Introduction Flashcards
nature-nurture issue
the degree to which genetic or hereditary (nature) and experiential or environmental influences (nurture) determine the kind of person you are
continuity-discontinuity
whether a paticular developmental phenomenon represents a smooth progression throughout the life span (continuity) or a series of abrupt shifts (discontinuity)
universal and context-specific
whether there is one path of development or several
Life-cycle forces
reflect differences in how the same event affects people of different ages
Lev Vygotsky
chilren’s thinking is influence by the sociocultural context in which they live. scaffold- support a child receives through development
Ecological theory
views human development as inseparable from environmental context (no single aspect can adequately explain behavior-it is a mix of various things)
Bronfenbrenner’s theory
proposed the developing person is embedded in a series of complex and interactive systems
microsystem
consists of the people and objects in an individual’s immediate environment
mesosytem
provides connections across microsystems because what happens in one microsystem is likely to influence others
Environmental press
demans put on one by the environment
Lawton and Nahemaw’s Competence theory
people adapt most effectively when their competence match the environmental press
multidirectionality
development involves both growth and decline (grow one area-lose in another area)
plasticity
one’s capapcity is not predetermined, skills can be learned/improved
historical context
each of us develops within a particular set of circumstances determined by historical time in which they were born or the culture they grew in
multiple causation
reflects biological, psychological, sociocultural and life-cycle forces
