UNIT 5: Developmental psych

Question 1

developmental psychology

Answer 1

branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive and social change throughout the lifespan

Question 2

nature vs nurture controversy

Answer 2

dealing with the extent to which heredity and the environment each influences behaviour

Question 3

nature position (nativist)

Answer 3

development results mostly from genetically determined maturation

Question 4

maturation

Answer 4

biological growth processes that bring about orderly changes in behaviour, thought or physical growth, relatively unaffected by experience

Question 5

behaviourists

Answer 5

physical structures are genetically inherited and intellectual structures are learned; the environment shapes us

Question 6

chronological development via cross-sectional studies

Answer 6

comparing people of different ages

Question 7

lifespan development

Answer 7

longitudinal research
-following people’s development over a period of time - typically years

Question 8

Continuous development

Answer 8

a person’s mental, physical, emotional and social development gradually unfolds over time. It is a cumulative change from conception to death

Question 9

Discontinuous development

Answer 9

growth and development occur in distinct stages or series, where individuals make ‘leaps’ in development that are universal and linear

Question 10

Stability vs Change

Answer 10

-characteristics are most likely to remain stable and consistent, and which are more subject to change
-Some aspects of temperament, such as energy levels and outgoingness, seem relatively stable, whereas social attitudes are more likely to change over time