module 2 - basic concepts and methods

Question 1

what is the study of human development?

Answer 1

the study of age-related changes in bodies, behaviour, thinking, emotions, and personalities

Question 2

what are the 3 philosophical roots of human development?

Answer 2

original sin, blank slate, innate goodness

Question 3

what is the original sin philosophical root? (its link to parenting and the child’s predisposition)

Answer 3

Christian roots, the idea that all humans are stubborn in nature (parents intervene and correct the child’s actions, the child has a sinful predisposition)

Question 4

what is the blank slate philosophical root? (its link to parenting and the child’s predisposition), who claimed it?

Answer 4

claimed by John Locke, idea that all humans are an empty canvas (it is the parents job to mold the child, the child has a neutral predisposition)

Question 5

what is the innate goodness philosophical root? (its link to parenting and the child’s predisposition), who claimed it?

Answer 5

claimed by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the idea that all humans were born with a goodness (parents job to protect the goodness, child has a good predisposition)

Question 6

what did Charles Darwin study?

Answer 6

the development of children, on his own children

Question 7

what did G. Stanley Hall ideltify?

Answer 7

the “norms” of child development

Question 8

what did Arnold Gesell suggest?

Answer 8

the existence of maturation and how a child matures in a sequential pattern

Question 9

how did Jean Piaget add to child development theory?

Answer 9

described 4 stages a child undergoes as they grow and develop, theory stopped in adulthood, the most influential of the theories

Question 10

what 3 ways did human development theories change since the early days?

Answer 10

1. now encompasses the entire lifetime
2. characteristics interact in complex ways
3. norms only represent 1 kind of change

Question 11

what is plasticity?

Answer 11

the capacity for positive change

Question 12

what are the 3 domains of development?

Answer 12

physical domain
cognitive domain
social domain

Question 13

what does physical domain include?

Answer 13

size, shape, physical characteristics

Question 14

what does cognitive domain include?

Answer 14

thinking, memory, problem solving abilities

Question 15

what does social domain include?

Answer 15

relationships

Question 16

what is the difference between continuity and discontinuity? (ex of both)

Answer 16

they are both age related changes… continuities is quantitive and is changing constantly (height) while discontinuity happens in stages (learning to read, puberty)

Question 17

what are the 3 ways age related changes can be catagorized?

Answer 17

universal
group specific
individual

Question 18

what are universal changes? (example)

Answer 18

common in every individual, linked to ages (ex: walking, crawling, talking)

Question 19

what are group specific changes? (example)

Answer 19

experience shared in a particular group, could be cultural, cohort specific (ex: 9/11, COVID)

Question 20

what are individual changes?

Answer 20

unique and unshared experiences

Question 21

what is the social clock?

Answer 21

set of norms each person “should” accomplish at a set point in their life (ex: getting married at 25, having children by 30, ect)

Question 22

what is the critical period of an individual change?

Answer 22

the period where an individual is exceptionally sensitive to the particular experience

Question 23

what is the sensitive period of an individual change?

Answer 23

can span months to years, period where child is responsive to particular experiences

Question 24

what is atypical development

Answer 24

development deviating from its typical path

Question 25

what is the interactionist model?

Answer 25

states there is a complex reciprocal reaction to nature vs nurture

Question 26

what scientific pattern do psychologists use to achieve research goals? (4)

Answer 26

describe - state what happens
explain - use theories to explain
predict - use theories to predict
influence - enhance development with scientific research

Question 27

what is the descriptive method (research method)?

Answer 27

include case studies, naturalistic observations, and surveys

Question 28

how do correlations work, what is a positive correlation and negative correlation look like?

Answer 28

show a relation between 2 variables (between -1.00 and +1.00)
positive correlation - high scores from both variables
negative correlation - one number high the other one low

Question 29

what is the difference between an independent and dependent variable?

Answer 29

independent does not rely on the other variable, dependant relies on the other variable (the effect is shown on the dependant based off how the independent affects it)

Question 30

what is the quasi-experimental design? when is it used?

Answer 30

includes cross-sectional studies, used when the independent variable is age

Question 31

what are cross-sectional designs? what are the positives and negatives of using cross-sectional designs?

Answer 31

when groups are selected at each age, they can’t tell us anything about sequence but can tell us differences between ages

Question 32

what are longitudinal designs?

Answer 32

follow the same individuals over a time period, time consuming, and are difficult to maintain

Question 33

what is a sequential design?

Answer 33

has 2 separate groups, have 2 comparisons… age and comparing the group to itself from an earlier point

Question 34

what is an ethnography?

Answer 34

detailed description of a single culture or context