Developmental Psychology Flashcards
Developmental psychology
A branch of psychology that studies physical , cognitive , & social change throughout the life span
Zygote
A fertilized egg ; it enters a two week period of rapid cell division & develops into a embryo
Embryo
The developing human organism from bout two weeks after fertilization through the second month
Fetus
The developing human organism from nine weeks after conception to birth
Teratogens
Monster maker
Agents , like chemicals & viruses , that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development & cause harm
Fetal alcohol syndrome
Physical & cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant women heavy drinking
Can have small proportion head & abnormal facial features
Habituation
Decreasing responsiveness w repeated stimulation
As infant gain familiarity w repeated exposure to a visual stimulus , their interest wanes & they look away sooner
Three major issues in development psych
Nature vs nurture
Continuity & stages
Stability & change
Nature vs nurture
How does our genetic inheritance interact w our experience to influence our development ?
Newborns prefer their moms voice to their fathers immediately after birth .. why ?
Bc babies are exposed to the sound of their mother in the womb
Rooting reflex
Coordinated sequence of reflexes by which the baby gets food
Alcohol is a teratogen that can slip through the ….. & damage the fetus or embryo
Placenta
Even as newborns , we prefer sights & sounds tht facilitate social responsiveness. This can be seen by a new born preference for
Face like images
As infants gain familiarity w repeated exposure to a visual stimulus , their interest wanes & they look away sooner … the decrease in a infants responsiveness is called
Habituation
What is the prenatal dev sequence ?
Zygote , embryo , fetus
Maturation
Biological growth that enable orderly changes in behavior , relatively un influenced by experience
Ex ; standing before walking
By when do you have most of your brain cells ?
On the day that you are born
Where is brain growth most rapid from ages 3 to 6 ?
In the frontal lobes Bc it’s enabling rational planning
What are theory areas of the brain to develop ?
Thinking
Memory
Language
When is the average age of people earliest memories ?
Your third & fourth year of age
As the infants brain develops ; some neural pathways will decay if not used
This use it or lose it process is known as
Pruning
Which of the following depends least on the maturation process ?
Telling time
Cognition
All the mental activities associated w thinking , knowing , remembering , & communicating
Schema
A concept or framework that organizes & interests information
Assimilation
Interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemes
Ex ; a toddler may call all four legged animals dogs
Accommodation
Adapting our current understanding ( schemas ) to incorporate new info
Ex: four legged animal category is refined
Sensorimotor age
Piaget theory
Birth to two years old
During which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions & motor activities
OBJECT PERMANENCE
Object permanence
The awareness that things continue to exist even when no perceived
Ex ; if you hide a toy , a. Baby will continue to look for it
Preoperational stage
Piaget theory
Two to 6 or 7 years old
During which a child learns to use language bus does not yet comprehend logic
EGOCENTRIC
Conservation
The principle ( which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning ) that properties such as mass , volume , & number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
Ex ; water & ice
Egocentrism
In Piaget theory , the pre operation child difficulty taking another point of view … PRETEND PLAY
Ex ; a child putting his hands over his face to make himself invisible
Symbolic thinking
Representing things w words & images
Theory of mind
People’s ideas about their own & others mental states - about their feelings , perception , & thoughts , & the behaviors these might predict
Autism spectrum disorder
A disorder that appears in childhood & is marked by significant deficiencies in communication & social interaction , & by rigidity fixated interests & repetitive behaviors
Concrete operational stage
Piaget theory
6 to 11 years of age
During which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically bout concrete events
CONSERVATION
Formal operational stage
Piaget theory
12 years old
During which people begin to think bout logically bout abstract concepts
REASON SYSTEMATICALLY
According to Vgotsky , why do children increasingly think in works & use words to solve problems by age 7 ?
Bc they are internalizing their cultures language & relying on inner speech
What is the difference between Piaget & vgotosky emphasis on children cognitive development ?
