Unit 3a: Development Psychology Flashcards
Stability and change across lifespan
This area of study helps us understand how and why people remain the same in some ways but also evolve and adapt in others as they go through different life stages.
Continuous and discontinuous
Continuity: refers to developmental changes that are slow and steady, where each step builds directly on the previous ones.
Discontinuity: people pass through stages of life that are qualitatively different from each other
Longitudinal studies
a research method that follows the same group of individuals over an extended period of time to examine developmental changes and continuity across the lifespan.
Cross-sectional studies
a research method that compares individuals of different ages or developmental stages at a single point in time to examine age-related differences
Teratogens
harmful substances, such as drugs, alcohol, or infections, that can cause developmental abnormalities or birth defects when a fetus is exposed to them during prenatal development.
Fine and gross motor coordination
Fine: The ability to control small muscle movements, enabling tasks like writing, buttoning, and using utensils with precision.
Gross: The ability to control large muscle movements, enabling tasks like walking, jumping, and throwing with balance and strength.
Infant reflexes: Rooting
A newborn’s built-in reaction that occurs when the infant’s cheek is stroked, resulting in the baby turning its head toward the touch, looking for something to suck.
Critical and sensitive periods (specifically language)
a developmental stage during which an organism is particularly sensitive to environmental influences and experiences, which are necessary for the normal development of certain abilities or behaviors
imprinting
a form of rapid and irreversible learning that occurs during a critical period, typically in young animals, in which they form strong attachments to a specific individual or object.
primary and secondary sex characteristics
Primary: the physical structures and organs directly involved in reproduction, such as the reproductive organs and genitalia.
Secondary: physical features that develop during puberty but are not directly involved in reproduction, such as body hair, breast development, and voice changes.
Vygotsky’s view on cognitive development
adults in society foster children’s cognitive development by engaging them in challenging and meaningful activities.
Scaffolding
the support or guidance provided to learners to help them acquire new skills or knowledge, gradually reducing as the learner becomes more competent.
Zone of proximal development
Vygotsky’s concept of the difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help.
Fluid intelligence
The capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge.
Crystallized intelligence
The ability to use learned knowledge and experience.
Piaget’s theory
Piaget argued that children’s cognitive development occurs in stages (Papalia & Feldman, 2011). Specifically, he posited that as children’s thinking develops from one stage to the next, their behavior also changes, reflecting these cognitive developments
Sensorimotor stage
the first stage of cognitive development in Jean Piaget’s theory, occurring from birth to about 2 years old, characterized by the infant’s exploration of the world through sensory experiences and motor actions.
Object permanence
The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, heard, or touched, typically developed during the sensorimotor stage of Piaget’s theory.
Preoperational stage
In Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the second stage, occurring from about 2 to 7 years old, characterized by symbolic thought, egocentrism, and the use of language and imagination.
Conservation (lack of)
a logical thinking ability first studied by Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget. In short, being able to conserve means knowing that a quantity doesn’t change if it’s been altered
Reversibility (inability at this stage)
The understanding that objects can be changed and then returned back to their original form or condition, an important concept in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
Egocentrism
the inability to take another person’s perspective or understand that others may have different thoughts, feelings, or beliefs.
Animism
The belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities and are capable of action, common in young children.
Theory of mind
the ability to understand and attribute mental states, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, to oneself and others, which is crucial for social cognition and perspective-taking.
Concrete operational stage
In Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the third stage, occurring from about 7 to 11 years old, characterized by the ability to think logically about concrete events and grasp concrete analogies.
Formal operational stage
In Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, the fourth stage, occurring from about age 12 through adulthood, characterized by the ability to think abstractly, reason logically, and engage in hypothetical thinking.
Universal language stages
a theory proposed by Noam Chomsky, suggesting that all human languages share a common underlying structure and set of principles, which are innate and genetically programmed.
