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Introduction to Psychology > Developmental Psychology > Flashcards

Developmental Psychology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is developmental psychology?

A

The science of human development that seeks to understand how and why people change and remain the same over time.

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2
Q

What are the 3 types of development in psychology?

A
  1. Physical (neural)
  2. Cognitive (intellectual)
  3. Social (emotional)
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3
Q

What are the 5 basic issues and methods in psychological development?

A
  1. Nature and nurture
  2. Sensitive and critical periods
  3. Stability and change
  4. Continuity and discontinuity
  5. Normative versus non‐normative events
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4
Q

Describe the idea behind nature and nurture.

A

A person’s development is determined by the interaction between their genetics (nature) and their environment (nurture).

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5
Q

What is nature?

A

A person’s nature is their genetic makeup.

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6
Q

What is nurture in developmental psychology?

A

A person’s environment (e.g., family, friends, school, work etc.).

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7
Q

What effect does a person’s genetics (nature) have on their development?

A

A person’s genetics contributes strongly to some characteristics (e.g., physical size, appearance).

Heredity influences which developmental pathways a person will take (predisposition).

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8
Q

What effect does a person’s environment (nurture) have on their development?

A

A person’s environment, combined with their genetics, influences their physical, cognitive, and social development.

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9
Q

What are the 5 systems in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory?

A
  1. Microsystem
  2. Mesosystem
  3. Exosystem
  4. Macrosystem
  5. Chronosystem
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10
Q

What is the critical period issue in psych development?

A

The critical period concept suggests that the brain is set to acquire a function during a limited period of time.

If key experiences do not occur during a critical period, the function may not develop or may not be fully developed

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11
Q

What is maturation?

A

Maturation refers to biologically based changes that follow an orderly sequence

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12
Q

What is the stability and change issue in psych development?

A

Stability refers to strong consistencies over time in:
1. Intelligence
2. Personality
3. Social skills

Change can refer to the acquisition or loss of a behaviour or function.

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13
Q

What are the 2 types of change?

A
  1. Continuous: refers to a gradual alteration of behaviour
  2. Discontinuous: refers to stages of growth that are qualitatively different and that are usually ordered in a fixed sequence.
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14
Q

What is the difference between a normative and non‐normative event?

A

Normative events are age related events that most people experience at certain ages.

Non‐normative events are atypical or unexpected events (e.g., exposure to a disaster, loss of a parent) that potentially alters a person’s developmental trajectory.

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15
Q

Name and describe the two ways developmental trajectories can vary.

A

Quantitative differences in the time to reach the stages of development.

Qualitative differences in the way people reach developmental stages

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16
Q

What are the 3 research designs in developmental psychology?

A
  1. Cross-sectional
  2. Longitudinal
  3. Sequential
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17
Q

How is a cross-sectional study conducted?

A

The study uses participants from different age groups at one point in time to determine age-related differences.

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18
Q

How is a longitudinal study conducted?

A

The study uses the same participants that are tested at various ages to determine age-related changes.

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19
Q

How is a sequential study conducted?

A

Sequential studies examine different age groups at multiple time points to reduce cohort effects.

It is a combination of cross‐sectional and longitudinal designs.

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20
Q

What are the first 5 periods of development?

A
  1. Prenatal = conception to birth
  2. Infancy and toddlerhood = birth to 2 years
  3. Early childhood = 2-6 years
  4. Middle childhood = 6-11 years
  5. Adolescence = 11-18 years
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21
Q

What is the overarching idea in Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Theory?

A

Children’s thinking changes qualitatively with age.

22
Q

What are the 4 stages to Piaget’s Stage Model?

A
  1. Schemas
  2. Assimilation
  3. Accommodation
  4. Disequilibrium
23
Q

What is a schema according to Piaget’s Stage Model?

A

A schema is an organised pattern of thought and action ‐ as we develop, we acquire new schemas and our existing schemas become more complex.

24
Q

What is assimilation according to Piaget’s Stage Model?

A

The process by which new experiences are incorporated into existing schemas.

25
Q

What is accommodation according to Piaget’s Stage Model?

A

The process by which new experiences cause existing schemas to change.

26
Q

What is disequilibrium according to Piaget’s Stage Model?

A

An imbalance between existing schemas and new experiences.

27
Q

Describe Piaget’s concept of constructivism.

A

Children create schemas through interacting with their world.

28
Q

What is the main idea behind Vygotsky’s theory of development through social interaction?

A

Vygotsky believed learning from contact with others is crucial for psychological development: you learn ‘scripts’ for activities in the world to help you assimilate into society.

29
Q

What is temperament?

A

A person’s individual style and frequency of expressing needs and emotions.

30
Q

What 3 factors influence a child’s temperament?

