Development Flashcards
Adaptive behaviours
activity that enhances an individual’s ability to match the changing demands of their everyday life p. 244
Adolescence
the developmental period beginning after the onset of puberty from approximately 10 to 19 years old p. 136
Assimilation
the cognitive process of incorporating new information into an existing schema p. 206
Attachment
a long-lasting emotional bond between two individuals p. 183
Attachment theory
a theory that suggests that the bond formed between children and their primary caregivers determines the nature of the child’s emotional development into adulthood p. 183
Concrete thinking
a type of thought based on knowledge acquired through personal experience which involves literal interpretations of tangible concepts p. 216
Conservation
the ability to understand that the properties of an object stay the same even when the object’s appearance is altered p. 215
Critical periods
the narrow, rigid developmental period in which a specific skill or function must be learnt p. 177
Difficult temperament
a relatively stable disposition in which infants are unhappy and have irregular sleeping and eating patterns p. 188
Disorganised attachment
a style of attachment in which the infant displays problematic and unpredictable behaviours, usually due to extremely negative early life experiences p. 199
Dizygotic twins
twins who are not identical due to variations in the genes they inherited p. 168
Easy temperament
a relatively stable disposition in which infants are warm and friendly and have established sleeping and eating patterns p. 188
Egocentrism
the inability to understand the perspectives of others p. 214
Emotional development
the continuous, life-long development of skills which allow individuals to control, express, and recognise emotions in an appropriate way p. 185
Environmental factors
factors which influence development that arise from an individual’s physical and social surroundings p. 164
Erikson’s psychosocial theory of development
a theory of development proposed by Erikson in which the behaviour and personality of individuals is shaped by the desire to meet social and cultural expectations p. 225
Frontal lobe development
the growth and neural maturation of the frontal lobe p. 137
Genetics
the unique, cellular makeup of each individual which is inherited from biological parents p. 187
Goal-directed behaviour
the ability to behave in a way which meets the demands of a goal that has been purposefully set out p. 213
Hereditary factors
factors which influence development that are genetically passed down from biological parents to their offspring p. 164
Infancy
the developmental period from birth until one years old p. 136
Insecure-anxious attachment
a style of attachment in which the infant may be reluctant to or avoid contact from their primary caregiver, usually formed due to a lack of responsiveness to their needs p. 198
Insecure-avoidant attachment
a style of attachment in which the infant fluctuates between clinging to and rejecting their primary caregiver, usually due to the caregiver inconsistently meeting the infant’s needs p. 198
Maturation
the biologically programmed changes which facilitate development from conception through to adulthood p. 175
Monozygotic twins
twins who are identical due to inheriting the exact same genes p. 168
Nature versus nurture debate
a debate which questions whether development is dependent on hereditary (nature) or environmental (nurture) factors p. 163
Object permanence
the understanding that an object still exists when it is unable to be seen, heard, or touched p. 213
Psychological development
an individual’s changes across multiple domains, including the life-long growth across emotional, cognitive and social domains p. 163
Reversibility
the understanding that objects can experience change and then return to their original form p. 214
Schema
a mental representation of a concept developed through experience p. 206
Secure attachment
a style of attachment formed by a strong emotional bond between the infant and their primary caregiver due to the caregiver consistently meeting the needs of the infant p. 198
Sensitive periods
the optimal developmental period for a specific function or skill to be learnt p. 177
Symbolic thinking
a more sophisticated type of thought based on the ability to represent concepts, draw conclusions, and understand hypothetical constructs p. 216
Temperament
the relatively stable disposition of an individual, including the typical behaviours and emotions they express p. 188
Accomodation
in Piaget’s theory, changing a
pre-existing mental idea to fit new information
Adaptation
in Piaget’s theory, taking in, processing,
organising and using new information in ways to
adjust to change
Addiction
a condition in which someone feels a
recurring urge to use a substance or engage in an
activity despite potentially harmful consequences
Adoption Study
research using children who have
been adopted (and therefore have no genetic
similarity to their adoptive parents); compare with
twins study
Animism
in Piaget’s theory, the belief that everything
which exists has some kind of consciousness
Anxiety
a state of arousal involving unpleasant
feelings of apprehension or uneasiness that something
is wrong or something bad is about to happen
Anxiety Disorder
a mental disorder characterised by
persistent feelings of tension, distress, nervousness
and apprehension or fear about the future, with a
negative effect
Atypical behaviour
when the individual acts in ways
that are unusual for them; compare with typical
behaviour
Atypical development
development that differs in a
significant way from what is usual or appropriate;
compare with typical development
Autonomy
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense
of being able to act independently and the feelings
of self-control, self-confidence, self-reliance and
competence which accompany this
Biopsychosocial Model
a way of describing and
explaining how biological, psychological and
social factors combine and interact to influence
an individual’s behaviour and mental processes;
sometimes called the biopsychosocial approach
or theory
Catastrophic thinking
negative thinking in which an
object or situation is perceived as being far more
threatening, dangerous or insufferable than it really is
and will result in the worst possible outcome
Centration
in Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability to
focus on only one quality or feature of an object or
event at a time
Classification
in Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability
to organise objects or events into categories based
on common features that set them apart from other
categories
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
a ‘talking
therapy’ based on the assumption that the way people
feel and behave is largely a product of the way they
think
