Lecture 1 Flashcards
Seeks to understand how and why people change and remain the same over time; describes developmental landmarks in multiple domains
Human development
What is wrong with the definition of “change over time?”
Lots of change is occurring around us and in us that is not a developmental change
What are the 4 properties of change that constitute development?
Sequential, cumulative, irreversible, directional
Natural order
Sequential
Higher order than what we start with
Cumulative
Upwards trajectory or downward trajectory
Directional
A process with directional involving an increase in novelty and complexity
Development
What are the 2 processes of development?
Differentiation, integration
Development moves from general to specific, homogeneity to heterogeneity
Differentiation
As a system differentiations in to more specific systems, these ____ with each other to form an integrated whole
integrate
Conception to birth
Prenatal
Birth to 2 years; physically immature and without speech
Infancy
2 to 6 years; speaking and walking, can’t take care of their physical self
early childhood
6 to 11 years; can take care of themselves and concrete thinking
middle childhood
12 to 18 years; puberty
Adolescence
18-25 to 65 years; financially and emotionally stable, independent
Adulthood
65 years to death; cognitive decline and downward trajectory
Late adulthood
Brain and body, genetics, nutrition, health, motor skills
Biosocial domain
Thoughts, reasoning, language, hearing, memory
Cognitive domain
Emotions, personality, social skills, family culture
Psychosocial domain
What 2 domains of development go hand in hand?
Biological and social development
What you are born with, innate potential, inheritance
Nature
The environment you are born into, includes historical setting, culture, parents etc.
Nurture
Refers to characteristics that are stable over time
Continuity
Refers to characteristics that involve abrupt change
Discontinuity
What is an example of discontinuity?
Language, concept development
What is an example of continuity?
Biological sex
Involves change in the amount, frequency, or magnitude
Quantitative change
Change that involves changes in the kind or type
Qualitative
Transforming experiences, attitudes, beliefs and other phenomena into numerical values and statistically analyze the data
Quantitative methodology
Methods that are valuable in providing rich descriptions of complex phenomena
Qualitative methodology
Observe and record some aspect of behavior in real world settings, high ecological validity, unobtrusive
Naturalistic observation
Observe and record some aspect of behavior in a controlled environment, less validity
structure observation
Ask parent to fill out survey, questionaire or poll on childs behavior, cognition, language, temperament, problem with validity
Parental report
Involves asking very open-ended questions and following up on child’s response, following child’s train of thought while focusing on a specific question while not influencing the child’s response
Clinical interview
Involves asking very specific questions, trying to assess certain aspect of development, characteristics of interviewer can influence responses
Structured interview
Measure two or more factors and assess degree of linear relationship, cannot establish causality
Correlational study
Exercises some degree of experimental control, manipulate one or more independent variables and observe how the dependent variable changes as result
experimental study
Collect information about individuals of various ages at the same time
Cross-sectional
What are the advantages of cross sectional studies?
less time consuming, less expensive, less sample attrition, no practice effects,
What are the disadvantages of cross sectional studies?
Cohort effect, can’t study individual variation, harder to tap into processes which produce development
Collect information about the same individuals over an extended period of time
Longitudinal
What are the advantages of longitudinal studies?
no cohort effect, can study individual variation, easier to tap into processes which produce development
What are the disadvantages of longitudinal studies?
More time consuming, more expensive, more sample attrition, practice effects
Children shaping their own development early in life and their contributions increase as they get older
Active child
How do individual differences arise?
Genes, environment, reactions to treatment, treatment by others
