Unit 1 Flashcards
What is development?
There are multiple definitions of development.
What is the traditional perception of development?
Traditional development scientist believed development began with conception and ended with physical maturity. The scientist also believed it is positive, normative, universal, and irreversible.
What are the propositions of lifespan development?
Development is:
1) Lifelong
2) Multidimensional
3) Multidirectional
4) Malleable/plasticity
5) Shaped by historical AND cultural context
6) Multiple influences
7) Multidisciplinary
According to the lifespan view, how is development lifelong?
Development begins with conception and ends with death.
According to the lifespan view, how is development multidimensional?
Each person takes their own individual path and changes in different ways at different rates.
According to the lifespan view, how is development multidirectional?
Development involves gains and losses at every stage in life.
According to the lifespan view, how is development malleable?
Development is not permanent can can be modified across a lifespan.
According to the lifespan view, how is development shaped by historical and cultural context?
Development is context-specific, thus everyone will be impacted by various historical and/or cultural events.
According to the lifespan view, how does development have multiple factors?
Development is caused by nature, nurture, active individuals, and active context.
According to the lifespan view, how is development multidisciplinary?
Multiple disciplines are needed to understand development due to the many contexts that can affect developmental growth or loss.
What is the primary critique of lifespan development?
First, it is difficult to identify what should be considered development because the concept may be too broad. Also, lifespan development is heavily contextual so scientists may sometimes overlook/ignore universal aspects.
What is a meta-theory?
A set of assumptions about human nature and development.
What are the underlying assumptions for development?
1) Human nature
2) Nature vs nurture
3) Active vs passive
4) Stability vs change
5) Continuity vs discontinuity
6) Universal vs context-specific
What is a theory?
In science, a theory is a principle, idea, or set of propositions that explains something, solves a problem, or answers a question.
What are the four meta-theories of development?
1) Maturational
2) Mechanistic
3) Organismic
4) Contextual
What is the model and assumptions associated with the “maturational” meta-theory?
A plant; genes, nature, passive, stable/fixed, continuous, universal.
What is the model and assumptions associated with the “mechanistic” meta-theory?
A machine; blank slate, nurture, passive, flexible/malleable, continuous/quantitative, context-specific.
What is the model and assumptions associated with “organismic” meta-theory?
A butterfly; good, nature, active, flexible/malleable, discontinuous/stage/qualitative, universal.
What is the model and assumptions associated with “contextual” meta-theory?
A tennis match; genes, blank slate, nature, nurture, active person, active context, stability, malleable, continuous, discontinuous, context-specific.
What does continuity and discontinuity mean in regards to development?
Continuity refers to a slow, gradual process where as discontinuity refers to a more abrupt change.
Which theory/theorist mirrors the “maturational” meta-theory?
Freud’s psychoanalytic theory.
Which theory/theorist mirrors the “mechanistic” meta-theory?
Skinner’s operant learning theory.
Behaviorism
Which theory/theorist mirrors the “organismic” meta-theory?
Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory or Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
(Stage theories)
Which theory/theorist mirrors the “contextual” meta-theory?
Bandura’s social-cognitive theory, Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, or Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory.
Which theories of development does this class focus on?
Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory or Erikson’s psychosocial theory.
Which assumptions are associated with Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory?
1) People are born good
2) Nature
3) Active
4) Malleable
5) Discontinuity
6) Universal-specific
Which assumptions are associated with Erikson’s psychosocial theory?
1) People are born good
2) Nature
3) Active
4) Malleable
5) Discontinuity
6) Universal and context-specific
True or False: Every person (and theory) has their own meta-theory.
True
What is Erikson’s psycho-social conflict theory?
There is a deeper focus on emotional development than thinking/reasoning development. There are 8 stages.
Who are two stage development theorists?
Piaget and Erikson.
