the study of developmental psych Flashcards
what does the study of developmental psychology include
- usually involves observing and/or measuring children’s behaviour
- observes changes in human behaviour over time
- often has to distinguish or explain interaction/influences between multiple aspects of development
the study of developmnetal psych aims to do what
- describe [i.e what develops?] - structure
- explain [i.e how does it develop?] - process
what are physical developmnets
- reflexes and sensory input
- brain development
- motor skills
innate influences
- child temperament
- genetic primers
- N&N
emotional development
- Processing and regulating emotions
- Forming a trusting relationship with your caregiver
- Understanding the self
- Childhood disorders
social development
- The influences of parenting and family (socio-cultural context)
- The importance of play
- Peers, friendships and intimate relationships
- Gender roles
- Establishing an identity in adolescence
cognitive development
How we process and understand the world
- Formative: learning to understand and organise the world
- Interpretative: social cognitive development and moral understanding
- Communicative (language)
- Intelligence: reasoning and problem solving
what does a develpmental psychology need to be able to do?
answer the following questiosn:
- What drives the development? Nature? Nurture?
- Why are there individual differences?
- Does the child have an active role to play in their own development?
- Are there jumps in development or does it occur continuously?
- Are there critical periods of development?
- Is development universal or is there variation across cultures?
major themes in developmental psych research
- Nature vs. nurture
- Nature AND nurture
- Gene-environment correlations and interplay
individual differences
themes in dev. psych
- Why is there such substantial variation in children of the same age?
- Differences in treatment
- Different reactions to experiences
- Different choice of environments
- Are there systematic differences across groups of children?
- The role of risk factors and resilience
relationships
individual differences themes in dev. psych
- the active child
- children shape their own development
- bidirectional relationship exist
continuity VS discontinuity
individual differences themes in dev. psych
- Continuity VS. discontinuity
- are children of different ages qualitatively different?
- stage theories
critical periods
individual differences in dev psych
- Are there specific periods in development that need to be cashed in on?
- SENSITIVE periods
the sociocultural context
themes in dev. psych
- Cultural universals or context-dependent?
- The effect of ecological systems (e.g. the role of SES)
how do we observe major themes in developmental psych research
- Interviews
- Questionnaires
- Observations
- Hypothetical scenarios
- Lab tests and tasks
what is a cross sectional design
- Compares children of different age groups
- Useful for identifying differences across age groups
- Tells us what develops (i.e. the structure) but doesn’t explain how the development occurs (i.e. the process) nor does it help us understand individual differences
what is a longitudinal designs
- Follows a group of children over a period of time
- Reveals patterns of change (how develops)
- Helps explain stability of individual differences (or the lack of them)over long periods
practical applications of developmental psych
- Physical health
- Mental health
- Education
- Policy development and law
- Social work and family services
interdisciplinary implications of developmental psych
- Biology
- Neuroscience
- Education
- Sociology
- Anthropology
