Chapter 1 Development Exam Cram Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, theoretical perspectives, domains, stages, and research strategies from Chapter 1 of Exploring Lifespan Development.

Developmental science

The study of constancy and change throughout the lifespan.

Theory

An orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior.

Continuous development

Gradual change, like a smooth ramp.

Discontinuous development

Change through distinct stages, like stairs.

Nature

Hereditary information received from parents at conception.

Nurture

Physical and social forces that influence biological and psychological development.

Stability

Persistence of individual differences and lasting patterns.

Plasticity

The capacity of development to remain open to change because of influential experiences.

Resilience

Ability to adapt effectively in the face of threats to development.

Physical domain

Changes in body size, proportions, appearance, body-system functioning, perception, motor capacities, and physical health.

Cognitive domain

Changes in intellectual abilities.

Emotional and social domain

Changes in emotional communication, self-understanding, knowledge of others, interpersonal skills, relationships, and moral reasoning.

Id

Unconscious component of personality present at birth that is the source of biological needs and desires.

Ego

Conscious and rational component of personality that emerges in early infancy to redirect id impulses acceptably.

Superego

The conscience that develops around ages 3 to 6 through interactions with caregivers.

Trust vs. mistrust

Erikson's psychosocial stage spanning birth to 1 year.

Autonomy vs. shame and doubt

Erikson's psychosocial stage spanning 1 to 3 years.

Initiative vs. guilt

Erikson's psychosocial stage spanning 3 to 6 years.

Industry vs. inferiority

Erikson's psychosocial stage spanning 6 to 11 years.

Identity vs. role confusion

Erikson's psychosocial stage during adolescence.

Intimacy vs. isolation

Erikson's psychosocial stage during early adulthood.

Generativity vs. stagnation

Erikson's psychosocial stage during middle adulthood.

Integrity vs. despair

Erikson's psychosocial stage during late adulthood.

Classical conditioning

Learning process that focuses on stimulus-response associations.

Operant conditioning

Learning process that focuses on reinforcers and punishment.

Social learning theory

Theory emphasizing modeling or observational learning, where people learn by observing others.

Self-efficacy

The belief that one's abilities and characteristics will help one succeed.

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory

Focuses on how culture (values, beliefs, customs, and skills) is transmitted to the next generation through social interaction and cooperative dialogue.

Ecological systems theory

View that development occurs within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment.

Microsystem

Immediate settings and relationships closest to the person.

Mesosystem

Connections among parts of the microsystem.

Exosystem

Settings that indirectly affect the person.

Macrosystem

Larger cultural values, customs, laws, and social context.

Chronosystem

The dynamic, ever-changing nature of the person's environment over time.

Hypothesis

A prediction drawn from a theory.

Naturalistic observation

Research method that records behavior in a natural environment.

Structured observation

Laboratory situation designed to evoke behavior, giving everyone an equal chance to display the behavior.

Clinical interview

Flexible conversation used to obtain a participant's point of view quickly.

Structured interview

Research method where everyone receives the same questions in the same way to allow easier comparison.

Clinical/case study

Method combining interviews, observations, and test scores to study a small number of unusual individuals.

Ethnography

Participant observation of a culture or distinct social group combining observations, self-reports, and investigator interpretation.

Correlational design

Research design in which information is gathered without altering experiences to study relationships between variables, without establishing cause and effect.

Experimental design

Research design where participants are randomly assigned to treatment conditions to allow cause-and-effect inferences.

Independent variable (IV)

The variable manipulated by the investigator, expected to cause a change.

Dependent variable (DV)

The measured variable that is expected to be influenced by the independent variable.