Psychology Chapter 1 Flashcards
Scientific method
A way to answer questions that requires empirical research and databased conclusions.
Science of human development
The science that seeks to understand how and why people of all ages and circumstances change or remain the same over time.
Hypothesis
A specific prediction that can be tested.
Empirical evidence
Evidence based on data from scientific observation or experiments; not theoretical.
Replication
The repetition of a study using different participants.
Nature
A general term for the traits, capacities, and limitations that each individual inherits genetically from his or her parents at the moment of conception.
Nurture
A general term for all the environmental influences that affect development after an individual is conceived.
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
The term used to describe an infants unexpected death; when a seemingly healthy baby, usually between two and six months old, suddenly stops breathing and dies unexpectedly while asleep.
Lifespan perspective
An approach to the study of human development that takes into account all phases of life, not just childhood or adulthood.
Critical period
A time when a particular type of developmental growth (in body or behavior) must have been if it is ever going to happen.
Sensitive period
A time when a certain type of development is most likely to happen or happens most easily, although it may still happen later with more difficulty. For example, early childhood is considered a sensitive period for language learning.
Ecological systems approach
The view that in the study of human development, the person should be considered in all the contexts and interactions that constitute a life.
Cohort
A group defined by the shared age of its members, who, because they were born at about the same time, move through life together, experiencing the same historical events and cultural shifts.
Socioeconomic status (SES)
A person’s position in society as determined by income, wealth, occupation, education, and place of residence.
Culture
A system of shared beliefs, norms, behaviors, and expectations that persist over time and prescribe social behavior and assumptions.
Social construction
An idea that is based on shared perceptions, not on objective reality. Many age-related terms, such as childhood, adolescence, yuppie, and senior citizen are this.
Difference-equals-deficit error
The mistaken belief that a deviation from some norm is necessarily inferior to behavior or characteristics that meet the standard.