Piaget emphasize kids independent efforts to make sense of their own world
Vgotsky emphasizes it as a socially mediated process & depend on adults
Zone of proximal development
The zone between what a child can & cannot do , it’s what they can do w help
Neural networks grow more complex by
branching outward to form multiple connections
Your friend’s baby brother, Matt, loves to play with his pet cat. When he sees a puppy, he points and calls it “ Mi Mi, “ which is what he calls his cat. Matt is demonstrating Piaget’s process of
Assimilation
Vygotsky called the space between what a child could learn with and without help the
Zone of proximal development
Which of the following is a current belief of researchers that differs from Piaget’s original theories?
Object permanence develops earlier than Piaget believed
Which of the following identifies children’ s difficulty seeing another’s perspective?
Egocentric thinker
Stranger anxiety
The fear of strangers that infants commonly display beginning by eight months
Attachment
An emotional tie w another person ; show in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver & showing distress in separation
Harry Harlow study of attachment on monkeys
Wanted to see if food or contact was more important
Contact comfort is more important to monkeys
Contact comfort is a critical factor in human infant caregiver
What else is important in forming an attachment ?
Familiarity
Critical period
An optimal period early in life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development
Temperament
A persons characteristic emotional reactivity & intensity
Lorenz imprinting
The process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early life critical period
Do human infants imprint ?
No they become attached
Secure attachment
Comfortable & happy in mothers presence to explore environment
Insecure attachment
Marked either by anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships
Basic trust
Erik Erickson
A sense that the world is predictable & trustworthy ; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences w responsive caregivers
Effects on a child if they are deprived of attachment
Less intelligence
Anxiety levels are high
Self concept
All our thoughts & feelings about ourselves
Self concept vs self esteem
Self concept is the way you think bout yourself
Self esteem is how you feel bout yourself
Authoritarian
Parents who impose & expect obedience
Permissive
Parents submit to their children’s desires ; make few demands & little punishment
Authoritative
Parents who are demanding & responsive gain control by setting rules & enforcing them , but explain reasons for rules
According to Baumrind , what kinds of parents do kids who have high self esteem tend to have ?
They have warm , concerned authoritative parents
An 18 - month old typically recognizes herself in a mirror. This self awareness contributes to
Self concept
What do we call an optimal window of opportunity for proper dev ?
Critical period
Who identified secure & insecure attachment ?
Mary Ainsworth
Gender
The socially constructed roles & characteristics by which a culture defines male & female
Sex vs. gender
Sex is your biological status made out of chromosomes
Gender is the socially constructed roles in culture
Explain power difference people perceive between genders
Men do place more importance on power & achievement are socially dominant
What did carol gilligan find bout gender & social connectedness ?
She believes females tend to differ from males both in being less concerned w viewing themselves as separate individuals & in being more concerned w “ making connections “
Gender roles
A set of expected behaviors for males or females
Gender identity
Our sense of being male or female
Social learning theory
The theory that we learn social behavior by observing & imitating & by being rewarded or punished
Ex : when little kids says curse words
Gender typing
The acquisition of traditional masculine or feminine role
Transgender
An umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated w their birth sex
According to research , which type of aggression is more common among males than females ?
Harmful physical aggression
Diego likes to play sports & video games whereas Sara likes to sing , dance , & play house .. this example best depicts which of the following ?
Gender typing
Carol gilligan research emphasizes prominent female characteristics , especially :
Making social connections
What is the general conclusion bout which is more influential on development ; nature or nurture ?
Nurture , early childhood shapes our brain , but our brain modifies itself in response to our learning
According to plomin & Daniels , two children in the same family are as different from….. as ours of children selected randomly from the population
One another
Compared w rats raised in an enriched environment , which of following is true of rats raised in isolation ?
Their brain cortex is more thicker
What is the primary means by which parents influence the behavior of their children ?
Genetic contributions
Function of pruning
Eliminates unused pathways
Adolescence
The transition period from childhood to adult hood , extending from puberty to independence
Puberty
When we mature sexually
Hormones , moods , bodily changes
What happened to your neurons in your brain during adolescence ?
The mirrors we do not use , we lose them
What lobe of the brain matures during adolescence ?
Frontal lobe
During early teens , what is reasoning like ?