Telegraphic speech
a stage of language development in which young children speak using short, simple sentences that mainly consist of nouns and verbs, omitting articles, prepositions, and other grammatical elements.
Overgeneralization of language rules
The application of a grammatical rule in cases where it doesn’t apply, often seen in children’s language development.
Ecological systems theory
proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner, this theory emphasizes the influence of various environmental systems (such as family, school, community) on individual development
Microsystem
The immediate environment in which a person interacts, such as family, school, and peers.
Mesosystem
The relationships between microsystem elements affect the child’s development, like how parental involvement in school activities enhances academic success.
Exosystem
The larger social system in which the individual does not function directly but which affects the person’s microsystem, such as a parent’s workplace.
Macrosystem
The broader cultural context, including societal values, laws, and customs.
Chronosystem
The pattern of environmental events and transitions over the life course, as well as socio-historical circumstances
Authoritarian
A strict parenting style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness; parents expect obedience and use punishment.
Authoritative
A parenting style characterized by high demands and high responsiveness; parents set clear standards and are supportive.
Permissive
A lenient parenting style characterized by low demands and high responsiveness; parents are indulgent and may avoid confrontation.
Secure Attachment
a healthy and positive emotional bond between an infant and their primary caregiver, characterized by trust, comfort, and a sense of security.
Insecure
a pattern of attachment behavior characterized by anxiety, avoidance, or ambivalence in the relationship between an infant and their caregiver.
Temperament
an individual’s characteristic patterns of mood, activity level, emotional reactivity, and attention span, which are relatively stable over time and across situations.
Separation anxiety
Distress shown by infants when a primary caregiver leaves, reflecting attachment bonds.
Attachment- contact comfort vs. food (Harlow’s study)
The sense of security and emotional relief derived from physical touch, particularly between infants and caregivers. greater than a feeder mother as the monkeys choose a comfort mother over the feeder mom.
Parallel play with peers
stage in early childhood where children play alongside each other without directly interacting, each focused on their own activity but observing and imitating others.
Adolescent thinking
Kids and teens in this age group do more complex thinking. This includes the ability to: Do abstract thinking but frontal lobe not fully developed.
Adolescent egocentrism
the inability to take another person’s perspective or understand that others may have different thoughts, feelings, or beliefs.
Imaginary audience
The belief, often held by adolescents, that they are the focus of everyone else’s attention and concern.
Personal fable
The belief held by many adolescents that they are unique and invincible.
Emerging adulthood
a developmental stage proposed by Jeffrey Arnett, characterized by identity exploration, instability, self-focus, and possibilities, typically occurring in the late teens and early twenties.
Psychosocial stages (Erikson)
eight stages of development spanning from infancy to old age, each characterized by a unique psychosocial crisis or challenge.
Trust and mistrust
0-18 months. Infants learn whether or not they can trust the world to meet their basic needs.
Autonomy and shame and doubt
18 months - 3 years. Toddlers seek to do things on their own.
Initiative and guilt
3-6 yrs. Children begin to initiate actions and make decisions.
Industry and inferiority
6-12 yrs. Children strive to demonstrate skills and abilities.
Identity and role confusion
12-18 yrs. Teenagers explore and solidify their sense of self.
Intimacy and isolation
18-40 yrs. Adults seek to form close, committed relationships.
Generativity and stagnation
40-65 yrs. Adults aim to contribute to the well-being of the next generation.
Integrity and despair
65+ yrs. Elders look back on life achievements and regrets.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
Potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction.
Identity Statuses (James Marcia)
Marcia’s four identity statuses are diffusion, moratorium, foreclosure, and achievement.
Achievement
The status of individuals who have explored various identities and made a commitment to one.
Diffusion
The status of individuals who have neither explored nor made a commitment to any identity.
Foreclosure
The status of individuals who have made a commitment to an identity without having explored options.
Moratorium
The status of individuals who are currently exploring various identities but have not yet made a commitment.