A
  1. Biology and genetics
  2. Parental interactions and expectations
  3. Cultural differences and influences
31
Q

What are the early signs of a person’s ‘personality’?

A

Reasonable stability in one’s temperament over childhood and into adulthood.

32
Q

List and describe the 3 classifications for infant temperament?

A
  1. “Easy” (40%) - Regular routines for eating, sleeping et cetera; mild emotional reactions, easily soothed; readily adaptable to new people and situations
  2. “Difficult” (10%) - Doesn’t easily settle into biological routines; intense emotional reactions, not easily soothed; less adaptable.
  3. “Slow to warm up” (15%) - Wary in new situations, requires time and support to settle and adapt.
33
Q

Describe the issue with nature and nurture in terms of a child’s temperament?

A

The chicken and the egg problem.

Are parents responding to infant temperament?

Are infants responding to parenting style?

34
Q

What is the heritability of a child’s temperament?

A

There is a 44‐77% variability in the heritability of anxiety, activity levels, emotionality & control.

35
Q

What is attachment?

A

An enduring and selective emotional bond between two individuals, characterised by mutual affection and desire to maintain proximity.

36
Q

Which 3 theorists made influential theories regarding attachment in infancy?

A
  1. Freud
  2. Erikson
  3. Bowlby
37
Q

What was Freud’s theory about infant attachment?

A

Freud believed that infants became attached to the person or object which provides oral satisfaction.

38
Q

What was Erikson’s theory about infant attachment?

A

Erikson believed the first year of life represents the stage of trust versus mistrust.

Erikson’s theory suggests that sensitive care and comfort are key to establishing basic trust in infants.

39
Q

What was Bowlby’s theory about infant attachment?

A

Bowlby believed that infants and parents are biologically predisposed to form attachments.

Bowlby’s theory suggests that attachment is based on parent responsiveness and interaction between the infant and parent.

40
Q

What 3 things do human babies recognise that suggests the importance of human interaction at a young age?

A
  1. They turn their heads towards human voices
  2. They gaze at face‐like displays longer
  3. They recognise their own mother’s voice and smell
41
Q

What is a good example that illustrates the existence of a ‘critical period’ for attachment in children?

A

Children who have been raised in orphanages show less capacity to attach to caregivers the later they are adopted.

42
Q

What did John Bowlby find when studying attachment of infants during WWII?

A

He found the longer that infants were seperated from their primary caregivers, the more difficult it was for them to form attachments with them.

43
Q

What was the foundational experiment that formed the basis of the ‘attachment’ theory?

A

Harlow’s surrogate mother experiments.

Infant monkeys preferred contact with the comfortable cloth mother, even while feeding from the nourishing wire mother.

44
Q

What are the two main impacts on brain development due to a lack of secure relationship with a caregiver in the early months of life?

A

Long term emotional and cognitive problems.

45
Q

In Mary Ainsworth’s ‘strange situation’ experiment with 12-18 month old infants, what are the 4 classification of attachment styles?

A
  1. Secure (approximately 60% of babies)
  2. Avoidant (approximately 25% of babies)
  3. Anxious/ambivalent (approximately 10% of babies)
  4. Disorganised (approximately <10% of babies)
46
Q

What is one way that positive behaviour from caregivers can affect a child’s wellbeing according to Erikson’s theory of trust versus mistrust?

A

Infants learn to trust people and feel safe and secure in their life.

47
Q

What 3 factors are likely to help a caregiver be more responsive with an infant/child?

A
  1. Good support from partner and others.
  2. Good knowledge and confidence in parenting role.
  3. Low/manageable stress levels.
48
Q

What 2 factors are likely to negatively affect a caregiver’s responsiveness to an infant/child?

A
  1. Parental mental illness or substance‐use problem.
  2. Chronically high levels of personal and family stress and/or low confidence in parenting.
49
Q

What is a serve and return interaction? Why is this important?

A

When a baby or young child gestures and an adult responds efficiently and appropriately.

When this happens neural connections are developed and strengthened that help an infant develop their social skills.

50
Q

What are the 4 basic parenting styles?

A
  1. Authoritarian
    Parents impose rules and expect obedience
    “Don’t interrupt”
    “Why? Because I said so”
  2. Authoritative
    Parents are both demanding and responsive
    Set rules, but explain reasons
    Encourage discussion
  3. Permissive
    Submit to children’s desires
    Make few demands
    Use little punishment
  4. Disengaged
    Expect little
    Invest little
51
Q

Why is the behaviour of parents so important for the development of their children?

A
  1. Helps them develop working models of the social world
  2. Helps them learn important emotional regulation skills
52
Q

What are three ways an adult’s mental wellbeing is affected by their attachment with their caregiver(s) as a child?

A
  1. Openness and assertiveness
  2. Self confidence and self‐esteem
  3. Trust in the professional

Introduction to Psychology (6 decks)

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