Human Development Flashcards

Flashcards on Human Development

Human Development

The study of how we change over time.

MATURATION

Biological unfolding of the individual; Species-typical biological inheritance; Person’s biological inheritance.

LEARNING

Experiences produce relatively permanent changes in our feelings and thoughts.

THREE MAJOR GOALS OF THE DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCES

To describe (normative development), to explain (ideographic development), to optimize development.

Psychosocial Development

Development changes in emotions & psychological concerns, and social relationships.

Stage Theories

Development change often occurs in distinct stages; Stages are qualitatively different from each other; Stages are set in a universal sequence.

ERIK ERIKSON

Encompassing the entire lifespan in his theory; Psychosocial theory forms a foundation for much of our discussion of psychosocial development.

CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT

Development is a more slow and gradual process. Brain development and environmental experiences contribute to the acquisition of more advanced skills.

MULTIDIRECTIONAL development

Humans change in many directions; We may show gains in some areas of development while showing losses in other areas.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY development

Related to educational psychology, psychopathology, and forensic development psychology; Complements social psychology, cognitive psychology, gerontology, and child development.

MULTICONTEXTUAL development

People are best understood in context; Our actions, beliefs, and values are a response to circumstances surrounding us.

TRIARCHIC THEORY OF INTELLIGENCE (R. STERNBERG)

Describes contextual intelligence as the ability to understand what is called for in a situation.

COHORT

A group of people who are born at roughly the same period in a particular society; share histories and contexts for living; experienced the same historical events and cultural climates.

SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

Ways to identify families and households based on their shared levels of education, income, and occupation. Members of a social class tend to share similar lifestyles, patterns of consumption, parenting styles, stressors, and religious preferences.

CULTURE

A blueprint or guideline shared by a group of people that specifies how to live, including ideas about what is right and wrong, what to strive for, what to eat, how to speak, what is valued etc.

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Motor skills and other psycho-physiological processes.

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Problem solving, language acquisition.

SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Self-concept and identity formation.