Psychology and Development Exam 1

What is the life span perspective?

The perspective that development is lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual

What are the four ages?

1st age (childhood and adolescence), 2nd age (prime adulthood, 20-59), 3rd age (60-79), 4th age (80+)

How is childhood cultural?

Ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender all affect childhood! Parenting is also cultural (discipline, independence)

What are Bronfenbrenner’s 5 ecological systems?

Microsystem (close circle), mesosystem (link), exosystem (outside influences), macrosystem (culture), chronosystem (time)

Nature vs. nurture

Genetics vs environmental factors

Continuity vs discontinuity

Continuity = smooth, gradual change; discontinuity = abrupt, distinct change

Epigenetics

Some behaviors are more canalized than others - cognitive abilities are more canalized than social, early development more canalized than later development; self-righting tendency - even if something bad is canalized (childhood trauma), humans can still bounce back

What are Aslin’s five models of early experience?

Maturation (biological, natural aging), Maintenance (must work to keep, or it will go away), Facilitation (happens on its own but you can speed it up), Attunement (nurture can increase), Induction (won’t happen without nurture)

What is Horowitz’s development model?

Development is dependent on organism vulnerability, environment, and developmental outcome

What are the models of psychoanalytics/psychosocial development?

Freud’s psychosexual and psychoanalytic stages and Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Oral (birth-1), anal (1-3), latency (6-12), genital (12+)

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory

Id (pleasure), ego (mediator), superego (morality) - importance of unconscious + childhood trauma

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

Trust vs mistrust (infancy), Autonomy vs shame/doubt (toddlerhood), Initiative vs guilt (preschool), industry vs inferiority (school age), identity vs role confusion (teens), intimacy vs isolation (young adulthood), generavity vs stagnation (middle adulthood), integrity vs despair (late adulthood)

What are Piaget’s stages and what are some hallmarks of each stage?

Sensorimotor (birth-2; 5 senses learning and object permanence), preoperational (2-7; symbolic thought, egocentrism, pretend play), concrete operational stage (7-11; logical thought), formal operational stage (12+; abstract thought)

What is the cognitive-developmental perspective in developmental psychology?

Piaget’s theory says that kids go through four distinct changes instead of developing gradually

What is a teratogen?

Anything that causes harm to an embryo/fetus during pregnancy

Who is BF Skinner and what is his theory?

A behavioral psychologist who came up with operant conditioning - his theory was that behavior is based off of punishment and reward

What are the stages of prenatal development?

Germinal (first two weeks after conception), embryonic (2-8 weeks after conception), fetal (2 months-birth)

What is the difference between prenatal and perinatal?

Prenatal is before birth, perinatal is right before, during, and right after birth

What is Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory?

Development is influenced by the five environmental systems

How is the newborn amazing?

Fast brain development, social, organized (perception, motor, crying)

What are possible teratogens?

Alcohol, caffeine, drugs, second-hand smoke, chronic stress or trauma, medications, age

What are some key differences in preschools from the video?

Discipline, education, group mentality

What is The Apgar?

Assesses newborns at 1 and 5 minutes after birth (heart, breathing, muscle, body color, reflexes)

What are some basic guidelines surrounding research involving children?

Informed consent, confidentiality, debriefing, deception are all required - kids’ guardians sign them up, but if the kid doesn’t want to, they can withdraw at any time

What are different types of research designs?

Descriptive (observes/records), correlational, experimental

How are preterm infants affected by touch?

Physical, mental, and emotional development, physiological regulation

Cephalocaudal pattern

Infant motor skills develop from the top down

Gross vs. fine motor skills

Gross motor skills involve larger muscles for running, walking, etc, while fine motor skills are smaller and more precise