Exam 1 Flashcards
developmental psychology
the field of study that deals with the behavior, thoughts, and emotions of individuals as they go through various parts of the life span.
empirical research’s place in the field of developmental psychology
empirical research are scientific studies of observable events that are measured and evaluated objectively. When using personal accounts and examples, empirical research allows us to use the accounts to illustrate concepts that have been research
individual differences vs. commonalities
commonalities are typical aspects of adult life that most of us can relate to (either now or in the future), whereas individual differences are unique to an individual and most people do not experience
continuous vs. stage-pattern (also sometimes called discontinuous) development
continuous development is slow and gradual development that takes us in a predictable direction. Stage-pattern development is when there are parts of the journey where there seems to be no progress for quite some time, followed by an abrupt change
typical vs. atypical
Typical is probably preferred to normal because it insinuates that it is an event commonly experienced by individuals but not something that is expected to be done by many individuals, like normal insinuates. Furthermore, normal has a more negative connotation than typical
history-graded (cohort) influences
experiences that result from historical events or conditions. Influenced by cultures and cohorts (refers to a group of people who share a common historical experience at the same stage of life; similar to generation but from shorter time period and same region/country)
culturally-graded influences
large social environments in which the timing of development influences adult life pattern. Ex: expected age of marry, childbearing, number of children, roles of men, class structure, etc
age-graded (biological & social clocks) influences
those influences that are linked to age and experience by most adults of every generation as they grow older. Three types of influences impinge on the typical adult: biology (biological clock), shared experience (social clock, ageism) and internal change processes
source of stability: genetics (nature)
developmental patterns are similar due to genetics
Behavioral genetics
the contributions genes make to individual behavior; heredity affects behaviors such as cognitive ability, personality characteristics, physical appearance, and psychological behavior
sources of stability: environment (nurture)
early childhood environment can set the course for a lifetime of either emotional openness, trust and good health or loneliness, mistrust and illness
sources of stability: interactionist view
how one’s genetic traits determine how one interacts with the environment and even the environment itself
Epigenetic inheritance
a process in which the genes one receives at conception are modified by subsequent environmental events that occur during the prenatal period and throughout the life span
chronological age
the number of years that have passed since your birth; does not cause developmental changes
biological age
a measure of how an adult’s physical condition compares with others; depends on the person’s chronological age; used to evaluate aging of the physical systems
Psychological age
a measure of how an adult’s ability to deal affectively with the environment compares with others
social age
based on the expected roles a person takes on at a specific point in his or her life
functional age
how well a person is functioning as an adult compared to others
Life-span developmental psychology approach
development is lifelong, multidimensional, plastic, contextual and has multiple causes
bioecological model of development
Urie Bronfenbrenner: we must consider the developing person within the context of multiple environments. This idea is that development must take place within biological, psychological, and, especially, social contexts that change over time, and that these various influences are in constant interaction
emerging adulthood age range
18-29; late adolescence to early 30’s
Kelly Lambert
(2011) found that worker rats who must expend effort for their food develop greater resilience and self efficacy than “trust fund” rats that have their food handed to them; research on effort-driven reward
Robert Sapolsky
(1994) after studying baboons living in “gated communities,”Sapolsky found that it is actually our advantages that free us to obsess about our dissatisfaction with our family and friends and what other people think of us; his broadest conclusion was that the stress of everyday social life was killing us.
Sigmund Freud
Suggested that a healthy adult should have the ability to love and work well
G. Stanley Hall
(1904) Studied adolescence, attributed the new stage to social changes, described adolescence as a time of “storm and stress” filled with emotional upheaval, sorrow and rebelliousness, increase in sensation seeking, greater susceptibility to media influences and overreliance on peer relationships
Erik Erikson
(1950s) built on Freud’s theories to create stages of psychological development; discerned what psycho social crises people go through at certain age brackets
Christian Smith
(2011) connected mass consumerism, depersonalized sexual relationships and celebrity culture with the breakdown of moral reasoning and religious faith among emerging adults; expressed alarm with culture of emerging adulthood
Richard Lerner
Claims that since not everyone goes through a period of emerging adulthood, it is not a classical stage theory; in order to be a developmental stage, must be universal and essential - therefore not a developmental stage
Carol Dweck
(2006) suggested that a fundamental way of changing your perspective on life is by resetting your mindset. Growth mindset (“the hand you’ve been dealt as just the starting point for development; belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts”) vs. fixed mindset. Importance of “self-talk” to achieve genuine transformation of worldview. Thesis that establishing growth mindset can lead to “love of challenge, belief in effort, resilience in the face of setbacks, and great (and more creative) success.”
Giedd (NIMH)
(1991) neuroscientist who found that the children’s brains were not fully mature until at least 25; found that the most significant changes took place in the regions involved with emotional control and higher-order cognitive function, where emotions originate explodes during puberty and place that manages emotions keeps maturing for another 10 years.
what struggles does Brown identify as associated with emerging adulthood?
