Developmental Psychology - Key Terms (Pages 1-7)

Vocabulary flashcards covering SES, development concepts, theories, researchers, and key terms from the lecture notes.

SES (socioeconomic status)

A person’s social and economic standing based on income, education, and occupation; generally, lower SES is linked to worse outcomes and higher SES to better outcomes.

Nature vs. Nurture

The interaction of genetics (nature) and experiences (nurture) in development; both influence who we become.

Quantitative Development

Developmental changes measured in numbers or amounts; gradual, continuous increases.

Qualitative Development

Changes in kind or structure; shifts in type or quality rather than just more of the same.

Continuous Development

Gradual, step-by-step changes that accumulate over time.

Discontinuous Development

Development with distinct stages or shifts that are qualitative, not just more of the same.

Active Development

Children shape their own environment through exploration, questions, and interaction.

Passive Development

Children are shaped by experiences, culture, and environment.

Normative Influences

Events experienced by most people (e.g., puberty, pandemics like COVID-19).

Non-Normative Influences

Events that are uncommon or unique to individuals (e.g., divorce, illness) and affect people differently.

Critical Period

A specific time during development when a particular event must occur for normal development; missing it can cause permanent effects.

Sensitive Period

A time when individuals are especially receptive to experiences; missing it makes learning harder but is not necessarily impossible.

Plasticity

The brain’s ability to change and form new connections in response to experience.

Social Construction

The idea that life-span stages and norms are defined by culture and era, not universal facts.

Psychoanalytic Theories

The mind is driven by unconscious urges; early experiences shape personality (Freud and Erikson).

Freudian Psychosexual

Personality is largely shaped in early years through psychosexual stages; often considered outdated.

Id, Ego, Superego

Freud’s structural model: Id (impulse, unconscious), Ego (rational mediator), Superego (moral conscience; develops in childhood).

Erikson – Psychosocial Theory

Personality develops across the lifespan in eight stages; emphasizes social and cultural influences and crises to overcome.

Tabula Rasa

Born as a blank slate; development proceeds through experiences.

Behaviorism

Focus on observable behavior; mental states are less central; behavior is shaped by reinforcements and punishments.

Operant Conditioning

Learning driven by consequences: reinforcement increases behavior; punishment decreases it.

Classical Conditioning

Learning by associating a neutral stimulus with a meaningful one to elicit a conditioned response.

Observational Learning

Learning by watching others; imitation and modeling can influence behavior.

Reciprocal Determinism

People and their environments influence each other in a two-way, reciprocal way.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one’s own ability to succeed in specific situations.

Piaget – Cognitive Development

Children think and understand through stages with qualitative changes; active construction of knowledge.

Assimilation

Fitting new information into existing schemas or mental frameworks.

Accommodation

Changing existing schemas or creating new ones to fit new information.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

The range of tasks a child can do with help but cannot yet do alone.

Vygotsky – Sociocultural Theory

Learning is socially mediated and influenced by culture; emphasis on collaboration and language; ZPD is central.

Information Processing Approach

The mind functions like a computer: input, processing, output; development is continuous, focusing on memory, attention, and problem-solving.

Bronfenbrenner – Ecological / Bioecological Model

Development is shaped by multiple nested contexts beyond the individual.

Microsystem

Immediate environment: family, school, peers.

Mesosystem

Connections between microsystems (e.g., home–school relationships).

Exosystem

Indirect influences: parents’ workplaces, community resources.

Macrosystem

Societal and cultural norms, laws, and values.

Chronosystem

Changes over time and life events that influence development.

Attachment Theory

Early bonds with caregivers shape lifelong development; foundational work by Bowlby, Harlow, and Ainsworth.

Ethology

Study of animal behavior; concepts like imprinting (Lorenz) illustrate nature–nature interactions.

Evolutionary / Sociobiological Theories

Biology and evolution influence behavior; adaptive behaviors promote survival.

WEIRD Samples

Research samples that are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic; common in psychology research.