Module 01.01 Beginnings Flashcards
Louise Brown
the world’s first baby born by in vitro fertilization (IVF)
in vitro fertilization (IVF)
a procedure in which fertilization of a mother’s egg by a father’s sperm take place outside of the mother’s body
Elizabeth Carr
the first baby born by IVF in the United States
lifespan development
the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span
physical development:
development involving the body’s physical makeup, including the brain, nervous system, muscles, and senses, and the need for food, drink and sleep
cognitive development
development involving the ways that growth and change in intellectual development capabilities influence a person’s behavior
personality development
development involving the ways that the enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the life span
social development
the way in which individuals’ interactions with others and their social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the course of life
social construction
a shared notion of reality that is widely accepted but is a function of society and culture at a given time
Jeffrey Arnett
psychologist that argues that adolescence extends into emerging adulthood
emerging adulthood
A new life stage extending from approximately ages 18 to 25, during which the foundation of an adult life is gradually constructed in love and work. Primary features include identity explorations, instability, focus on self-development, feeling incompletely adult, and a broad sense of possibilities
individual differences
the more-or-less enduring psychological characteristics that distinguish one person from another and thus help to define each person’s individuality (e.g. intelligence, personality traits, values)
cohort
a group of people born at around the same time in the same place
cohort effects
an example of history-graded influences
history-graded influences
biological and environmental influences associated with a particular historical moment
age-graded influences
biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group, regardless of when or when they are raised (e.g. puberty, menopause)
sociocultural-graded influences
social and cultural factors present at a particular time for a particular individual, depending on variables such as ethnicity, social class, and subcultural membership (e.g. white vs nonwhite children will have considerably different s-g influences.
non-normative life events
specific, atypical events that occur in a particular person’s life at a time when such events do not happen to most people (e.g. a 6-year-old losing both parents in a car crash)
collectivist orientation
focuses on interdependence among members of society (e.g. Asian societies)
individualistic orientation
concentrates on the uniqueness of the individual (e.g. Western societies)
race
originated as a biological concept classifying people based on physical and structural characteristics
ethnic group/ethnicity
broader term than race that classifies people based on a shared common cultural background and group history
continuous change
gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels
discontinuous change
development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is assumed to be qualitatively different from behavior at previous stages
critical period
a specific time during development when a particular event has its greatest consequences and the presence of certain kinds of environmental stimuli are necessary for development to proceed normally
sensitive periods
a point in development when organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences
Paul Baltes
lifespan developmentalist; development across the life span involves both gains and losses (e.g. vocabulary and reaction time)
Nature (argument and what it refers to)
behavior is the result of genetics; traits, abilities, capacities inherited from one’s parents or any factor that is produced by the predetermined
maturation
the predetermined unfolding of genetic information
nurture (argument and what it refers to)
behavior is the result of environmental influences; these influences can be biological (e.g. pregnant mother’s cocaine use on her unborn baby, food availability), social (e.g. parental discipline, peer pressure), and/or societal (e.g. socioeconomic circumstances)
