Unit 1 Flashcards
What is a theory?
An ordely, integrated set of statements that describes, explain, and predicts behavior.
What are the two reasons why theories are vital?
- They provide organizing frameworks for our observations of people, guiding and giving meaning to what we see.
2, Theories verified by research provide a sound basis for pratical action
How do theories differ from opinions and beliefs?
Theories depend on scientific verification for their existence
What are the three basic issues on which theories of human development take a stand?
- Continuous or discontinuous development?
- One course of development or many?
- What are the roles of nature or nurture in development?
What is continuous development?
The perspective that the difference between immature and mature beings is simply one of the amount complexity, gradually augmenting the same types of skills that were there to begin with.
What is a discontinuous development?
The view that infants and children have unique ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving, quite different from adults, with new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerging at specific times.
What is the stage theorist’s view of developmet?
Stage theorists believe that people everywhere follow the same sequence of development (one course of development)
How do contemporary theorists view the contexts shaping development?
They regard them as many-layered and complex, including personal, environmental, and circumstantial factors, with individuals both affected by and contributing to this context (many courses of development)
What is nature in the context of development ?
Hereditary information received from parents at conception
What is nurture in the context of development?
Complex physical and social forces influence biological makeup and psychological experience before and after birth.
How do theories approach the relative influence of nature and nurture?
All theories acknowledge both but vary in emphasis, impacting their explanation of individual differences.
What is the lifespan perspective in developmental psychology?
It views development as a perpetually ongoing process from conception to death, shaped by biological, psychological and social influences.
What are the four assumptions of the lifespan perspective?
Development is lifelong, multidimensional (This refers to the idea that development encompasses multiple aspects or dimensions of a person’s being) and multidirectional (Development involves both growth and decline throughout life), highly plastic and affect by multiple, interacting forces.
What are age-graded influences on development?
Events strongly related to age, fairly predictable in occurrence and duration, like puberty or menopause.
What are history- graded influences on development?
Forces unique to a historical era, such as epidemics or wars, explaining similarities within “cohorts” ( groups of individuals who share a common historical experience or life event, typically occurring within a defined time period).
