Psychology SAC - Chapters 2-3 Flashcards
Nature (heredity)
Our genetics.
Heredity involves the transmission of characteristics from biological parents to their offspring via genes at
the time of conception
Nurture (environment)
The environment that we grow up in.
Environment is used to refer to all the experiences, objects and events to which we are exposed
throughout our entire lifetime
Sensitive Periods
Sensitive periods are times during development when an individual
is more responsive to certain types of environmental stimulation or
learning. They are the best time to learn a developmental skill.
How long does the sensitive period last?
The Sensitive Period for learning a native language ends at about age 12, with the window gradually closing from age seven.
Critical Periods
Critical periods are specific times during development where an
individual is vulnerable to being deprived of an environmental stimulus.
Imprinting eg. ducklings
Clearest example of critical periods, a newly hatched duckling will follow the first noisy moving object it sees. After 10 minutes of following this object, the duckling will assume that this object is its ‘mother.’
What are the areas of development?
-Emotional development
-Cognitive development
-Social development
-Physical development
The Biopsychosocial Model
Is a way of describing how biological, psychological and social factors combine to describe and explain a person’s development and wellbeing.
Social Factors (External)
-Interpersonal relationships
-Social media
-Ethnicity
-Access to healthcare
-Educational background
Psychological Factors (Internal)
-Learning and memory
-Ways of thinking
-Attitudes and beliefs
-Emotions
-Perceptions
-Coping skills
Biological Factors (Internal)
-Genes
-Age
-Male/female
-Race
-Hormones
-Disease
Developmental Change
A developmental change is any relatively permanent or lasting change that occurs during the course of the lifespan.
Eg: Learning to speak, walk, making friendships,
How is the biopsychosocial model a holistic view?
This means that factors from each area can affect each other, and influence how we develop as a whole person.
Example:
A person who is eating well and getting good sleep will think more clearly, which can improve how they interact with others at school or work, which will lead to less stress!
What is an emotion?
an emotion is a
complex reaction pattern to a personally significant event.
Attachment theory
Attachment describes the relationship between two people who feel strongly about each other. In infancy, it has been studied as the emotional bond.
-Infants form attachment with their main caregivers
-Some develop different levels of emotional bonds with different caregivers
What was the strange situation study
An observational study Mary Ainsworth had devised for assessing attachment. It is a standardised test measuring emotional attachment between infants and caregivers.
What did they measure in the strange situation study?
-Proximity and contact seeking
-Contact Maintenance
-Avoidance of proximity and contact
-Resistance to contact and comforting
What were the four types of attachment discovered?
-Secure attachment
-Insecure resistant
-Aviodant attachment
-Disorganised attachment
Secure attachment
-Show distress when separated from mother.
-Avoidant of stranger, unless accompanied by mother.
-Happy to see mother after separation.
Insecure resistant
-Show intense distress when separated from mother
-Significant fear of stranger
-Approach mother but reject contact after separation
Avoidant attachment
-Show no interest when separated from mother
-Play happily with stranger
-Ignore mother after separation
Disorganised attachment
Inconsistent attachment behaviours
Harlow’s Monkey studies
Harry Harlow (1958) conducted research on rhesus monkeys to study factors influencing attachment. Created ‘surrogate’ mothers for infant monkeys and observed their preference for which mother the monkey clung to for support.
Contact comfort
The infant’s need for physical closeness and touching is referred to as contact comfort. Contact comfort is believed to be the foundation for attachment.
Privation
Privation refers to the failure to form an attachment to any caregiver during early childhood, often due to a lack of opportunity.
Deprivation
Deprivation refers to the loss or absence of something that was once present or expected.
Effects of Privation studies
Privation studies suggest that the effects of privation are irreversible.
Cognitive Development
Is the typical acquisition and change in mental processes across
the lifespan.
Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development
-Sensorimotor
-Pre-Operational
-Concrete Operational
-Formal Operational
Assimilation
Fitting new information into a
pre-existing idea.
Accommodation
Changing our pre-existing
ideas to fit new information.
Sensorimotor Stage
Birth-2 years:
Infants explore the world through their senses and motor movements.
Sensation and motor movement begin uncoordinated.