Developmental Psychology Flashcards
(9 months) this is the period from conception to birth during which a fertilized cell grows into a human baby. In no other time of life is growth as rapid as it is during the prenatal period. After 5 months the developing organism is 1 inch long and wighs less than an ounce. By the end of 9 months, the baby, on average will be 18 inches long and weigh just over 7 pounds.
pre-natal period
(birth to 2 years of age) At birth babies cannot hold up their own heads, eat solic food, or sleep through the night. They do not have any social relationships. By age 2, these same babies have learned to walk, talk, eat at the table, and sleep through the night. They have formed close emotional bonds with their parents.
Infancy and toddlerhood
(2-6 years of age) during this period of life, children grow taller and stronger, and they develop conscience and much stronger self control. Thinking and language skills surge and pretend play emerges during these preschool years. Children begin to make friends outside of the family, and their relationships within the family deepen and change.
Early Childhood
Children come more and more into contact with people outside the family, and their friendships become increasingly more significant during middle childhood. Their thinking and reasoning capabilities continue to grow during this period allowing them to learn to read and write, solve new kinds of problems, and take part in games with rules. Their increased physical coordination and strength allow participation in greater array of athletic activities. Additionally, their self understanding becomes more complex.
Middle Childhood
(11 or 12 to 18 or even 20 years of age) the transitions of puberty transform children’s bodies into adult ones. As their bodies change, so do their social roles. Teenagers struggle to become more autonomous and to define their own goals, independent of their parents. … become capable of idealistic and abstract though, and schooling focuses increasingly on preparation for adulthood. Researchers do not agree about the exact age boundaries for … . Some see it as 12-18 years of age. Some see it as 10-20 years of age. All concur with its central task. By the end of … children have become adults.
Adolescence
a branch of psychology that studies physical , cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.
developmental psychology
the developmental domain that includes motor development and physical health and illness (learning to sit stand and walk)
physical growth and health
the developmental domain that includes thinking and reasoning skills and language development (such as learning to do math, reading, and science)
cognitive development
the developmental domain that includes changes in emotion (such as increased conscience, self-control, and concern for others), self concepts, and interpersonal relationships (such as those with parents, siblings, and friends)
social and emotional development
the inherited or genetic characteristics of a person
Nature
the characteristics of a person’s environment that affect development
Nurture
in child development, the idea that changes are gradual and occur little by little over time
continuity
in child development, the idea that changes are sudden and qualitative rather than gradual and quantitative. Those who see development characterized by discontinuity think that there are moments during development when children take giant leaps, followed by periods of relative stability.
discontinuity
those who advocate the … view see the sequence of development as being the same everywhere, all around the world. they are also likely to argue that development has remained the same throughout history.
Universality
Those who emphasize … are more likely to note connections between development and the contexts or cultures in which is takes place.
diversity
the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
zygote
at the beginning of … (two weeks after conception) the growing organism, now firmly implanted into the uterine wall is called an embryo. During … this round clump of cells will transform into an oblong body and eventually into an identifiably human embryo.
embryonic period
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month.
Embryo
begins at 8 weeks after conception and lasts until birth. During this period, the fetus grows from an inch-long organism weighing less than an ounce to a 20 inch-long baby weighing 7 1/2 lbs at birth
Fetal period
an animal embryo in the later stages of development.
Fetus
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.
Teratogens (literally “monster maker”)
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking, In severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features.
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
a quick physical test given to every newborn at birth. Scores are given at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. If problems exists, then another tests is given at 10 minutes after birth. A score of 7-10 is considered normal. Infants scoring 4-6 might need resuscitations, whereas scores of 3 or lower require immediate resuscitation.
