Exam 1 Flashcards
1
Q
developmental psychology
A
the field of study that deals with the behavior, thoughts, and emotions of individuals as they go through various parts of the life span.
2
Q
empirical research’s place in the field of developmental psychology
A
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
3
Q
individual differences vs. commonalities
A
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
4
Q
continuous vs. stage-pattern (also sometimes called discontinuous) development
A
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
5
Q
typical vs. atypical
A
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
6
Q
history-graded (cohort) influences
A
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)
7
Q
culturally-graded influences
A
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
8
Q
age-graded (biological & social clocks) influences
A
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
9
Q
source of stability: genetics (nature)
A
developmental patterns are similar due to genetics
10
Q
Behavioral genetics
A
the contributions genes make to individual behavior; heredity affects behaviors such as cognitive ability, personality characteristics, physical appearance, and psychological behavior
11
Q
sources of stability: environment (nurture)
A
early childhood environment can set the course for a lifetime of either emotional openness, trust and good health or loneliness, mistrust and illness
12
Q
sources of stability: interactionist view
A
how one’s genetic traits determine how one interacts with the environment and even the environment itself
13
Q
Epigenetic inheritance
A
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
14
Q
chronological age
A
the number of years that have passed since your birth; does not cause developmental changes
15
Q
biological age
A
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
16
Q
Psychological age
A
a measure of how an adult’s ability to deal affectively with the environment compares with others
17
Q
social age
A
based on the expected roles a person takes on at a specific point in his or her life
18
Q
functional age
A
how well a person is functioning as an adult compared to others
19
Q
Life-span developmental psychology approach
A
development is lifelong, multidimensional, plastic, contextual and has multiple causes
20
Q
bioecological model of development
A
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
21
Q
emerging adulthood age range
A
18-29; late adolescence to early 30’s
22
Q
Kelly Lambert
A
(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
23
Q
Robert Sapolsky
A
(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.
24
Q
Sigmund Freud
A
Suggested that a healthy adult should have the ability to love and work well
25
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
26
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
27
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
28
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
29
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."
30
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.
31
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.
32
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.
33
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
```
34
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:
1. Meaningful life
2. Engaged life
3. Positive Relationships
4. Achievements
5. Health and fitness program
6. Positive emotions/pleasant life
7. Identify barriers and "baggage" blocking your way from completing 1-6
35
Describe (generally) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of flow.
A state of experience we feel when we are totally involved in what we are doing.
36
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
37
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
38
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.
39
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.
40
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."
41
Describe Fredrickson’s 2 types of well-being:
1. Eudiamonic well-being: the sense that life is meaningful and has purpose
2. Hedonic well-being: feeling good or the pleasant life
42
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).
43
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.
44
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."
45
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.
46
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
47
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.
48
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.
49
Socrates Philosophy
"The unexamined life is not worth living." Socrates urged people to "know thyself" in order to live the good life. In Greek society, they encouraged moderation and self-restraint and on developing a rationale for their behavior.
50
What is meant by the me self?
our subjective experience being ourselves in the here-and-now
51
What is meant by the I self?
our objective experience of who we are
52
What is autobiographical memory and what role does it play in identity development in adults?
Autobiographical memory is a memory system consisting of episodes recollected from an individual's life, based on a combination of episodic (personal experiences and specific objects, people and events experienced at particular time and place) and semantic (general knowledge and facts about the world) memory. It is important in the development in adults because it shares our mental models of ourselves and self-defining memories. Furthermore, we use our autobiographical memory to establish overall themes that maintain a consistent sense of self.
53
Describe the trap that Brene’ Brown says many of us fall into in the process of identity development?
One of the issues that we may fall into is coping with negative unwanted identities that are blocking our personal growth. Brown discussed about dealing with debilitating reactions to shame related to aspects of our autobiographic memories and identities that we believe are seen negatively by other people.
54
What did Erikson say was the central theme identified by many of the older people he interviewed; can you see this connecting to your LSI interview?
in real lives, people revisited the central issues associated with each stage throughout life
55
Crocker & Park’s ideas around self-esteem & why we avoid opportunities to learn new skills. How does this relate to the trap described by Brown?
Crocker and Park used the term "self-esteem striving" to capture the problem they saw in seeking to raise self-esteem for its own sake. They found that people are more concerned with achieving highly in the eyes of the public to maintain self-esteem and "not looking dumb" instead of actually seeing what they gain from understanding concepts and growing.
56
self-actualization per Abraham Maslow: what are the attributes associated with it?
A self-actualized person can
• See your strengths and weakness clearly
• Think positively about yourself and others
• Be aware of and open to your experiences
• Have clear values and live by them
• Be open and honest in interpersonal relationships
• Recognize that your becoming takes place in transaction with other - therefore cares about nurturing them and being nurtured by them
• Love in the "here and now"
Maintain "self consistency" (align with your real self, ideal self and your behavior)
57
What is the primary function of the sympathetic system?
Our sympathetic system instantly charges up the physiological systems we need to make a rapid exit. The 4 Fs of the sympathetic system are fright, flight, and fight.
