Developmental Psychology Flashcards
developmental psychology
covers the entire life span, which is split into 4 main stages: prenatal development, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
3 stages of prenatal development
- Zygotes/germinal stage (0-2 weeks) - task is to survive
- Embryonic stage (3-8 weeks) - task is to diversify
- Fetal stage (9-40 weeks) - task is to grow
zygote
the fertilized ovum that embeds itself in the uterine wall, contains two halves of chromosomes from the father and mother’s sex cells
zygote cleavage
the cells in the zygote multiplying and differentiating to form organs that protect it
amniotic sac
fluid-filled reservoir wherein the embryo lives and acts as a cushion against outside pressure and as a temperature regulator
placenta
an organ that allows the exchange of nutrients between the embryo and mother while filtering out harmful material
umbilical cord
directly links the embryo to the placenta and transfers all material to the fetus
embryotic stage
when zygote attaches to uterus, major external and internal organs start forming
fetal stage
all major aspects of the baby are formed to increase its weight and to allow it to move, taste, and hear
fear paralysis reflex
protective mechanism that allows response to perceived threats
mono
instant arousal of survival systems
rooting reflexes
assist baby to find food (breastfeeding)
Palmar reflex
assists a baby’s grasp development
asymmetrical tonic neck reflex
assists baby thru birth canal and to develop cross-pattern movements
symmetrical tonic neck reflex
preparation for crawling
tonic labrynthine effect
head management and postural stability
spinal gaiant reflex
asissts baby with birth process, crawling, and creeping
Henry Harlow
conducted a study on attachment using a baby monkey, a place for food, and a terrycloth that simulated a parent monkey, finding that the baby spent more time with the “parent”
John Bowlby
proposed the attachment theory, which argues that separation from caregivers is distressing and leads to incomplete, harmful development
Mary Ainsworth
did an experiment called the “strange situation” in which a parent would leave the child with a stranger to assess its response
Ainsworth’s 4 attachment styles
- secure
- insecure-avoidant
- insecure-ambivalent
- insecure-disorganized
secure attachment style
caregiver is able to react quickly and positively to child’s needs; child is distressed when caregiver leaves, happy when they return, and seek comfort from them when distressed
insecure-avoidant attachment style
caregiver is unresponsive, uncaring, and dismissing; child shows no distress when caregiver leaves, happy when they return, and doesn’t seek contact with them
insecure-ambivalent attachment style
caregiver responds inconsistently; child is distressed when caregiver leaves but isn’t comforted by their return and may be aggressive in contact
insecure-disorganized attachment style
caregiver is abusive or neglectful and responds in frightening/frightened ways; child shows no attachment behaviour and often appears confused and apprehensive in caregiver’s presence
Waters et al.
did a longitudinal study on attachment styles, finding that they are stable and those with secure styles become insecure after trauma and loss
self-concept
one of the most important milestones in a child’s social development is learning about their own existence
mirror test
put a dot on the mirror and the infant either tries to wipe the dot off themselves or the mirror
Jean Piaget
most important contribution was to understanding cognitive development and the idea that it occurs in distinct stages that happen sequentially, in a way that allows the child to think about the world using new capacities
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development
- sensorimotor (0-2)
- preoperational (2-7)
- concrete operational (7-11)
- formal operations (above 11)
sensorimotor stage
coordination of senses with motor responses, sensory curiosity, language use for demands and cataloguing, object permanence is developed
preoperational stage
symbolic thinking, use of proper syntax and grammar to express concepts, imagination and intuition are strong but complex, abstract thoughts are still difficult, conservation is developed
concrete operational stage
concepts attached to time, space, and quantity are understood and can be applied but not as independent concepts
conservation
the understanding that changes in the form of an object don’t necessarily mean changes in quantity
formal operational stage
theoretical, hypothetical, and counterfactual thinking, abstract logic and meaning, strategy and planning become possible, concepts learned in 1 context can be applied. toanother
Erikson’s 8 stages of psychosocial development
- infant (0-18 months): trust vs mistrust
- toddler (18 months-3 years): autonomy vs shame
- pre-schooler (3-5): initiative vs guilt
- grade-schooler (5-13): industry vs inferiority
- teenager (13-21): identity vs role confusion
- young adult (21-39): intimacy vs isolation
- middle-age adult (40-65): generativity vs stagnation
- older adult (beyond 65): integrity vs despair
Jeffrey Arnett
coined the term “emerging adulthood” to refer to how, in the early 20s, you have the freedoms of adulthood but few responsibilities
5 characteristics of emerging adulthood
- the age of identity exploration
- the age of instability
- the age of self-focus
- the age of feeling in-between
- the age of possibilities
puberty
one of the largest qualitative changes we go thru
gonads
major sources of sex hormones called estrogens and androgens
David Elkind
self-consciousness reflects having an imaginary audience, wherein we become critical of ourselves
metacognition/reflective abstraction
adolescents can think about their thinking, which Piaget argues is a part of adolescent self-consciousness
identity crisis
an adolescent’s response to the tension between the need to explore what’s unique about oneself and the wish to become someone who’ll get respect and validation from family, friends, and peers
William Carey
argued that university students have a set of beliefs that get challenged by diff ideas
Erik Erickson
argued that in mid-to-late adolescence, the developmental task is figuring out who you are, what relationships you want, what your values are, etc.
