piaget
- father of cognitive development
- believed children are constructivists
Explain “children are constructivists”
they learn through acting upon their environment
Piaget’s Cognitive Developmental Theory
How we gain/modify knowledge (achieve cognitive equilibrium)
- Assimilation = interpreting new information using existing belief system
- Accommodation = modifying belief system to account for new information
Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development
- Sensorimotor Stage
- Preoperational Stage
- Concrete Operational Stage
- Formal Operational Stage
Sensorimotor Stage
- 0-2 years of age
- rely on sensory and motor experiences to explore and understand environment
- important milestone: object permanence
- towards the end, rely on language for communication
Preoperational Stage
- 2-7 years of age
- begin to use mental symbols to represent objects and events
- egocentric
- fail at conservation tasks
Concrete Operational Stage
- 7-12 years of age
- logical thinking, reality bound
- lack hypothetic thinking and deductive reasoning
Formal Operational Stage
- 17 years of age +
- can apply logical operations to abstract/theoretical ideas
Habituation
decrease in response due to repeated exposure
Dishabituation
increased response due to change in stimulus
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
much of learning occurs within cooperative or collaborative dialogue with more knowledgable individuals
The Zone of Proximal Development
the difference between what an individual can do independently and what he can accomplish with the guidance of a more skilled partner
Scaffholding
tailoring instruction in order to help a novice learn more effectively
3 phases of attachment development
- Indiscriminate attachment = evoke caregiving from all adults
- Discriminate Attachment = 3 months of age, direct attachment behaviours more towards familiar caregivers
- Specific Attachment = 7-9 months of age, develop first meaningful attachments towards specific caregivers
Emergence of Self Awareness
the knowledge that one exists independent of other entities
Theory of Mind
understanding of own and other’s mental states
Identity Development
the process of exploring and committing to a self definition
Moratorium
individual wanted to establish a clear identity and were currently experiencing a crisis but had not yet resolved it
Identity Achievement
individual had gone through an identity crisis, successfully solved it, and emerged with a coherent set of values
Identity Diffusion
individual had not yet gone through identity crisis, seemed unconcerned/cynical about identity issues, and were not committed to a coherent set of values
Foreclosure
individual had not yet gone through an identity crisis, as they committed to an identity and set of values before experiencing a crisis
Peer Cliques
small, interaction-based
Peer Crowds
large, reputation-based
Secure Attachment
caregivers who attend consistently and appropriately to their infant’s signals are likely to have securely attached infants
Anxious-Resistant Attachment
caregivers who are inconsistent in meeting their infants’ needs are likely to have anxious/resistant infants
Anxious-Avoidant Attachment
Unavailable/rejecting caregivers, those who usually do not respond to infants’ signals and who feel uncomfortable with physical contact tend to have avoidant infants
Disorganized Attachment
Caregivers who are frightened or who are frightening to their infants are likely to have disorganized infants.
