Lifespan Feldman Chapter 1

lifespan development

the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span

physical development

development involving the body's physical makeup, including the brain, nervous system, muscles, and senses, and the need for food, drink, and sleep

cognitive development

development involving the ways that growth and change in intellectual capabilities influence a person's behavior

personality development

development involving the ways that the enduring characteristics that differentiate one person from another change over the life span

social development

the way in which individuals' interactions with others and their social relationships grow, change, and remain stable over the course of life

cohort

a group of people born at around the same time in the same place

continuous change

gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels

discontinuous change

development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is assumed to be qualitatively different from behavior at earlier stages

critical period

a specific time durning development when a particular event has its greatest consequences and the presence of certain kinds of environmental stimuli is necessary for development to proceed normally

sensitive period

a point in development when organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences

maturation

the predetermined unfolding of genetic information

theories

explanations and predictions concerning phenomena of interest, providing a framework for understanding the relationships among an organized set of facts or principles

psychodynamic perspective

the approach stating that behavior is motivated by inner forces, memories, and conflicts that are generally beyond peoples awareness and control

psychoanalytic theory

the theory proposed by Freud that suggests that unconscious forces act to determine personality and behavior

psychosexual development

according to Freud, a series of stages that children pass through in which pleasure, or gratification, focuses on a particular biological function and body part

psychosocial development

the approach that encompasses changes in our interactions with and understanding of one another, as well as in our knowledge and understanding of ourselves as members of society

behavioral perspective

the approach suggesting that the keys to understanding development are observable behavior and outside stimuli in the environment

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which an organism responds in a particular way to a neutral stimulus that normally does not bring about that type of response

operant conditioning

a form of learning in which a voluntary response is strengthened or weakened by its association with positive or negative consequences

behavior modification

a formal technique for promoting the frequency of desirable behaviors and decreasing the incidence of unwanted ones

social- cognitive learning theory

learning by observing the behavior of another person, called a model

cognitive perspective

the approach that focuses on the processes that allow people to know, understand, and think about the world

information processing approaches

models that seek to identify the ways individuals take in, use, and store information

cognitive neuroscience apporaches

approaches that examine cognitive development through the lens of brain processes

humanistic perspective

the theory contending that people have a natural capacity to make decisions about their lives and control their behavior

contextual perspective

the theory that considers the relationship between individuals and their physical, cognitive, personality, and social worlds

bioecological perspective

the perspective suggesting that different levels of the environment simultaneously influence individuals

sociocultural theory

the approach that emphasizes how cognitive development proceeds as a result of social interactions between members of a culutre

evolutionary perspective

the theory that seeks to identify behavior that is a result of our genetic inheritance from our ancestors

scientific method

the process of posing and answering questions using careful, controlled techniques that include systematic, orderly observation and the collection of data

hypothesis

a prediction stated in a way that permits it to be tested

correlational research

research that seeks to identify whether an association or relationship between two factors exists

experimental research

research designed to discover casual relationships between various factors

naturalistic observation

a type of correlational study in which some naturally occurring behavior is observed without intervention in the situation

case study

study that involves extensive, in depth interviews with a particular individual or small group of individuals

survey research

a type of study where a group of people chosen to represent some larger population are asked questions about their attitudes, behavior, or thinking on a given topic

psychophysiological methods

research that focuses on the relationship between physiological processes and behavior

experiment

a process in which an investigator, called an experimenter, devises two different experiences for participants and then studies and compares the outcomes

independent variable

the variable that researchers manipulate in a experiment

dependent variable

the variable that researchers measure in an experiment and expect to change as a result of the experimental manipulation

sample

the group of participants chosen for the experiment

field study

a research investigation carries out in a naturally occurring setting

laboratory study

a research investigation conducted in a controlled setting explicitly designed to hold events constant

theoretical research

research designed specifically to test some developmental explanation and expand scientific knowledge

applied research

research meant to provide practical solutions to immediate problems

longitudinal research

research in which the behavior of one or more participants in a study is measured as they age

cross sectional research

research in which people of different ages are compared at the same point of time

sequential studies

research inwhich researchers examine a number of different age groups over several points in time