Apgar test
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.
habituation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience.
maturation
the most influential of all developmental theorists, was blazing a new path by studying the way children think and solve problems at different stages in their development
- watched his kids
Jean Piaget
children are seen as active learners constructing their own understanding of the world in …
Piaget’s cognitive development theory
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
cognition
interpreting out new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
assimilation
adapting our current understanding (schemas) to incorporate new information
accomodation
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities.
sensorimotor stage
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not percieved
object permeance
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic.
preoperational stage
in Piaget’s theory, the preopertional child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
egocenterism
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events.
concrete operational stage
the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects.
conservation
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally) beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
formal operational stage
people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states - about their feelings perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.
theory of mind
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.
autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
a theory of development proposed by Vygotsky that emphasizes the interaction of persons with social and cultural aspects of their environments.
- saw children as solitary or independent learners
sociocultural theory
support provided by elders for the efforts of a child to participate in an activity that would otherwise be out of the child’s reach, as the child becomes more capable, the adult gradually withdraws support maintaining just enough to allow independent performance.
scaffolding
Largely absent early in life but merge in most babies by 7-9 months of age. Approached by a stranger while sitting in a high chair, a 6 month old may smile, but a 9 month old is more likely to frown in distress.
signs of fear
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
stranger anxiety
an emotional tie with another person: shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
attachment
infant monkey were reared with surrogate mothers. One was wired with bottle attached. the other was made of wire but soft terry cloth (no food but comfy). wire one was just for food. Spent the their time with cloth mother.
Harry and Margaret Harlow’s studies
an optimal period early in life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development
critical period
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period
imprinting
The Strange Situation
–> Under all but the most extreme circumstances, infants and toddlers form attachment relationships with their caregivers during the first year of life.
these attachment relationships are not, however, all alike. A central way in which these relationships differ from one another, is in their degree of security. … Proposed that differences in the security of attachment are crucial to our understanding of personality, both in infancy and beyond. Designed a laboratory study based on the assumption that in am unfamiliar situation, infants who have developed secure attachment relationships with their parents should respond in predictable ways.
Mary Ainsworth
A laboratory procedure designed by Mary Ainsworth to assess security of attachment in about 12 to 18 month olds; sometimes called the Ainsworth …
The Strange Situation
The baby that cried when the stranger left the room after it had been comforted by the stranger after being left all alone.
Baby A
Asked “where’s mama” when mama left the room. Was very distracted by things were not the toys. Walked over to door after mom left. Refused to be comforted by the stranger. Is appeased by his mom.
Baby B
Baby is completely unbothered when his mother leaves. Still does not care when stranger leaves. Notices but doesn’t care all that much when left all alone. Actively talks to and plays with stranger. Looks at the door for a bit when stranger leaves, but still doesn’t care.
Baby C
a relationship characterized by infants’ sense of security that the attachment figure (ususually the parent) will protect and provide for them.
Secure Attachment
A type of insecure attachment relationship characterized by belief that the parent will not protect or provide for the child or infant and that the parent does not generally serve as a safe haven during stressful circumstances.
Avoidant Attachment
A type of insecure attachment relationship characterized by uncertainty about whether the parent will protect or provide for the infant child, and about whether the attachment figure can be trusted to serve as a haven of safety under stressful circumstances.
Ambivalent Attachment
An insecure attachment relationship characterized by a disordered pattern of behavior that may include odd or bizarre actions, and that is not clearly organized around an attachment figure. This s the most disordered attachment classification.
Disorganized Attachment
a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
Temperament
According to Thomas and Chess, easy infants are generally happy, establish routines easily, and adapt quickly to change.
Easy Temperament
According to Thomas and Chess, difficult infants show intense negative reactions, have difficulty adjusting to family routines and resist change
Difficult Temperament
According to Thomas and Chess, these infants are relatively inactive negative in mood, and adjust slowly to change.
Slow to warm up temperament
… Proposed that the fundamental conflict of infancy is that of basic trust vs. basic mistrust.
Erikson
In Erikson’s theory, the infant’s belief that people cannot always be trusted to provide for his or her needs and that world is not necessarily a safe place.
Basic Mistrust
According to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers.
Basic Trust
all our thoughts and feeling about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?” - the attributes that people believe characterize themselves.
