Deverlopmental Psychology Flashcards
(61 cards)
1
Q
What does developmental psychology examine?
A
Changes in physical, biological, psychological & behavioural processes as we age
1
Q
What are the critical & sensitive periods?
A
Critical period = age where experiences must occur
Sensitive period = optimal age range
2
Q
What is Visual Mapping Change?
A
- No change (constant)
- Continuous (gradual changes)
- Stages (discontinuous changes)
- Inverted U-shape
- U-shape function
3
Q
What is inverted U-shape?
A
Emerges early - peaks
- diminishes with age
4
Q
What is U-shape function?
A
Emerges early - disappears
- re-emerges
5
Q
What are Research Designs?
A
Longitudinal, Cross-sectional, Sequential (Cohort - sequential)
6
Q
What is longitudinal research design?
A
Test some cohort at different times
7
Q
What is Cross-sectional research?
A
Compare different ages at some time
8
Q
What is sequential research?
A
Test several cohorts as they age,
Pros and cons of both longitudinal and cross-sectional
9
Q
What are longitudinal pros and cons?
A
- Some people (reduces variability across samples)
- Red conclusions about development
- Time-consuming
- People drop out
- Generalizability
10
Q
What are the pros of Cross-sectional?
A
Data from many age groups (fast)
11
Q
What are the cons of cross-sectional research?
A
- Cohort effects
- Different experiences, cultural changes, environmental changes (e.g. iPod, cloud, ChatGPT)
12
Q
What is genotype?
A
- Actual genetic ‘instructions’
- ‘Blueprint’
13
Q
What is phenotype?
A
- Expressed
- Observable, visible
14
Q
What are the 3 stages of Prenatal Development?
A
- Gestalt stage
- Embryonic stage
- Fetal stage
15
Q
What is gestalt stage?
A
(2 weeks)
- zygote (about 1 week)
- blastocyst attaches to uterine wall (placenta)
16
Q
What is embryonic stage?
A
- 2nd-8th week
- placenta & umbilical cord develop - basic systems
17
Q
What is fetal stage?
A
- begins at 9th week
- refinement, growth
- brain development
18
Q
What environmental influences negatively impact prenatal development?
A
Teratogens
Maternal malnutrition
Maternal stress (stress hormones)
19
Q
How do teratogens negatively impact prenatal development?
A
Environmental agents that may cause abnormal development
20
Q
How does maternal malnutrition negatively impact prenatal development?
A
Miscarriage, premature birth, stillbirth, impaired brain development
21
Q
How does maternal stress negatively impact prenatal development?
A
Premature birth, infant irritability, attentional deficits
22
Q
What can newborns do?
A
- can discriminate different speech sounds
- can acquire classically conditioned responses
- can do simple observational learning (initiate adult facial expressions)
23
Q
How do the reflexes of motor development work?
A
Innate behaviours
- startle (moro)
- babinski (foot)
- blink
Disappear (some stay - some signal trouble)
24
How do most skills follow stage-like sequences of motor development?
- Age of acquiring skill varies
- Sequence does not
- Some have U-shaped function (stepping reflex)
25
What is Cognitive Development?
Children are not 'adults in miniature'
- thinking changes 'qualitatively'
- natural-born "scientists"
- actively explore & seek to understand their world
26
What are schemas?
Modified to create equilibrium between environment & understanding
27
What are the stages of Piaget's stage model?
Sensorimotor Stage
Preoperational Stage
Concrete Operational Stage
Formal Operational Stage
28
What is sensorimotor stage?
- from birth to 2 years
- understand world through sensory experiences/physical interactions with objects
- begin to acquire language
29
What is object permanence?
- Understanding objects continue to exist even when they can no longer be seen
- Mental/cognitive representations (about 8 months)
30
What is preoperational stage?
- ages 2-7
- world represented symbolically through words and mental images
- symbolic thinking enable pretend play
- child doesn't understand conversation
- thinking displays irreversibility (appearance/reality), centration, animism, egocentrism
31
What is concrete operational stage?
- ages 7-12
- easily perform basic mental operations involving tangible (concrete) problems and situations
- often have difficulty with abstract reasoning
32
What is the formal operational stage?
