Week 1

Question 1

What is developmental psychology and the various developments that are interrelated? Provide an example of how these are interrelated

Answer 1

Developmental Psych is study that explores the patterns of stability, continuity, growth & change that occur throughout a person’s life.

Looking at: physical, cognitive & psychosocial development. All of these developments are highly interdependent. E.g. a baby that begins to crawl can now follow their caregiver - this leads to a shift in psychosocial development (the relationship changes between parent and infant). Crawling opens up new cause and effect relationships, which also shifts cognitive development.

Question 2

Define physical, cognitive and psychosocial development.

Answer 2

Physical = growth of the body, brain, physiological systems, motor abilities across the lifespan.

Cognitive = changes in thinking, perception, language, learning, attention, memory, visuospatial organisation, problem solving & other mental processes.

Psychosocial = social development, motives, emotional, personality traits, temperament, interpersonal skills, relationships & roles played in the family & society.

Question 3

What are the 4 fundamental issues of developmental psychology perspectives?

Answer 3

Nature-nurture
Continuity-discontinuity
Universality-context sepcific
Activity-passivity

Question 4

What are the general lifespan stages?

Answer 4

Prenatal period 
Infancy 
Early childhood (2-5 or 6), roughly the pre-school period. 
Middle childhood (6 to around 12) 
Adolescence (13 to 18) 
Early adulthood (20 to 40) 
Middle adulthood (40 to 60/ 65) 
Late adulthood

Question 5

What are the 4 main theories of development?

Answer 5

1) Psychodynamic (Freud & Erikson)
2) Learning Theories (Pavlov, Watson, Skinner, Bandura)
3) Cognitive-developmental approach (Piaget, Vygotsky)
4) Contextual Theories (Bronfenbrenner)

Question 6

What are the main perspectives of development in Psychodynamic theory?

Answer 6

• How personality is shaped across development
• We are influenced by motives & emotional conflicts
• These are shaped by forces outside our conscious experience

ID = pleasure principle 
Ego = reality principle 
Superego = conscience

Question 7

What are the 5 stages of Psychosexual development?

Answer 7

Oral (birth-1yr) = mouth is focus of stimulation, feeding & weaning are central.

Anal (1-3yrs) = anus is focus of stimulation; toilet training central.

Phallic (3-6yrs) = genitals are focus; gender role & moral development are central.

Latency (6-12yrs) = period of sexual activity; energies shift to physical & intellectual activities.

Genital (12-adulthood) = genitals focus of stimulation; mature sexual relationships develop.

Question 8

What is Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory?

Answer 8

• Lifted Freud’s theory into conscious awareness & into the social world.
• Emphasis of social influences on development; peers, family, school.
• Inner & outer conflict = re-emerging from each crisis.

Trust vs mistrust (birth-1yr)
Autonomy vs shame & doubt (1-3yr) = control over bodily functions
Initiative vs guilt (3-6yr) = self-assertion
Industry vs inferiority (6-12yrs) = mastery
Identity vs role confusion (12-19yrs) = role/identity
Intimacy vs isolation (19-25yrs) = relationships
Generativity vs stagnation (25-50yrs) = fulfilment
Ego integrity vs despair (50 & older) = wisdom, success & failures

Question 9

What are the Learning Theories of development?

Answer 9

Watson & Rayner: influenced by Pavlov’s classical conditioning

• conditioned/ unconditioned response
• conditioned/ unconditioned stimulus
• reflex learning
• passive recipients

reinforcement (+) or (-)
punishment (+) or (-)

Bandura recognised we can learn behaviour through vicarious experiences and observation: Bobo doll experiment.