Self-Concept
Parents impose rules and expect obedience: “Don’t interrupt.” “Keep your room clean.” “Don’t stay out late or you’ll be grounded.” “Why? Because I said so.”
- Combines high standards with strict punishments.
Authoritarian
Parents submit to their children’s desires. they make few demands and use little punishment.
- Combines little control or guidance of children with high labels of communication, nurturance, and warmth. A … parent dotes on their children and lavish them praise. Even when the child is not behaving as they wish.
Permisive
Parents are both demanding and responsive. They exert control by setting rules and enforcing them, but they also explain the reasons for rules. And, especially with older children, they encourage open discussion when making the rules and allow exceptions.
Authoritative
The socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female.
Gender
Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.
Aggression
A set of behaviors for males or females.
Gender Role
A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
Role
Our sense of being male or female.
Gender Identity
The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished.
Social Learning Theory
The acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.
Gender Typing
An umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex.
Transgender
The transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence.
Adolescence
In Piaget’s theory, the new period of cognitive development is called the stage of…
Formal Operational Though
Studied moral development by interviewing children about their responses to moral dilemmas. He studies a croup of 72 boys who were 10 to 16 years of age. He told each boy a series of stories that posed moral dilemmas - problems that could only be solved by making decisions about what is right or wrong.
- Found that the type of reasoning used in response to these dilemmas followed a predictable age related pattern.
Lawrence Kholberg
children at this level make moral judgements as individuals , without considering their membership in communities or other groups.
Pre-conventional Level of Moral Reasoning
Individuals at this level make moral judgements mainly by attempting to live up to their obligations as members of communities or other groups.
Conventional Level of Moral Reasoning
Individuals at this level evaluate moral questions on the basis of self chosen higher values, even though they recognized their obligations as members of communities and other groups.
Post-conventional Level of Moral Reasoning
- Shared with Freud a conviction that events occurs early in life that could be decisive influences on later development.
- At each stage … argued, fundamental conflicts emerge between the needs of the developing persons and the supports available from the person’s environment.
- Emphasized the role of seeking a personal identity in adolescence and he was the first modern theorist to recognize that t=development continues throughout the adult years.
Erikson
Trust vs Mistrust - if needs are dependable met, infants develop a sense of basic trust.
Infancy (to 1 year)
Autonomy vs., Shame and doubt - toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities.
Toddlerhood (1-3 years)
Initiative vs guilt - Preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent.
Preschool (2-6 years)
Competence vs inferiority - children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior.
Elementary School (6 years to puberty)
Identity vs role confusion - teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity,, or they become confused about who they are.
Adolescence (teen years into 20s)
Intimacy vs isolation - young adults struggle to form close relationships and to fain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated.
Young adulthood (20s to early 40s)
Generativity vs stagnation - in middle age, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work of they many feel a lack of purpose
middle adulthood (40s to 60s)
Integrity vs despair. reflecting on his or her live, an older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction of failure
Late Adulthood (Late 60s and up)
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles.
Identity
the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I” comes from our group memberships.
social identity
in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
intimacy
for some people in modern cultures, a period from late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood.
Emerging Adulthood
The sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two … chromosomes; males have one. An … chromosome form each parent produces a female child.
X Chromosome
The sex chromosome found only in males. When pared with an X chromosome form the mother, it produces a male child.
Y Chromosome
The most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the addition testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty.
Testosterone
The period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.
Puberty
The body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible.
Primary sex characteristics
Nin reproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair.
Secondary sex characteristics
The first menstrual period
Menarche
A live-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). … depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections.
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
An enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation).
Sexual Orientation
Roughly twenties and thirties
Early adulthood
Thirties to age 65
Middle Adulthood
The years after 65
Late Adulthood
The time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changed a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
Menopause
A study in which people of different ages are compared with one another.
Cross-sectional study
Research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
Longitudinal study
The culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.
Social Clock
