Psych1011 WEEKS 7+8 Flashcards
Developmental Psychology
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
Study of how behaviour changes of the life span.
POST HOC FALLACY
False assumption that because one event occurred before another event it must have caused that event.
COHORT EFFECT
Effect observed in a sample of participants that results from individuals in the sample growing up at the same time.
- old people are bad at using computers, etc.
CROSS - SECTIONAL DESIGN
Research that examines people of different ages at a single point in time.
“Snapshot”
Don’t account for cohort effects.
LONGITUDINAL DESIGN
Research design that examines development in the same group of people on multiple occasions over time.
eg. 7-Up.
INFANT DETERMINISM
Myth that early experiences (under 3) are more influential than later experiences.
CHILDHOOD FRAGILITY
Myth that children are fragile. Actually very resilient.
GENE - ENVIRONMENT INTERACTIONS
Often the effects of genes depend on the environment and vice versa.
- violent tendencies.
GENE EXPRESSION
Environmental experiences turn genes on and off throughout development.
Activation and deactivation of genes by environmental experiences.
eg. anxiety triggered by a death in the family.
NATURE VIA NURTURE
Tendency of individuals with certain genetic predispositions to seek out and create environments that permit the expression of these predispositions.
eg. fearful children select safer environments.
COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT
Study how children acquire the ability to learn, think, reason, communicate, and remember.
JEAN PIAGET
Swiss psychologist
Stage theorist pioneer
Children not just mini-adults. Fundamentally different.
ASSIMILATION
Piaget.
Process of absorbing new experiences into current knowledge structures.
Eventually can’t assimilate, have to accommodate.
ACCOMMODATION
Piaget.
Altering a belief to make it more compatible with experience.
PIAGET’S STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT
Sensorimotor - birth - 2yrs.
Preoperational 2 - 7yrs.
Concrete operational 7 - 11yrs
Formal operations 11yrs +
SENSORIMOTOR
Piaget development stage.
Birth - 2 years.
Physical interactions with the world. No object permanence or deferred imitation.
PREOPERATIONAL
Piaget development stage
2 - 7 years.
Symbolic behaviour, thinks beyond here and now. Egocentric. Unable to perform mental transformations. Fail conservation tasks.
CONCRETE OPERATIONS
Piaget development stage
7 - 11 years
Able to perform mental transformations, but only on concrete physical objects. Pass conservation tasks.
FORMAL OPERATIONS
Piaget development stage
11+ years
Able to perform hypothetical and abstract reasoning.
OBJECT PERMANENCE
Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view.
Piaget’s sensorimotor - no object permanence.
EGOCENTRISM
Inability to see the world from others perspectives.
Piaget’s preoperational.
CONSERVATION
Piaget.
Understanding that despite a transformation in physical presentation, the amount stays the same.
(different sized cups, etc)
LEV VYGOTSKY
Russian researcher 1896-1936
Developed a theory of cognitive development that emphasised social and cultural information as the key sources of learning.
Scaffolding.
Zone of proximal development.
SCAFFOLDING
Vygotskian
Learning mechanism in which parents provide initial assistance in children’s learning, but gradually remove structure as children become more competent.
ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT
Phase of learning where children can benefit from instruction.