psychosocial moratorium
a period in which adolescents are given a degree of freedom to explore their impulses, talents, social roles, and beliefs without fear that minor offenses against convention will result in dramatic consequences
Lawrence Kohlberg
famous for his work on moral development
Kohlberg’s levels of moral development
- preconventional level
- conventional level
- postconventional autonomous or principled
preconventional level
defined by what’s punishable and rewarded; stage 1 is punishment-obedience orientation; stage 2 is instrumental relativist orientation
conventional level
defined by the standards of others, which one follows to gain approval, and others’ POVs become important; stage 3 is interpersonal concordance orientation (good boy/girl); stage 4 is authority and social-order maintaining orientation
postconventional level
stage 5 is social-contract legalistic orientation; stage 6 is universal ethical principle orientation
Heinz dilemma
Heinz has a wife who will die without a cure, for which a pharmacist is not willing to lower the price, so Heinz steals the cure
stages of adulthood
- early adulthood (25-45)
- middle adulthood (45-65)
- late adulthood (65 beyond)
early adulthood
a highly productive period, when ppl get into long-term relationships, start jobs, and have families
Robert Sternberg
best kknown for his research on intelligence, love, creativity, and cognitive styles; developed the triangular theory of love
triangular theory of love
infatuation (passion) and empty love (commitment) are the bottom two, while liking (intimacy) is the peak; romantic love comes from liking and infatuation; fatuous love comes from infatuation and empty love; companionate love comes from liking and empty love; consummate love has all three
John Gottman
developed. thesound relationship house to focus on what keeps romantic relationships healthy
sound relationship house
the two foundational pillars are trust and commitment and within the house, there are floors upon which the couple is encouraged to create shared meaning, make dreams come true, manage conflicts, have positive perspectives, toward towards each other, share fondness, and build love maps
Sue Johnson
developed emotionally focused couples counselling, wherein she emphasizes ‘turning towards’ and the attachment bond in couples; this helps couples build strong, healthy relationships by exploring and changing emotional dynamics to enhance mutual understanding and success
Robert LaVine
studied parenting and child development across the global, finding that families in every society have 3 basic goals: survival, teaching skills and attitudes, and encouraging social values
Diona Baumrind
developed the idea of parenting dimensions/styles based on the existence of rules, enforcement and displays of love
Baumrind’s 4 parenting styles
- responsive -> authoritative vs indulgent
- unresponsive -> authoritarian vs indifferent
authoritative parenting
balance of rules and love, consistently shows favourable outcomes like better academic performance, self-esteem, less anxiety and stress,
indulgent parenting
no/limited rules, tend to encourage immaturity and irresponsibility, and are more susceptible to outside influences
authoritarian parenting
more dependent and passive, less self-assured, and have weak self-esteem and communication skills
indifferent parenting
show little interest in school or work and are more likely to be involved in delinquency, substance abuse, and early sexual activity
Michael Claes
conducted a study that compared parenting styles in Canada, France, and Italy, finding that Canadians had the fewest rules and discipline
social clock
refers to the culturally preferred ‘right time’ for major life events, such as moving out, getting married, and having kids
Karen Fingerman et al.
found that middle-aged parents give emotional support several times a year for their children
Kennedy, Mather, and Carstensen
found that ppl’s memories become more positive with age
Myers and Diener
found that older adults tend to speak more positively about their lives, particularly about their relationships with others
Wang’s 7 things that help retirement
- continue to work part-time to ease into retirement
- plan for retirement
- retire with someone and follow a plan together
- have a happy marriage
- take care of physical and financial health
- retire early from a stressful job
- retire ‘on time’
Schaei and WIllies
conducted a longitudinal study on adult cognition, finding that older adults have slower processing speed, word-finding, and attention span and that older adults have huge funds of knowledge
fluid knowledge
problem-solving, peaks in 20s
crystallized intelligence
knowledge about the world
dementia
loss of cognitive functioning (thinking, remembering, reasoning) to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s lifee
two main types of dementia
- Alzheimer’s
- vascular dementia
Alzheimer’s
the most common dementia, ppl gradually struggle with memory, disorientation, and reasoning as plaques and tangles cause damage to neurons
vascular dementia
damage to blood vessels can cause damage to the brain and can be in steps; problem-solving and processing speed can be more affected than memory
early signs of dementia
- memory loss
- problem-solving (tasks may be more difficult)
- disorientation
- social withdrawal
- personality changes
Levy, Slade, Kunkai, and Kasl
found that the elderly with positive perceptions of aging also lived longer
Nemmers
found that ppl who believe the elderly to be weak, vulnerable, and grumpy often act accordingly
Elisabeth Lubler-Ross’s 5 stages of grief
- Denial
- Anger
- Bargaining
- Depression
- Acceptance
