History, Theory & Applied Directions Flashcards
child development
area of study devoted to understanding constancy and change from conception to adolescence
developmental science
includes all changes we experience throughout the lifespan
theory
orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains and predicts behavior
continuous development
process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were there to begin with
discontinuous development
process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times
stages
qualitative changes in thinking, feeling and behaving that characterize specific periods of development
contexts
unique combinations of personal and environmental circumstances that can result in different paths of change
nature-nurture
are genetic or environmental factors more important in influencing development?
plasticity
openness to change in response to influential experiences
maturation
genetically determined, naturally unfolding course of growth
normative approach
measures of behavior are taken on large numbers of individuals and age-related averages are computed to represent typical development
psychoanalytic perspective
children move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and expectations; how these conflicts are resolved determines the person’s ability to learn, to get along with others and to cope with anxiety
psychosexual theory
emphasizes how parents manage their child’s sexual and aggressive drives in the first few years is crucial for healthy personality development
psychosocial theory
in addition to mediating between id impulses and superego demands, the ego makes positive contribution to development, acquiring attitudes and skills that make the individual an active, contributing member of society
behaviorism
directly observable events are the appropriate focus of study
social learning theory
Albert Bandura emphasized modeling, otherwise known as imitation or observational learning as a powerful source of development
behavior modification
consists of procedures that combine conditioning and modeling to eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses
cognitive-developmental theory
children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world
information processing
human mind as a symbol manipulating system through which information flows
developmental cognitive neuroscience
brings together psychology, biology, neuroscience and medicine to study the relationships between changes in the brain and the developing child’s cognitive processing and behavior patterns
ethology
concerned with the adaptive, or survival, value of behavior and its evolutionary history
sensitive period
time that is optimal for certain capacities to emerge because the individual is especially responsive to environmental influences
evolutionary developmental psychology
seeks to understand the adaptive value of species-wide cognitive, emotional, and social competencies
sociocultural theory
how culture is transmitted to the next generation; social interaction as necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community’s culture
ecological systems theory
child as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment
microsystem
consists of activities and interaction patterns in the child’s immediate surroundings
mesosystem
encompasses connections between microsystems–home, school, neighborhood, childcare center
exosystem
consists of social settings that do not contain children but that nevertheless affect children’s experiences in immediate settings
macrosystem
consists of cultural values, laws, customs and resources
chronosystem
life changes can be imposed on the child or can arise from within the child as children learn to select, modify and create their own settings and experiences
dynamic systems perspective
child’s mind, body and physical/social worlds form an integrated system that guides mastery of new skills; this system is dynamic
social policy
planned set of actions by a gorup, institution or governing body directed at attaining a social goal
public policy
laws and government programs designed to improve current conditions
individualistic societies
people think of themselves as separate entities and are largely connected with their own personal needs
collectivist societies
people define themselves as part of a group and stress group goals over individual goals