58
What does the parasympathetic system do?
The parasympathetic system performs the opposite function by slowing down all of the chemistry that activates the drives you need in an emergency, such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and muscular tension. It shuts down your sympathetic system.
59
What causes emotional reactivity?
Stress activates emotional reactivity; person's response to stress; How a person responds to their environment
60
What causes individual difference in people’s levels of emotional reactivity?
Levels of emotional reactivity are based on genetics and the affects of their early experiences, such as attachment, exposure to maternal depression, abuse and traumatic experiences.
61
Describe the mechanisms involved in the process of self-regulation.
First we martial resources for inhibition to overcome the strength of an impulse to activate a harmful behavior and instead choose a useful response. The strength of the impulse to act can come from our instincts, habitual patterns of behavior, etc.
62
According to the work of Lopez and Wagner et al., what are the brain markers/conditions that are predictive of breakdown of inhibitory control? Why would it be helpful for you to know this now? How might this be helpful in your future work?
Two primary factors that are predictive of breakdown of inhibitory control are negative emotions and resource depletion. This is helpful to know now because if we stop and think about our emotions or resource depletion we can better combat breakdown of inhibitory control. This can help in the future by learning to set goals and develop values and practice detecting cues that precede unwanted behaviors.
63
According to John Kabat-Zinn, how does the practice of mindfulness direct how we view the past and the future?
The practice of mindfulness helps fend off concerns about the past and the future, and helps us learn to be fully conscious of our present, here-and-now experience.
64
How does mindfulness affect how we function in the present?
Mindfulness helps us be fully engaged in the present and know what we are doing in the moment. By being mindful, we are knowing our entire experience and functioning in a more productive and healthy way.
65
Given the above, how does mindfulness help us to improve success with self-regulation?
By engaging in mindful behavior, we are thinking about our actions and emotional responses in the present which can help with our self-regulation.
66
What is Tara Brach’s concept of radical acceptance: (when is it best to do this?
Radical acceptance is an attitude towards those things that we cannot escape or change. It does not mean putting those unpleasant thoughts out of our mind; it means learning to accept them nonjudgmentally and examine them. In other words, we should stop sitting and stewing about things we can't change because by doing this we are creating our own suffering.
67
What does the Buddhist perspective say we should do when confronting something that is different than it should be?
Buddhist literature focuses on increasing happiness and dealing with suffering. In Buddhism, happiness includes engagement and meaningfulness as well as positive emotions. They also put a strong emphasis on understanding suffering and counsel against understanding why we suffer because, similar to Tara Brach's concept of radical acceptance, they believe that we are responsible for our own suffering and it is a product from how we process what happens to us.
68
What is applied developmental psychology?
the study of the mind and the ways the mind makes of think/act/feel overtime put into context
69
Why do we care about applied developmental psychology
important to learn how people think, process and react to create a better and more effective workforce
70
Sources of Knowledge:
theory: how things should work
research: test theories, "empirical," peer-reviewed
experience: anecdotal evidence, what happened that either you lived or you know others have
71
Why is it important to explore both typical and atypical patterns of development?
By studying atypical we encompass a wide variety of people. By studying typical we can find trends in groups.
72
What is the ecological systems theory?
could give us a clearer understanding of the multifaceted spheres of influence that combine to shape an individual's behavior and understanding of the world
73
What is courage according to Brene Brown?
open to vulnerability, willing to be authentic and fail
74
What is compassion according to Brene Brown?
acceptance + empathy
75
What is connection according to Brene Brown?
natural, energy between people when seen, heard and valued
76
How do emerging adulthood and Brene Brown connect?
learning it is ok to learn to be vulnerable and learning to accept people; learning to all believe worthy and have courage and compassion; way to think about transition and change
77
What are Erikson's core stages of adulthood, and what is the developmental task at each stage?`
13-21: identity vs. role confusion - discovering who you are
21-39: intimacy vs. isolation - developing relationships, finding place
40-65: generativity vs. stagnation - established, giving back to others, reflecting
65+: ego integrity vs. despair - impact on world, legacy
78
What are the key characteristics of emerging adulthood according to Arnett? How does it distinguish from Erikson's model?
- instability (financial, emotional), discovery
| - time of exploration, pushed back young adulthood
79
Why do some scholars refute claims that emerging adulthood is a developmental stage, and what evidence do they cite?
Innes: endless consumption, depersonalized sex, celebrity obsessed
Lerner: not universally experienced by 18-29 yr. olds
80
What could be missing from Arnett's model of emerging adulthood?
- certain instances where couldn't have control
- periods of instability
- psychological
- spiritual
- idea that we assume everyone has same experience
81
What conditions must be present for emerging adulthood to exist? Who doesn't/can't experience it?
- privilege: have financial support to be explorative/introspective
- developed countries
- deferred responsibilities in USA
- Trauma free (haven't lost parent)
- Needs met (food/water/shelter/survival)
82
Concept of Worldview
how you make sense of things around you in the context of the world; can see our worldview when clashes with another's; comes from culture, parents, media, etc.
83
Why and how did positive psychology emerge?
