Human Development Flashcards
Developmental Psychology
changes in physical + psychologicaly processes
conception - death
change is inevitable
age changes + age differences
(nature vs nurture)
Developmental Psychology
Define maturation
biologically based changes
orderly sequence
age-related timetable
Developmental Psychology
Define critical periods
periods of special sensitivity to specific types of learning + sensory stimulation
shape capacity of future development
Developmental Psychology
Define sensitive periods
times that are more important to subsequent development than others
Developmental Psychology
Define development stages
steps through which everyone progresses in the same sequence (discontinuous)
Developmental Psychology
Define continuous development
steady/gradual change
Research Methods
cross-sectional studies
compare groups of different ages at a single time to see whether differences exist among them
useful for: providing snapshot of differences/variations
limitation: don’t directly assess changes, cohort effect
Research methods
longitudinal studies
assess same individual overtime - age changes
useful for: reveal differences among individuals and changes within
limitations: cohort effect
Developmental Psychology
Research methods
sequential studies
study multiple cohorts longitudinally
study of group of people at one age + follow them overtime
cross sectional + longituidinal
Developmental Psychology
Normative investigations
chronological age = time passing since birth
developmental age = how closely a persons physical/mental development parallels with normal developmental milestones
Congnitive Development
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
children develop knowledge by: inventing, constructing reality out of own experience (observations + own ideas about the world)
Congnitive Development
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Processes of cognitive adaptation - ASSIMILATION
new cognitive elemts are fitted with old elements or modified to fit more easily
(interpreting actions/avents in terms of ones present schemas)
Congnitive Development
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Processes of cognitive adaptation - ACCOMMODATION
restructuring cognitive structures so that new info can fit into them more easily
(modification of schemas to fit reality)
Congnitive Development
Piaget’s theory of cognitive development
Processes of cognitive adaptation - EQUILIBRATION
driving force behind cognitive development
balancing assimilation + accommodation to adapt to the world
Congnitive Development
Stages of cognitive development
- Sensorimotor stage
0-2
think with their hands, mouth, senses to learn about world
object permanence
egocentric
Congnitive Development
Stages of cognitive development
2. Preoperational phase
2-7
symbolic thoughts, thought becomes detached from action
limited by egocentrism
centration = focus on 1 feature of an object without consideration of other relevant features
fairly literal
Cognitive Development
Stages of cognitive development
3. Concrete operational phase
7-11/12
capable of operating on/mentally manipulating internal representations of objects that are reversible
conservation = recognition that basic properties of an object remain stable eben though superficial properties may change
Eg: 500ml of water remains the same even when in other jugs
Congnitive Development
Stages of cognitive development
4. Formal operational stage
11-adulthood
abstract + hypthetical thinking
Congnitive Development
Stages of cognitive development
Criticisms
focus on rational thinkning - ignored biased, irrational thinking influenced by emotions/motives
assumption of one stage or the other = development more continuous
underestimated capacity of children
disregard of culture
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development as information processing
processing speed
automatic processing/automisation
knowledge base
cognitive strategies
metacognition
Cognitive Development
Cognitive development in adulthood - intelligence
crystalised intelligence = knowledge from prior learning, rooted in experience, inc with age
fluid intelligence = think/reason abstractly, solve problems, peaks at young adulthood, dec with age (speed processing)
widsom = experience, knowledge, good judgement
Social Development
- learn beliefs, values, skills, behaviour patterns of their society
- way in which individuals social interaction changes across lifespan
issues: attachment/adult functioning, socialisation, moral reasoning changes
Social Development
Erik Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development
developing in biological maturation + changing social demands
- psychosocial stages = stages in development, social being
- development task = challenge that is normative for that period of life
= successive task provokes crisis - achievement/derailment
Social Development
Attachment
enduring emotional tie between child and primary caregiver
- proximity, security, distress when absent, not unilateral, temperament + caregivers response
Social Development
Temperament
reactivity, self-regulation, sociability - role in social development
long term effects = how well they adjust to life (family, school, wider community)
NEG: risk factor, difficulties in r/ships
POS: protective factor
Social Development
Konrad Lorenz - Imprinting
tendency of young animals to follow an animal to which they were exposed to during a sensitive period early in their lives
evolutionary adv = fed, protected, skills for survival
Social Development
John Bowlby - Theory of Attachment
- attachment behaviour prewired, biologically predisposed
- ‘emotional refuelling’
- this attachment forms life long schema for social r/ships
- attachment as template for expectations about future social interactions
Social Development
Measuring attachment/attachment patterns
Mary Ainsworth = children vary in responses to separation
Strange situation test
- secure attachment style
- avoidant attachment style
- ambivaltent attachment style
- disorganised attachment style
Social Development
What affects attachment style?
biological - separation = distress, norepinephrine inc in infants
environmental - sensitivity of mother to infant, interaction, nuturance, stimulates, encourages
temperament of infant - easy, difficult, slow to warm
Social Development
Early attachment + later development
attachment predicitve of: self-control, peer acceptance, classroom performance
different patterns of/satisfaction with interactions
adult attachment patterns predict = want of children, attachment pattern of their children, coping with stressful events
Social Development
Role of parents - parenting styles
- authoritarian - obedience, respect, punishment
- permissive - no control, no punishment
- authoritative - set standards, give/take, explain views
- uninvolved - own needs above children
Moral Development
3 components: cognition, emotion, behaviour
morality = rules people use to balance conflicting interests of themselves/others
Moral Development
Piaget
morality of constraints = 1st stage of moral judgement, beliefs of morals being absolute, before 9, focus on consequence
morality of cooperation = moral rules can be changed as long as those involved agree, focus on intention
Moral Development
Kohlberg
changes in moral reasoning = changes in cognitive structures
- preconventional morality - follow moral rules to avoid punishment/obtain reward
- conventional morality - define morals by standards of others
- postconventional/principled - abstract/self defined principles that may/not match dominant morals
