Week 1 Flashcards
What is lifespan developmental psychology
Field of study that identifies and explains:
Stability
Continuity
Change and
Growth in an individual from conception to death
What was developmental psychology traditionally focussed on?
Traditionally focused on childhood period but as research expands, it involves changes throughout adult hood as well right up until old-age and death
What is the three different domains of development
Physical cognitive and social-emotional
These all interact.
What is physical development?
Changes that occur in the body and it’s systems over time
Eg. Hormonal changes during puberty
What is cognitive development?
Changes that occur in aspects like intelligence, problem solving, memory and learning
Eg. A gauge development in infancy
What is social-emotional development?
Changes that occur in personal characteristics and social interactions
Eg. Having different ways of interacting
When is a child considered an infant?
0-2 years of age
When is a child considered a toddler?
2-3 years
What is considered adolescence?
12-20 years
What is young adulthood?
20-40 years
Middle adulthood?
40-65 years
Individuals may mature at different rates but what do significant deviations mean?
Means evaluation is needed by specialists. May need help and early intervention is best
What methods are used to collect data in developmental psychology?
Observations (important in young children)
Interviews (moral development, not actual behaviour)
Standardised tests
Surveys
Single case studies
Data mining (data sets are already collected, may want to look for something in particular)
What research designs are used in developmental psychology?
Cross sectional: one time, different ages
Longitudinal: follow same people
Sequential/cross-lagged: follow some people from one year to the next
Micro genetic: pick something very detailed and study in depth as it’s occurring
Consent with children?
You can ask for verbal consent rather than written consent.
Even if the parents say yes and then the child says no, you have to respect it
Why is lifespan developmental psychology important?
Gives us realistic expectations for children and adolescents
Helps to advocate for those that may need more help as it allows us to recognise the wide range of normal behaviours and significant departures from these
What is nature?
Inherited characteristics and unfolding of genetic information through maturation brings about change
What is nurture?
Environmental influences affecting behaviour relating to the physical and social environments
What is the interactionist view of nature v. nurture?
Behaviour and development are shaped by both genetic and environmental influences along a continuum
What is the issue with seeing development as purely genetic?
It reduces the perceived importance of any intervention which is wrong.
Decreases helping point of view
Issues with the nature view?
Reading is 80% inherited
‘You’re either going to be good or bad, what’s the point’
Gives a fatalistic point of view
What cultural factors influence development?
Race (physical characteristics - young AA go through puberty earlier)
Ethnicity
Culture (living in individualistic vs. collectivist cultures)
SES (opportunity)
Gender (stereotyping)
Explain the pen selection study with collectivist vs. individualistic cultures
Array of pens, one different in colour to the rest. This pen was chosen by 77% of American children (individualistic) but only 31% of Asian students (collectivist)
What is the normative-descriptive approach to lifespan development?
Describes normal behaviour/ability/characteristics at different ages
Used less now but provided valuable information - sees development as predetermined by genetic endowment
Environment was seen to support maturation but not have a strong influence
What did the normative-descriptive approach provide?
Provided a baseline so you know when someone may need help
What are the cognitive developmental theories of lifespan developmental?
Piagets cognitive theory: stage theory, child as an active learner, across all domains of learning
Neo-piagetian approaches - newer but based on above
Information-processing theory: learning, memory etc as different modules and what child is doing within these, doesn’t influence other abilities
What is the Freudian psychoanalytic theory?
Personality is determined by 3 parts: the id, ego and superego
Critically shaped through a series of 5 psychosexual developmental
What is the id? (Freudian psychoanalytic)
Present at birth, unconscious, impulsivity, tried to satisfy biological needs
What is the ego? (Freudian psychoanalytic)
Rational, conscious, problem solving
There when you start to go beyond satisfying what you need biologically
What is the super ego? (Freudian psychoanalytic)
Moral and ethical component
Controls the ego and id
Explain defence mechanisms (Freudian psychoanalytic)
Unconscious distortions of reality that keep conflicts from the egos conscious awareness
Repressing things that you are ashamed of
Can fail to remember things if they are too distressing
What are the 5 psychosexual Freudian stages?
Oral (B-1) Anal (1-3) Phallic (3-6) Latency (6-12) Genital (12-A)
What is the oral stage? (Freudian)
Feeding and weaning are central
If you wean too quickly, you can end up with problems that involve the mouth such as overeating
What is the anal stage (Freudian)
Elimination and toilet training is central
Learning to be in control of own toileting, if there is problems they become controlling and anal
What is the phallic stage (Freudian)
Gender role and moral development is central
Desire opposite sex parent so become more like same sex parent to become more desirable- how you get your gender roles
What is the latency stage? (Freudian)
Physical and intellectual activities are the focus
What is the genital stage (Freudian)
Onset of puberty, mature sexual relationships develop
What is Eriksons psychosocial theory?
Neofreudian stage theory
Development occurs throughout successful solution of a series of crises leading to a healthy personality
What are the behavioural learning theories of lifespan development?
Classical conditioning (early reflexes and responses help infant to interact with the world)
Learning theory (behaviours and emotions can be conditioned)
Operant conditioning (reward and punishment)
What is ethological theory?
Began in zoology
To see how response patterns in childhood lead to particular response patterns in adulthood
- emphasis on evolutionary signify or survival function of early responses
Explain bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory
The child develops with a complex system interrelated contexts
Interactive, overlapping, contextual levels that simultaneously influence development
We need to think about more than just a child’s immediate context and how their developmental is influenced by the outside world
What are the levels in Bronfenbrenners model?
Microsystems: person has face to face contact with influential others
Mesosystems: relationships between Microsystems eg. Home and school
Exosystem: settings where don’t participate but significant decisions are made affecting those who interact directly with the parent eg. Place of employment
Macro system: blueprints for defining and organising institutional life of society eg. Politics
Chronosystem: changes in a persons setting overtime
What is Vygotskys sociocultural theory?
Cognitive development is the result of social interactions: children learn and solve problems through guided participation with others
Zone of proximal development: when you’re irk with someone more advanced, you get better
Scaffolding: assistance offered by others to help the child access abilities to move up to the next level of knowledge
Does not deny the role of biology but focused on culture
What is dynamic systems theory of development?
Child is a part of a dynamic and integrated system; mind, body, physical and social environment
Changes in one part of this system leads to a disruption. This promotes the need for more complex behaviours
