module 2 - basic concepts and methods Flashcards
what is the study of human development?
the study of age-related changes in bodies, behaviour, thinking, emotions, and personalities
what are the 3 philosophical roots of human development?
original sin, blank slate, innate goodness
what is the original sin philosophical root? (its link to parenting and the child’s predisposition)
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)
what is the blank slate philosophical root? (its link to parenting and the child’s predisposition), who claimed it?
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)
what is the innate goodness philosophical root? (its link to parenting and the child’s predisposition), who claimed it?
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)
what did Charles Darwin study?
the development of children, on his own children
what did G. Stanley Hall ideltify?
the “norms” of child development
what did Arnold Gesell suggest?
the existence of maturation and how a child matures in a sequential pattern
how did Jean Piaget add to child development theory?
described 4 stages a child undergoes as they grow and develop, theory stopped in adulthood, the most influential of the theories
what 3 ways did human development theories change since the early days?
- now encompasses the entire lifetime
- characteristics interact in complex ways
- norms only represent 1 kind of change
what is plasticity?
the capacity for positive change
what are the 3 domains of development?
physical domain
cognitive domain
social domain
what does physical domain include?
size, shape, physical characteristics
what does cognitive domain include?
thinking, memory, problem solving abilities
what does social domain include?
relationships
what is the difference between continuity and discontinuity? (ex of both)
they are both age related changes… continuities is quantitive and is changing constantly (height) while discontinuity happens in stages (learning to read, puberty)
what are the 3 ways age related changes can be catagorized?
universal
group specific
individual
what are universal changes? (example)
common in every individual, linked to ages (ex: walking, crawling, talking)
what are group specific changes? (example)
experience shared in a particular group, could be cultural, cohort specific (ex: 9/11, COVID)
what are individual changes?
unique and unshared experiences
what is the social clock?
set of norms each person “should” accomplish at a set point in their life (ex: getting married at 25, having children by 30, ect)
what is the critical period of an individual change?
the period where an individual is exceptionally sensitive to the particular experience
what is the sensitive period of an individual change?
can span months to years, period where child is responsive to particular experiences
what is atypical development
development deviating from its typical path
what is the interactionist model?
states there is a complex reciprocal reaction to nature vs nurture
what scientific pattern do psychologists use to achieve research goals? (4)
describe - state what happens
explain - use theories to explain
predict - use theories to predict
influence - enhance development with scientific research
what is the descriptive method (research method)?
include case studies, naturalistic observations, and surveys
how do correlations work, what is a positive correlation and negative correlation look like?
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
what is the difference between an independent and dependent variable?
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)
what is the quasi-experimental design? when is it used?
includes cross-sectional studies, used when the independent variable is age
what are cross-sectional designs? what are the positives and negatives of using cross-sectional designs?
when groups are selected at each age, they can’t tell us anything about sequence but can tell us differences between ages
what are longitudinal designs?
follow the same individuals over a time period, time consuming, and are difficult to maintain
what is a sequential design?
has 2 separate groups, have 2 comparisons… age and comparing the group to itself from an earlier point
what is an ethnography?
detailed description of a single culture or context
