Module 1 An Intro to Lifespan Development Flashcards
Why is it important to study human development across the lifespan?
It is evident that development is lifelong as development happens not only in childhood, but as a person grows, ages, and matures
What is Multi-Directional Development?
Development involves both improvement and decline. Specific terms, such as growth, aging, and maturation reflect the multidirectional nature of development.
Why is lifespan development multidisciplinary?
It is multidisciplinary because different fields apply and use the information including the fields of health sciences, social sciences, and education with each field influences by knowledge and learning applied in other fields.
Biological Development
physical changes going on in the body. Also, it is important to note how external influences (for instance, drugs, healthful behaviors) influence biology and vice versa.
Social Development
How an individual changes in his/her social interactions with others over time
Emotional Development
How an individual changes in how she/he regulates and experiences emotion
Cognitive Development
How an individual changes in the way he/she thinks
In Nature vs. Nuture, What is Nature?
The Nature side emphasizes biology and maturation. Essentially, one’s genetics, personality, and innate characteristics will naturally enfold and cause one to develop in a particular way.
In Nature vs. Nuture, What is Nuture?
the Nurture side emphasizes the role of parents, other individuals, and the context in which one lives in assessing what primarily influences development.
In Nature vs. Nuture, which psychologists lean each way?
Most of the theorists and researchers presented in this module would acknowledge the role of both nature and nurture.
Nuture:
Erikson, in his emphasis on social influences, leaned toward the nurture side. The Behaviorists certainly emphasize nurture over nature.
Nature:
Piaget’s theory swings to the nature side.
Freud incorporated both nature and nurture perspectives in his theories of development. While his emphasis on nature is more clearly seen in his view of the development of personality (id, ego, superego—not discussed in this module), his emphasis on nurture is evident in his emphasis on early childhood experiences influencing the psychosexual stages
Summarize each side of the continuity/discontinuity controversy
A continuous view of development asserts that development gradually occurs, while a discontinuous view states that development moves forward in discrete stages.
Which theorists (consider Freud, Erikson, and Piaget) view development as being discontinuous?
Stage theorists such as Freud, Erikson, and Piaget would view development as being discontinuous (in general), while the Behaviorists are more apt to view development as being continuous.
Compare and contrast the following three theorists regarding their stage theories and view of human development: Freud, Piaget, Erikson.
Erikson’s stage theory covers the greatest breadth in the greatest detail (infancy through late adulthood) and he incorporates social development to a greater extent than do the other theorists. Piaget focuses exclusively on cognitive development and primarily focuses on childhood, while Freud emphasizes psychosexual development and also focuses mainly on childhood and adolescence.
What is Information-Processing Theory?
Information-processing theory is a cognitive theory that compares a person’s learning and thinking to a computer and uses computer terms to explain how a person thinks. Like a computer, the human brain actively manipulates information in specific ways.
What is Socio-Cultural Theory?
Sociocultural theory is based on the people, especially people of authority like teachers, around the subject define and influence them in their development. Cultural transmission and the role of key individuals in a person’s life are extremely important to development.