Martin Seligman noticed that we mostly studied why people are depressed and unhappy and while that is useful, he believed it is also important to understand what makes people happy
84
What is the hedonic treadmill?
trying to chase happiness but don't make any progress because not pursuing meaningful things
85
What is hedonic wellbeing?
feeling good or the pleasant life
86
What is eudiamonic wellbeing?
the sense that life is meaningful and has purpose
87
What is the difference between "I-self" and "me-self"?
"me-self" is the mental representation of ourself and the "i-self" is how we are acting in the here-and-now
88
Autobiographical Memory
I-self can edit memories to create a coherent me-self; I-self's capacity to reflect lets us have a coherent me-self
89
What is existential?
referring to or dealing with our process in life
90
What is existential transcendence?
realizing there is more beyond existential
91
What are the 4 types of transcendence?
1. self-transcendence
2. self-actualization
3. order
4. well-being and relatedness
92
What is self-transcendence?
moving beyond yourself, realize other things go on
93
What is self-actualization?
being the best you can be, pushing yourself
94
what is order?
living by congruence to your values
95
what is well-bring and relatedness?
finding joy alone and with others
96
What neurological mechanisms contribute to the FFF response?
sympathetic system triggers FFF; parasympathetic is antidote. Amygdala triggers sympathetic system when senses you are in danger
97
What is meant by genotype and phenotype, and how do they relate to emotional reactivity?
Phenotype is how your genetic makeup is manifested in your environment. Early environments shape how our genetic predispositions manifest how we respond to stressors.
98
What is meant by plasticity?
How much change is possible given your predispositions
99
What is radical acceptance?
accepting that there are things you can't change and instead choose to acknowledge and deal with them as best you can
100
Buddhist perspective:
idea that our lives are made up by these moments and we choose how we respond to them and need to accept what has happened; we have a choice to cling to or let go, to suffer or to not
101
What are the different systems in Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model of development?
Child
Microsystem (family, school, context directly influencing child)
Mesosystem (interaction between microsystems)
Exosystem (political, economic, context indirectly influencing child)
Macrosystem (wider cultural influences)
Chronosystem (historical context)
102
What is Sigmund Freud's idea of healthy adulthood?
the ability to love and work well
103
How does Jeffrey Arnett build on Freud's idea of healthy adulthood with his proposed stage of emerging adulthood?
Love: social, intimate & sexual relationships
Work: educational success & fulfilling career
Worldview: ability to navigate an increasingly diverse collection of cultural environments in the way we make sense of our lives
104
What are Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development?
```
Infant to 18 months: trust vs. mistrust
18 months - 3 years: autonomy vs. shame & doubt
3-5 years: initiative vs. guilt
5-13 years: industry vs. inferiority
13-21 years: identity vs. role confusion
21-39: intimacy vs. isolation
40-65 years: generativity vs. stagnation
65+ years: ego integrity vs. despair
```
105
What are traditional milestones of adulthood?
completing school, leaving home, financially independent, married, have children
106
What are attributes of young adulthood?
- freedom from "social roles and normative expectations"
- Freedom for personal exploration
- period of tremendous instability (vocational, relational, identity-formational)
107
Who are are haters of the emerging adulthood stage?
Innes, Christian Smith and Richard Lerner
108
What is imposter syndrome?
Clance saw intense feelings that their achievements are undeserved and worry that they are likely to be exposed as a fraud; mostly women affected
109
What are some attributes of the wholehearted?
- treat themselves with kindness, which is a prerequisite for treating for treating others with kindness
- treat others with kindness & compassion
- possess the courage to be imperfect
- possess connection as a result of authenticity
- fully embrace vulnerability
110
What percent of your happiness is determined by your genes? By circumstance?
50% by genes, 10% by circumstance
111
What is flow?
living in the moment, synergy
112
What are 2 paramount things to positive development?
1. trying to find happiness
| 2. flow
113
What is the happiness equation?
GC -> BP * CP -> LS
| Genotype x Circumstances -> biological processes x cognitive processing -> life satisfaction
114
What is Nietzche's philosophy?
"The Christian God was perceived as increasingly irrelevant to 19th century values" i.e. god as organized religion isn't as important anymore
115
What is Kierkegaard's philosophy?
We construct our own realities and self-images and are free to do so with or without religion; our own personal experiences/experiential reality trump essence.
116
What was Thomas Hobbes philosophy?
life sucks and then you die; without being socialized into our culture and values we would do whatever and not worry about consequence
117
What is WIlliam of Ochman's philosophy
the simplest explanation is the best; we tend to overthink
118
What is Camus' philosophy?
we are challenged to find meaning in the world and need to come to peace with turbulence
119
what is syntonic?
positive experience?
120
what is dystonic?
negative experience
121
what are Erikson's strengths from crises?
```
Trust vs. Mistrust: hope
Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt: will
Initiative vs. Guilt: purpose
Industry vs. Inferiority: Competence
Identity vs. Role Confusion: Fidelity
Intimacy vs. Isolation: Love
Generativity vs. Stagnation: Care
Integrity vs. Despair: Wisdom
```
