Chapter 1: Human Development Flashcards

Flashcards covering key definitions, concepts, domains, contexts, and principles of human development from Chapter 1.

What does it mean for human development to be systematic?

Developmental change is organized and coherent rather than random, with skills often building on earlier skills.

What does it mean for human development to be adaptive?

Development helps people respond to the demands of life and their environment.

What does it mean for human development to be lifelong?

Development continues across the entire lifespan and includes growth, stability, and decline.

What does it mean for human development to be influenced by context?

Development is shaped by historical, social, cultural, economic, family, and environmental conditions.

What four broad goals of developmental scientists are represented by the acronym DEPI?

Describe, Explain, Predict, and Intervene.

What are the three broad domains of human development?

Physical, Cognitive, and Psychosocial.

What aspects of human growth belong to the physical domain?

Growth of the body and brain, health, motor skills, sensory abilities, and brain development.

What aspects of human growth belong to the cognitive domain?

Memory, language, attention, reasoning, problem-solving, learning, and creativity.

What aspects of human growth belong to the psychosocial domain?

Emotions, personality, and social relationships.

What is a social construction in developmental science?

An idea or category based on shared social perceptions or assumptions rather than pure biology.

How do nature and nurture interact to influence human development?

Nature (heredity, genes, biology) and nurture (environment, experiences, culture) constantly work together rather than operating in isolation.

What three indicators determine socioeconomic status (SES)?

Income, education, and occupation.

How is race defined in developmental context?

A socially constructed classification category often based on perceived physical characteristics.

How is ethnicity defined in developmental context?

A shared heritage, ancestry, national origin, language, traditions, or cultural identity.

What is ethnic gloss?

Using a broad ethnic label in a way that overgeneralizes and hides important differences within the group.

What are normative age-graded influences?

Biological or environmental influences that are common and tend to occur at similar ages, such as puberty or menopause.

What are normative history-graded influences?

Common influences that affect many people around the same time due to a shared major historical event or era.

What are nonnormative influences?

Unusual or unexpected events that do not happen to most people in the same way or at the same time.

What is the difference between a cohort and a historical generation?

A cohort is a group born around the same time, whereas a historical generation is a group shaped together by shared major historical events during a formative period.

What is imprinting?

A rapid, biologically based early form of learning that occurs during a specific early period.

How does a critical period differ from a sensitive period?

A critical period requires a specific event to occur for typical development, whereas a sensitive period is an optimal time for development, though learning can still occur later.

What is brain plasticity?

The capacity of the brain to change or reorganize in response to experience, learning, or injury.

According to Paul Baltes, what does it mean that development is multidirectional?

Development moves in many directions, meaning some abilities increase while others decrease or stay stable simultaneously.

According to Paul Baltes, how do individuals change resource allocation across the lifespan?

People shift their time, energy, money, and support between growth, maintenance/recovery, and regulation of loss.