Psychological Development Flashcards
Adaptive behaviours
activity that enhances an individual’s ability to match the changing demands of their everyday life
Adolescence
the developmental period beginning after the onset of puberty from approximately 10 to 20 years old
Assimilation
the cognitive process of **incorporating new information into an existing schema **
Attachment
a long-lasting emotional bond between an infant anf their primary caregiver
Attachment theory
theory that suggests that the bond formed between children and their primary caregivers determines the nature of the child’s emotional development into adulthood
Biopsychosocial model
a holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors
Biological factors
internal genetic and/ or physiologically based factors
Psychological factors
internal factors pertaining to an individual’s mental processes, including their cognition, affect, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes
Concrete thinking
a type of thought based on knowledge acquired through personal experience which involves literal interpretations of tangible concepts
Conservation
the ability to understand that the properties of an object stay the same even when the object’s appearance is altered
Critical periods
the narrow, rigid developmental period in which a specific skill or function must be learnt
Difficult temperament
relatively stable disposition in which infants are unhappy and have irregular sleeping and eating patterns
Disorganised attachment
infant displays problematic and unpredictable behaviours, usually due to extremely negative early life experiences
Dizygotic twins
twins who are not identical due to variations in the genes they inherited
Easy temperament
relatively stable disposition in which infants are warm and friendly and have established sleeping and eating patterns
Egocentrism
inability to understand the perspectives of others
Emotional development
the continuous, life-long development of skills which allow individuals to control, express, and recognise emotions in an appropriate way
Environmental factors
factors which influence development that arise from an individual’s physical and social surroundings
Social factors
external factors relating to an individual’s interactions with others and their external environment, including their relationships and community involvement
Frontal lobe development
the growth and neural maturation of the frontal lobe
Genetics
the unique, cellular makeup of each individual which is inherited from biological parents
Genetic Predisposition
increased likelihood to develop certain traits, including diseases, if certain conditions are met
Goal-directed behaviour
the ability to behave in a way which meets the demands of a goal that has been purposefully set out
Hereditary factors
factors which influence development that are genetically passed down from biological parents to their offspring
Infancy
the developmental period from birth until one years old
Insecure-anxious attachment
the infant fluctuates between clinging to and rejecting their primary caregiver, usually due to the caregiver inconsistently meeting the infant’s needs
Insecure-avoidant attachment
the infant may be reluctant to or avoid contact from their primary caregiver, usually formed due to a lack of responsiveness to their needs
Maturation
the biologically programmed changes which facilitate development from conception through to adulthood
Mental wellbeing
an individual’s current psychological state, involving their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions
Monozygotic twins
twins who are identical due to inheriting the exact same genes
Nature versus nurture debate
a debate which questions whether development is dependent on hereditary (nature) or environmental (nurture) factors
Object permanence
the understanding that an object still exists when it is unable to be seen, heard, or touched
Psychological development
an individual’s changes across multiple domains, including the life-long growth across emotional, cognitive and social domains
Reversibility
the understanding that objects can experience change and then return to their original form
Schema
mental representation of a concept developed through experience
Secure attachment
style of attachment formed by a strong emotional bond between the infant and their primary caregiver due to the caregiver consistently meeting the needs of the infant
Sensitive periods
the optimal developmental period for a specific function or skill to be learnt
Symbolic thinking
a more sophisticated type of thought based on the ability to represent concepts, draw conclusions, and understand hypothetical constructs
Temperament
the relatively stable disposition of an individual, including the typical behaviours and emotions they express
Typical behaviour
an activity that is consistent with how an individual usually behaves
Atypical behaviour
an activity that is unusual or unnatural according to how an individual usually behaves
Societal norms
society’s unofficial rules and expectations regarding how individuals should act
Statistical rarity
something that lies outside the range of statistical normality and is also unusual enough to be considered significant
Personal distress
an aversive and often self-oriented emotional reaction
Maladaptive behaviour
an action that impairs an individual’s ability to meet the changing demands of their everyday life
Normality
the state of having thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that are considered common and acceptable
Abnormality
the state of deviating from the norm, usually in a way that is undesirable
Neurodivergent
individuals who have a variation in neurological development and functioning
Neurodiversity
variations in neurological development and functioning within and between groups of people, such as those experienced by people with autism
Neurotypicality
individuals who display neurological and cognitive functioning in a way that is typical or expected
Autism-Spectrum Disorder
neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impaired social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, narrow interests, and repetitive behaviour
Attention-Defecit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
neurological condition characterised by persistent inattention or hyperactivity that disrupts social, academic, or occupational functioning
Dyslexia
neurologically based learning difficulty manifested as severe challenges in reading, spelling, writing words, and sometimes in arithmetic
Psychiatrist
doctor who specialises in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and study of mental, behavioural, and personality disorders