Brown found that emerging adults struggle with feelings of shame, doubt, fear and vulnerability, leading most young adults to conclude that they are fundamentally inadequate. Additionally, many emerging adults struggle with perfectionism which she found leads to rumination, worry, anxiety and depression.
briefly describe Brene Brown’s concept of whole-hearted living
Brown describes whole-hearted living as “engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness.” She further explains that we need to practice and cultivate in ourselves courage, compassion and connection in order to live a whole-hearted life.
Describe Martin Seligman’s PERMA acronym for describing the fulfilling life.
P: Positive Emotions (The Pleasant Life) E: Engagement (The Engaged Life) R: Relationships (Positive Relationships) M: Meaning (The Meaningful Life) A: Accomplishment
How and why does Innes reorder/edit Seligman’s acronym?
Innes reorders Seligman’s acronym in his order of importance for achieving a fulfilling life. Innes reorders Seligman’s acronym in this description:
- Meaningful life
- Engaged life
- Positive Relationships
- Achievements
- Health and fitness program
- Positive emotions/pleasant life
- Identify barriers and “baggage” blocking your way from completing 1-6
Describe (generally) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow.
A state of experience we feel when we are totally involved in what we are doing.
What are Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi’s basic foci for positive psychology with respect to:
The Past: well-being, contentment and satisfaction
The Present: flow and happiness
The Future: optimism and happiness
According to Shawn Achor, what is the key factor in determining an individual’s happiness?
90% of your happiness is not determined by your external world, but how you process the world
What did Christakis, Fowler and Fry conclude about the role of genetic predisposition (nature) in determining life satisfaction?
These researchers concluded that 33% of the variation in life satisfaction can be explained by our genetic disposition.
What other factors play a role in that according to Christakis and colleagues?
According to Christakis and colleagues, it is not the genes themselves that determine our affective state, it is how our genes are expressed through a complex set of biological processes.
What did Baumeister et al. conclude about the connections between meaningfulness, engagement and happiness?
Baumeister et al. concluded that “serious involvement with things beyond oneself and one’s pleasures promotes meaningfulness, often to the detriment of happiness. These contribute to the view that happiness and meaningfulness are different and that pursuing happiness is not the only goal people have in life.”
Describe Fredrickson’s 2 types of well-being:
- Eudiamonic well-being: the sense that life is meaningful and has purpose
- Hedonic well-being: feeling good or the pleasant life
What do Sheldon and Lubomirsky say is required to sustain improvements in life satisfaction over long periods of time?
In order to sustain improvements in life satisfaction over long periods of time, Sheldon and Lubomirsky say we must require ourselves to engage in sustaining supportive activities that promote self-improvement.They defined three categories of activity: behavioral (e.g. working out every day), cognitive (e.g. using meaningfulness practices to live in the here-and-now), and volitional (e.g. get better organized).
How did Tatiana Schnell (2009) define meaningfulness?
Meaningfulness is “a fundamental sense of meaning, based in an appraisal of one’s life as coherent, significant, directed and belonging” aligned with personally fulfilling goals that are incorporated into a individual’s self-system.
How did Leontiev (2007) define Worldview?
Worldview is how you see the world as framed by your external cultural influences, such as culture, family history and images and messages in the media. He defined worldview as “a more or less coherent system of general understandings about how human beings, society, and the world at large exist and function.”
How do Leontiev’s and Schnell’s above concepts relate to one another?
The two relate in that to have a coherent world view it depends on how we think about our life, our emotions and our behavior. Furthermore, our sense of meaningfulness is rooted in feeling significant in society which is determined by our worldview.
4 Categories of Transcendence per Schnell: how do these relate to identity development in emerging adults?
1) Self-transcendence: commitment to objectives beyond one’s immediate needs
a. Vertical self-transcendence: orientation towards an immaterial cosmic power
b. Horizontal self-transcendence: taking responsibility for (worldly) affairs beyond one’s immediate concerns
2) Self-actualization: employing, challenging, and fostering one’s capacities
3) Order: holding onto values, practically, decency, and the tried and tested
4) Well-being and relatedness: cultivating and enjoying life’s pleasures in privacy and in company
What does Schnell mean by Existential Indifference? How does it relate to the process of identity development in emerging adults?
Existential Indifference is characterized by low levels of eudemonic meaningfulness and an absence of a ‘crisis of meaning’ resulting from an awareness that life is empty and pointless. Schnell described it as “a superficial and illusionary life, a consequence of not being oneself, but a slave to the world…a shallow and superficial living in contrast to more complex, rich, and authentic modes of life.” This relates to the process of identity development in emerging adults in that many emerging adults focus on developing themselves and are more self-centered and existentially indifferent.
Linton’s Philosophy
“The last thing a fish would ever notice would be water.” By this, Linton means to point out that culture plays a primary role in shaping our identities and ourselves, and although culture is the most important factor that determines how we see the world and how we behave in it, it goes largely unnoticed.
