Key Terms and Vocabulary from Developmental Psychology

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on key terms related to developmental psychology and research methodologies.

application process

Translating evidence-based research and ideas into practical solutions to influence and improve human life.

associative learning

Learning process in which the repeated presentation of two stimuli results in the linking of the two, making their meanings synonymous.

attachment

Enduring, emotionally significant bond that forms between two individuals, often in a caregiving context.

attrition

Gradual loss or dropout of participants from the original pool.

behavioral genetics

Field of inquiry most directly concerned with exploring the intersection between nature and nurture.

behaviorist perspective

Focuses on the role the environment plays in influencing behavior and behavioral change.

case study

Investigation where a great amount of detail is gathered about one or more individuals to gain a thorough understanding.

child study movement

Social and historical consensus focused on child development in the scientific community.

chronosystem

Idea that all other contexts within the ecological systems model are moving and changing through historical time.

classical conditioning

Learning process whereby a neutral stimulus, via pairing with a natural stimulus, takes on the same meaning.

cohort effect

Idea that people live, interact, and develop within a similar time period.

conditioned stimulus

Previously neutral stimulus that becomes meaningful through conditioning.

continuous development

Gradual day-by-day or week-over-week progression of change.

correlation

Statistical technique used to determine the degree of relation among variables.

critical period

Developmental age range in which certain experiences are required for development of psychological or physical abilities.

cross-sectional design

Type of research where groups of participants of different ages are studied at a single point in time.

cross-sequential design

Type of research combining the benefits of both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.

culture

Set of adaptations with shared meaning for a group, transmitted across generations.

dependent variable

Resulting outcome behavior measured in an experiment; depends on another variable.

discontinuous development

Changes that do not directly follow from what came before.

ecological systems model

Proposes that development is shaped by layers of the environment.

epigenetics

Process by which environmental influences can modify genetic expression.

ethnicity

One’s cultural and/or national heritage.

ethnoracial

Term combining elements of race and ethnicity.

ethology

Study of animal behavior.

evolutionary psychology

Looks to natural selection to explain the emergence of psychological characteristics.

exosystem

Contexts in the ecological systems model that indirectly impact development.

experimental method

Research design used to determine cause-and-effect relationships.

external validity

Degree to which an experiment’s results match reality.

gender

Ideas society has about roles, attitudes, and behaviors associated with one’s sex assignment.

gender identity

Individual’s psychological sense of their gender, including masculinity and femininity.

gene-environment correlation

Interplay between genes and environments contributing to development.

generalizability

Extent to which findings from a specific study can be applied to other populations.

heritability

Extent to which a genetic component explains differences.

human development

Scientific perspective incorporating a multidisciplinary approach to understanding the development process.

hypothesis

Testable prediction about how the world will behave.

independent variable

Variable altered in an experiment that is expected to influence an outcome.

informed consent

Process where participants are fully informed about the purpose, requirements, and risks of a study.

kinship study

Method of studying genetic similarities and environmental differences among individuals.

lifespan development

Study of growth, change, and stability from conception until death.

longitudinal design

Research where a group of participants is followed over a period of time.

macrosystem

Contexts in the ecological systems model containing all beliefs and ideologies of culture.

maturation

Growth and change based on biological processes.

mesosystem

Interactions between microsystem contexts that do not directly involve the individual.

microsystem

Distinct contexts where individual development occurs through direct interaction.

naturalistic observation

Observation of participants in real-life settings.

nature and nurture

Recognition that most development has both genetic and environmental influences.

normative

Identification of typical or expected developments across the lifespan.

observational learning

Learning through observing others undergoing learning.

operant conditioning

Learning process whereby environmental feedback shapes behavior.

private speech

Self-talk to guide progress on a difficult task.

psychology

Scientific study of the mind and behavior.

psychosocial crisis

Developmental challenge posed by society at a particular age.

psychosocial theory of development

Theory that views development as resolving age-graded social challenges.

punishment

Applying a consequence that decreases the frequency of a behavior.

quasi-experimental design

Research method determining the relationship between variables by studying natural conditions.

race

Socially constructed concept that is a mix of physical characteristics and cultural heritage.

random assignment

Process where each participant has an equal chance of being placed in conditions.

reaction range

Idea that genes set parameters for characteristics' development sensitivity to environmental forces.

regression

Moving backward to an earlier developmental stage.

reinforcement

Applying a consequence that increases the frequency of a behavior.

reliability

Consistency and reproducibility of a result.

religion

Formal system of beliefs and practices organized around worship of a higher power.

religiosity

Religious behaviors and community involvement.

resilience

Capacity to adapt well in the face of adversity.

scaffolding

Helping learners achieve beyond their current level with gradual withdrawal of support.

sensitive period

Age range when development is particularly open to environmental inputs.

sex

Assignment as male, female, or intersex based on biological anatomy.

sexual orientation

Includes sexual identity, behaviors, and attraction.

shaping

Learning process where approximations of desired behavior are reinforced.

society

Group of people living within a formal system of rules and institutions.

sociocultural theory of cognitive development

View emphasizing the embeddedness of cognitive development within social and cultural contexts.

socioeconomic status (SES)

Measure of one’s position in society and access to resources.

spirituality

Personal search for the sacred.

stability

State where characteristics remain the same across portions of life.

stage theory

Explanation for periods of rapid development between stretches of stability.

theory

Well-developed set of ideas proposing an explanation for observed phenomena.

third variable problem

Idea that another unmeasured variable influences the studied variables.

twin study

Study examining the correspondence between genetic relatedness of twins and psychological characteristics.

unconditioned stimulus

Environmental trigger with inherent meaning that does not need to be learned.

validity

Accuracy of a result in measuring what it is intended to measure.

zone of proximal development (ZPD)

Concepts just beyond current abilities that can be learned with help.