Cognitive distortion
an inaccurate thought, belief
or attitude
Delusion
a fixed, false belief that is held with absolute
certainty, even when there is strong factual evidence
that does not support it
Depression
lasting and continuous, deeply sad mood
or loss of pleasure
Despair
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense that
their life has been meaningless and empty
Dopamine reward system
a neural pathway in the brain
that, when stimulated, results in pleasurable effects
Doubt
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s lack of
belief in their capabilities to do something well, to
control themselves and the world in which they live
Generativity
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s
concern with others beyond their immediate family,
specifically, future generations, and the nature of the
society and world in which those generations will live
Guilt
in Erikson’s theory, a negative feeling formed
by an individual when something they have done or
want to do is considered ‘wrong’
Hallucination
a perceptual experience during which
the individual sees, hears, feels, tastes or smells
something that is not actually present in reality
Idealistic thinking
in Piaget’s theory, comparing
oneself and others to a perfect standard and striving
towards being like that ideal
Identity
in Erikson’s theory, the overall image an
individual has of themself
Industry
in Erikson’s theory, the sense of being busy,
productive and a competent worker
Inferiority
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s
feelings of being less adequate than others in their
achievements, skills and abilities
Initiative
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s ability to
plan, think for themself and carry out various kinds
of activities with purpose
Integrity
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense
of satisfaction with their achievements in life and
a belief that the experiences and events in one’s
life have been useful, valuable, meaningful and
worthwhile
Intimacy
in Erikson’s theory, the ability to share with
and care about another person without fear of losing
oneself in the process
Isolation
in Erikson’s theory, the sense of being
alone without anyone to share one’s life with or care for
Mania
an elevated mood involving intense elation
or irritability
Mental disorder
a mental health state that involves a
combination of thoughts, feelings and/or behaviours
which impair the ability to function effectively in
everyday life; also called psychological disorder or
mental illness
Mental health
a state of wellbeing in which an
individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope
with the normal stresses of life, can work productively
and is able to make a contribution to his or her
community
Mental health problem
a mental health concern that
interferes with functioning but is usually less severe
and of a shorter duration than a mental health disorder
Mentally healthy
being in a generally positive state
of mental wellbeing, having the ability to cope with
and manage life’s challenges, working productively,
striving to fulfil one’s goals and potential, and having
a sense of connection to others and the community
in general
Mistrust
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense
of the world as unreliable and unpredictable, which
makes them anxious, insecure, fearful and suspicious
Mood disorder
a mental disorder involving a
disabling disturbance in emotional state, from the
extreme sadness of depression to the extreme elation
of mania
Negative symptom
a symptom of a psychotic disorder
that is characterised by the absence or elimination of
certain thoughts, feelings or behaviours
Perpetuating risk factor
in the 4P Factor model, a risk
factor that maintains or prolongs the occurrence of a
specific mental disorder
Phobia
excessive, persistent and unreasonable fear of
an object or situation
Positive symptom
a symptom of a psychotic disorder
that occurs in addition to how the individual usually
thinks, feels or behaves
Precipitating risk factor
in the 4P Factor model, a risk
factor that increases susceptibility to and contributes
to the occurrence of specific mental disorder
Predisposing risk factor
in the 4P Factor model, a risk
factor that increases susceptibility to or vulnerability
to developing a mental disorder
Pre-operational stage
the second stage in Piaget’s
theory (2–7 years) when children become increasingly
able to mentally represent objects and experiences
principle of readiness
in developmental psychology,
inability to perform a behaviour development on
maturation until the necessary bodily structures are
sufficiently developed
Protective factor
in the 4P Factor model, enhances and
safeguards mental health, and reduces the likelihood
that a mental disorder will develop or re-occur;
compare with risk factor
psychosocial crisis
in Erikson’s theory, a social
dilemma or problem an individual faces in adjusting
to society involving a struggle between two opposing
psychosocial development
in Erikson’s theory, change
involving both psychological processes taking place
within the individual (‘psycho’) and their experiences
with other people (‘social’)
Reversibility
in Piaget’s theory, the cognitive ability
to mentally follow a sequence of events or line of
reasoning back to its starting point
risk factor
in the 4P Factor model, increases the
likelihood that a mental disorder will develop, or
increase in severity or duration when it occurs, or
will hinder recovery from a disorder; compare with
protective factor
Role confusion
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s
sense of not knowing who they are, where they
belong, to whom they belong or where they are
headed in life
Sensorimotor Stage
the first stage in Piaget’s theory
(0–2 years), when infants explore and learn about
the world primarily through their senses and motor
activities
Shame
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense of
humiliation and embarrassment
Stagnation
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense
of feeling bored, inactive, overly concerned with their
own personal needs and comforts and their lack of
personal growth
symbolic thinking
in Piaget’s theory, the cognitive
ability to use symbols such as words and pictures to
represent objects that are not physically present
Trust
in Erikson’s theory, an individual’s sense of the
world as a safe, caring, orderly and predictable place
two-hit hypothesis
an explanation of schizophrenia
in terms of two events — genetic vulnerability
and environmental stress — that must occur in
that order
typical behaviour
when an individual’s behaviour
occurs as it usually does at most times; compare with
atypical behaviour
typical development
when development proceeds as
is usual or appropriate when compared with others
of the same age, sex or culture; compare with atypical
development