Their moral judgements build on their cognitive development
Preconventional Morality
Before age nine
Self interest ; obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards
Ex ; if you save your wife , you’ll be a hero
Conventional Morality
Early adolescence
Uphold laws & rules to gain social approval or maintain social order
Ex ; if you steal the drug , everyone will think you’re a criminal
Post conventional
Beyond adolescence
Actions reflect beliefs in basic rights & self defines ethical principles
Ex ; people have a right to live
What happens to children who learn to delay gratification ?
They become more socially responsible , academically successful , & productive
The growth of the ….. around axons speeds neurotranmission , enabling better communication between the frontal lobe & other brain regions
Myelin
Who believed that a child’s moral judgements build on cognitive development ?
Who agreed & sought to describe the development of moral reasoning ?
Piaget
Kohlberg
Which level of moral reasoning includes a focus on upholding laws in order to gain social approval ?
Conventional
What development in adolescents allows for greater impulse control ?
Frontal lobe maturation in late adolescence
Which of jean Piaget stages describes typical adolescent thinking ?
Formal operational
Identity
Our sense of self
According to Erickson , the adolescent task is to solidify a sense of self by testing & integrating various roles
Social identity
The “ we “ aspect of our self concept ; the part of our answer to “ who am I ? “ that comes from our group memberships
Intimacy
Erickson theory
The ability to form close , loving relationships
Why is the first year of college such a challenge to many adolescents ?
Bc they are provided w new opportunities for trying out possible roles
Emerging adulthood
For some people in modern culture , a period from the late teens to mid twenties , bridging the gap between adolescent dependence & independence
Trust vs Mistrust
Infancy to one year
If needs are dependably met , infants develop a sense of basic trust
Autonomy vs Shame
One to three years old
Toddlers learn to expertise their will & do things for themselves , or they doubt their abilities
Initiative vs Guilt
Three to six years old
Preschool learn to initiate tasks & carry out plans ; or they feel guilt about their efforts to be independent
Industry be inferiority
Six to puberty
Children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to take ; or they feel inferior
Identity vs role
Teen years to 20
Teens work at refining a sense of self by testing roles & then integrating them to form a single identity or become confused w who they are
Intimacy vs isolation
20s to 40s
Young adults struggle to form close relationships & to gain the capacity for intimate love , or they feel socially isolated
Generativity vs self absorption
40s to 60s
People discover a sense of contributing to the world , usually through family & work ; or they may feel a lack of purpose
Integrity vs Despair
60s & up
Reflecting on his or her life , an older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure
What goes hand in hand w positive parent teen relationships ?
Positive parent teen relations & positive peer relations
Examples of secondary sex characteristics
Breasts
Hips
Male voice quality
Body hair
Menarche
The first menstrual period
Sexual orientation
An enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex
According to Erickson , you develop your …. , a part of who you are , from your group memberships
Self esteem
According to Erickson , what is the primary developmental task for adolescents
Identity versus role confusion
Compared w the late nineteenth century , what is true bout the transition from childhood to adulthood in western culture
It starts earlier & is completed later
Megan , a third grader , is having trouble w math . She is starting to do poorly in other subjects , Bc she feels she cannot master math .
Based on Erickson a stages of psychosocial development , which stage is Megan in
Industry versus inferiority
Boez is a two year old boy who is in the process of potty training , when he pees in the potty , he has a sense of pride
When he pees in his pants , he hides
Autonomy vs shame
Example of primary sex characteristic
Reproductive organs in both sexes
Menopause
The time of natural cessation of menstruation ; also refers to the biological changes a woman experience as her ability to reprise declines
Cross sectional study
A study in which people of different ages are compared w one another
Longitudinal study
Research in which the same people are testified & retested over a long period
What happens to senses as you age ?
Visual sharpness diminishes & distance perception & adaption to light level changes are less acute
What happens to immune system as you age ?
The system weaken , more prune to cancer
What happens to neural processing as you age ?
The process slows down
What is terminal decline of mental abilities
W age , we lose recall memory & processing speed but we gain vocab & knowledge
According to Erickson , which of the following is a dominant goal of adulthood ?
Generativity
Which of the following would be considered an example of Erickson concept of generativity
A 40 year old takes pride in her work & how she has raised her kids
The …. is a culturally determined timetable for certain events , such as having kids
Social clock
