Psychological Theories and Emotional Development

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering various psychological theories and aspects of emotional development.

Freud's Psychosexual Theory

A theory that outlines five stages of development during which the id's pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones.

Oral Stage

The first stage (birth to 1 year) where the mouth is the primary erogenous zone and issues revolve around sucking and feeding.

Anal Stage

The second stage (1–3 years) focused on the anus, where toilet training is the main issue.

Phallic Stage

The third stage (3–6 years) where the genitals are the focus, with issues related to resolving the Oedipus/Electra Complex.

Latency Stage

The fourth stage (6–11 years) where sexual needs are quiet and focus shifts to schoolwork and sports.

Genital Stage

The final stage (11+ years) focused on reaching full sexual maturity.

Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory

A theory dividing the personality into three parts: id, ego, and superego.

Id

The unconscious part of personality representing primal instincts and desires.

Ego

The conscious, rational part of personality that mediates between the id and reality.

Superego

The ethical component of personality that incorporates the values and morals of society.

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory

A theory that identifies eight stages of psychosocial development across a lifespan.

Trust vs. Mistrust

The first stage (birth to 1 year) where infants learn to trust caregivers or develop mistrust based on care.

Autonomy vs. Shame

The second stage (1–3 years), where children learn self-sufficiency or feel doubt in their abilities.

Initiative vs. Guilt

The third stage (3–6 years) where children develop initiative or internalize prohibitions.

Industry vs. Inferiority

The fourth stage (6–11 years) focused on developing competence or feeling inferior.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

The fifth stage (adolescence) where individuals explore and form their identities.

Bandura's Social Learning Theory

A theory emphasizing learning through observation and imitation of others' behaviors.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs by watching the behaviors of others.

Vicarious Reinforcement

Learning that happens through observing others being rewarded or punished.

Bobo Doll Experiment

A study by Bandura demonstrating that children imitate aggressive behavior modeled by adults.

Selman's Role Taking Theory

The theory focusing on understanding others' perspectives in social interactions.

Hostile Attribution Bias

The tendency to interpret others' ambiguous behaviors as hostile or aggressive.

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory

A theory highlighting how development is affected by various environmental systems.

Microsystem

The immediate environment, such as family and school, affecting the child directly.

Mesosystem

part of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, The interconnections between different microsystem settings in a child's life and how they shape development

Exosystem

A broader environment that indirectly affects the child, such as parents' workplaces.

Macrosystem

The overarching cultural and societal context impacting a child's development.

Chronosystem

A part of Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory. The dimension that considers changes over time and how that influences development and interactions within the other systems, such as family, school, and community, affecting an individual’s growth.

Affluenza

Term used to describe the problem that can come from having too much money or wealth.

Emotion

A combination of cognitive and physiological responses to thoughts or experiences.

Functionalist Perspective on Emotion

A perspective that views emotions as functions that promote actions toward goals. (They help us adapt,

Yerkes-Dodson Law

A principle that states optimal performance occurs at moderate levels of arousal.

Still-Face Reaction

A phenomenon illustrating children's sensitivity to adult emotional signals during interaction.

Emotion Recognition

The ability to identify and interpret others' emotions.

Social Referencing

The process where infants look to caregivers for emotional cues in uncertain situations.

Emotion Regulation

The ability to manage and adjust emotional experiences and expressions.

Co-regulation

The process by which infants rely on caregivers to soothe their emotions.

Self-soothing

An ability developed around 6 months, allowing infants to calm themselves.

Problem-centered Coping

Coping that involves evaluation and action to handle a situation.

Emotion-centered Coping

Coping that focuses on managing internal emotional distress.

Emotional Display Rules

Societal guidelines for when and how emotions should be expressed.

Temperament

An individual's emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity pattern.

Thomas & Chess Subtypes of Temperament

Three personality types: Easy, Difficult, and Slow-to-warm-up children.

Behavioral Inhibition

The tendency to withdraw from unfamiliar situations or people.

Goodness-of-Fit Model

The compatibility between a child's temperament and their parenting style.

Attachment-in-the-Making

The early stage of attachment development, where infants start showing preferences for familiar caregivers.

Harlow's Rhesus Macaque Study

A study demonstrating the importance of comfort over food in attachment formation.

Ethological Basis of Attachment

The theory asserting that attachment behaviors increase infant survival rates.

Preattachment

The first stage of attachment development, where infants signal distress but don't have specific attachments.

Clear-Cut Attachment

The stage of attachment characterized by active seeking of contact with caregivers.

Reciprocal Relationships

The final attachment stage where separation anxiety decreases as infants gain security.

Ainsworth's Strange Situation

A technique for assessing attachment styles in infants through separation and reunion.

Secure Attachment

An attachment style where infants feel safe to explore and are easily comforted by caregivers.

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment

An attachment style where infants ignore their caregivers upon return.

Insecure-Resistant/Ambivalent Attachment

An attachment style where infants display clinginess and are upset by separations.

Disorganized Attachment

An attachment style characterized by confusion and odd behaviors in response to caregivers.

Indiscriminate Friendliness

A tendency in children to show friendliness toward all adults without recognizing familiar ones.

Parental Sensitivity

The ability to respond appropriately and promptly to a child's needs.

Interactional Synchrony

A rhythmic matching of responses between parent and child that promotes emotional attunement.

Self-Recognition

The ability of an infant to recognize themselves, typically measured by the rouge test.

Achievement Motivation

The drive to persist in challenging tasks and achieve success.

Mastery-Oriented Attributions

Attributing success to high ability and failure to lack of effort, promoting resilience.

Learned Helplessness

Attributing success to external factors, leading to low motivation in challenges.

Identity Status Theory

A framework outlining four identity statuses: Achievement, Foreclosure, Moratorium, and Diffusion.

Ethnic Identity

The sense of belonging to an ethnic group and understanding its significance in self-concept.