- develops around 11 or 12
- can think logically about concrete & abstract problems
- able to form & test hypotheses
33
What are Information-Processing Approaches?
- development is continuous and gradual
- not stage-like
- cognitive growth occurs as information processing abilities gradually become more efficient
34
How do children process information as they age?
- information - search strategies improve
- information - processing speed quickens
- memory capabilities improve
- metacognition develops
35
What is the theory of mind for cognitive development?
- beliefs about how the mind works & what others are thinking
- lying, deception provide evidence for theory of mind
- rudimentary understanding develops around 3 to 4
36
What is temperament of emotional and social development?
- biologically based style of behaviour & emotional reactions
- can be relatively stable but predictions are difficult
37
What is attachment?
Strong emotional bond between children & primary caregivers
38
How does Harlow explain attachment?
Contact comfort more important than nourishment in fostering attachment
39
What is the attachment process?
- Asocial phase (newborn-6 weeks)
- Indiscriminate attachment behaviours (6 weeks - 7 months)
- specific attachment behaviour (7-8 months)
40
What is stranger anxiety?
- 6-7 to 18 months
- distress over contact with unfamiliar people
41
What is separation anxiety?
- 12-16 months to 2-3 years
- distress over being separated from primary caregiver
- shows similar pattern across cultures
42
What is secure attachment?
- explore & react positively to strangers
- distressed when mother leaves
- happy when mother returns
43
What are the 3 types of insecure attachment?
Resistant, avoidant, disorganized (mix of both)
44
What are the consequences of attachment?
- secure infants better socially adjusted, academic gains
- insecure infants more behavioural problems
45
What is the consequence of attachment for infancy?
infancy = sensitive but not critical period
- prolonged attachment deprivation = long-term risks
- not all in deprived environments at risk (resilience; negative stuff is dismissed; find supports)
46
How does physical development affect adolescence?
- Adolescence begins at puberty (rapid maturation in which person becomes capable of reproduction)
- Primary & secondary sex characteristics mature
- menarche & production of sperm occur
47
How does psychological outcomes of physical changes affect adolescence?
- effects on mood and behaviour
- timing & perception of whether maturation is early or late is important
48
How does cognitive development affect adolescence?
- increase in abstract reasoning abilities
- more flexible and creative thinking
49
What is adolescent egocentrism of adolescence & social development?
- overestimation of uniqueness of feelings, experiences (personal fable)
- oversensitivity to social evaluation (imaginary audience)
50
What is identity formation of adolescence?
- Erikson
- Identity = sense of who we are, where we are going, how we fit into society
- resolve confusion about which way to go
51
What are the 3 levels of Kohlberg's Stage Theory for Moral development?
Level 1: Preconventional Reasoning
Level 2: Conventional Reasoning
Level 3: Postconventional Reasoning
52
What is Kohlberg's Stage Theory?
Analyzed responses to ethical dilemma
- 3 levels with 2 substages each
53
What is Preconventional Reasoning of Kohlberg's Stage Theory?
- Judgments of 'right' & 'wrong' based on actual or anticipated punishments & reward
- Judgments not based on internalized moral values
54
What is Conventional Reasoning of Kohlberg's Stage Theory?
- moral judgments based on conformity to expectations of social groups
- person adopts other people's values/social order
55
What is Postconventional Reasoning of Kholberg's Stage Theory?
- More judgments based on general principle
- Principles have been internalized & are part of person's value system (following one's conscience)
56
What are the criticisms of Kohlberg's Theory?
- Western cultural bias
- Gender bias
- emphasis on thinking not behaviour
- moral development occurs within social context
- cognitive + behavioural components
57
What is Carol Giligan's criticism of Kohlberg's theory?
- His theory emphasized justice
- Women place value on caring
58
What is the physical development of adulthood and aging?
- muscles weaken, body becomes less flexible
- basal metabolism slows
- visual activity, fertility decline (menopause)
- many middle-aged adults remain vigorously active
59
What is the Cognitive Development of adulthood and aging?
- perceptual speed declines
- long term memory declines/slower
- spatial memory for object location declines
- memory recall declines more strongly from recognition
60
What factors are linked to enhanced cognitive function?
- Above-average education
- cognitively stimulating lives
- spouse with greater intellectual capabilities
- processing information more quickly
