Psych 1 AOS 1

development

how we change and grow over time, age-related changes, a change must be a relatively lasting or permanent to be considered a developmental change. Lifespan development refers to these changes as they occur from birth, throughout a person's life, and during old age.

stages of development

Infancy (birth-2), childhood (2-12), adolescence (12-20), early adulthood (20-40), middle age (40-65), older age (65+).

psychological development

a combination of emotional, cognitive, and social development.

social development

involves changes in an individual's relationships with other people and their skills in interacting with others.

emotional development

involves changes in how an individual experiences different feelings and how these feelings are expressed, interpreted, and dealt with.

cognitive development

involves changes in an individual's mental abilities, such as reasoning, problem solving, decision making, perception, learning, memory and use of language.

nature

hereditary, transmission of characteristics from biological parents to their offspring via genes during conception.

nurture

environmental, refers to all the experiences, objects and events to which we are exposed throughout our entire lifetime. (physical, emotional, sociocultural, prenatal, learning).

genetics

the natural characteristics of an organism, inherited from biological parents

epigenetics

the study of factors, other than genetic ones, that control how and when each gene is expressed. Epigenetic factors do not change the DNA or pre-programmed instructions in genes, but they influence how our genes express the traits we inherit from our biological parents.

environment

external, non-genetic factors that can influence development (physical, emotional, learning etc.)

heredity

the genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to their biological child

biopsychosocial model

a biological, psychological and social approach that proposes that health and illness outcomes are determined by these.

mental wellbeing

a state in which an individuals realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to the community.

risk factors

increases likelihood of adapting maladaptive behaviour patterns and/or mental disorders. Bio - the use of drugs. Psych - low self-esteem. Social - unhealthy relationships.

protective factors

reduces likelihood of adapting maladaptive patterns. Bio - a healthy diet. Psych - resilient mindset. Social - strong friendships.

biological factors

age, gender, genetics, tissue health etc. physical, genetics, drugs, disability.

psychological factors

mental health, emotional health, beliefs and expectations etc. temperament, IQ, coping skills, self-esteem.

social factors

interpersonal relationships etc. peers, trauma, school, family relationships.

attachment

the emotional bond between an infant and their primary caregiver

attachment theory

the theory that all infants have innate need to form a close emotional bond with their primary caregiver for not only survival, but also comfort and security.

strange situation

an experiment done by Ainsworth to classify attachment into secure, insecure-avoidant, and insecure-resistant by testing infants and their mothers in an unfamiliar environment

secure attachment

plays comfortably and explore while parent is present, upset when caregiver leaves and is wary and not comforted by stranger, quickly calms down when the caregiver returns (65%)

insecure avoidant attachment

anxious and clingy to parent when in the new environment, become upset when the caregiver leaves and is not comforted by stranger, still upset when parent returns (10%)

insecure resistant attachment

seek little contact with parent when exploring, not too upset when the caregiver leaves, equally comfortable with stranger, still relatively distant when the caregiver returns (25%)

cognition

thinking, thought processes

cognitive development

the development of mental processes over the lifetime

schema

an existing idea about the world or objects in it

assimilation

the process of taking in new information and attempting to fit it into a schema about the world or objects in it

accommodation

 if the information does not fit into an existing schema, the individual must either change the schema or create a new one

concrete thinking

a literal form of thinking based on tangible concepts

symbolic thinking

more sophisticated, and based on the ability to represent abstract concepts.

abstract thinking

the concept of being able to understand and reason with complex concepts or ideas that aren't linked with tangible objects.

sensorimotor

0-2 years, object permanence (objects you can't see still exist) and goal directed behaviour (planned series of actions for a purpose). An example could be playing peekaboo.

pre-operational

2-7 years, symbolic thinking (symbols representing real objects), animism (inanimate objects have feelings and intentions) and egocentricism (inability to understand others point of view). Examples: imaginary play using toys, drawing.

concrete operational

7-11 years. Reversibility (actions can be undone), conservation (certain qualities of an object can remain the same despite a change in appearance) and classification (sort objects based on features). Examples: two halves is one, different breeds of animals, re-inflating a deflated ball.

formal operational

11+ years. Hypothetical-deductive reasoning (prediction based on logic and reason), abstract thinking (understanding concepts without observing etc.). Examples: predicting the outcomes of actions, learning that objects are made of atoms.

object permanence

objects that are removed from sight still exist, even though you can't see them. When a parent does peekaboo, you will develop the knowledge that even though you can't see their face, it is still there.

sensitive periods

a broad stage of period of time during biological maturation when an organism is most able to gain a particular skill or characteristic. (movement 0-4) (language 0-6) (sensorial exploration (0-6) (order 6months-3) (small objects 1-4) (social interaction (3-6)

critical periods

a fixed, narrow time in development when an organism is able to acquire a skill or characteristic (must happen during this stage or doesn’t happen at all)

imprinting

a rapid form of learning in an early critical phase where an animal acquires a strong attachment to the first moving thing they see.

neuroplasticity/synaptic plasticty

the brain's ability to re-organise it's neural connections throughout its life, due to learning, experience or injury.

typical behaviour

patterns of behaviour that are expected of an individual or that conform to standards of what is acceptable for a given situation

typical development

when behaviours, skills or abilities fall within the expected range of development or progress at a similar pace compared to peers of the same age.

atypical behaviour

patterns of behaviour that are not expected of an individual or that deviate from the normal and can be harmful or distressing for the individual and those around them.

atypical development

when behaviours, skills or abilities fall outside of the expected range of development or progress at a different pace compared to peers of the same age.

cultural perspective

accounting for cultural norms or societal standards. (behaviour that is normal in some cultures may be abnormal in others.) (limitations of this include that there is no universal agreement that boxes in cultures, some countries have cultural diversity and it may be difficult to differentiate what is atypical and what is unusual).

statistical rarity

behaviours that are considered atypical etc. deviate significantly from the statistical average or mean. (some things considered rare and actually common, limitations are that cut-off points can be subjective, and both ends of the normal curve are considered atypical).

social norms

shared standards or social beliefs about what is normal, acceptable or typical behaviour, and allow us to have order and predictability. (can be in families, friendship groups, schools etc.) (limitations are that they can be different, change over time, and in situations).

personal distress

typical or atypical behaviour can be categorized if it causes personal distress to the person involved. (limitations are that sometimes personal distress may not occur despite it being unhelpful, and only personal distress is not enough to categorize alone).

maladpative behaviour

behaviour that is unhelpful, dysfunctional and non-productive, and that interferes with a personal ability to adjusts to their environment appropriately and effectively. (limitations that it can sometimes depend on the situation and person, culture can play a role, and it can sometimes clash with statistical rarity.)

adaptive behaviour

enable individuals to be able to adjust to their environment appropriately and function efficiently.

normality

a pattern of thoughts, feelings or behaviours that conforms to a usual, typical or socially expected standard.

cognitions

knowledge of social situations, perspective taking, attributions, neuropsychological cognitive processes.

emotions

emotional understanding and regulation.

neurotypical

ndividuals whose brain functioning, cognitive processing, and behavioural traits that align with what is considered standard and expected.

neurodivergent

a term sometimes used to refer to people whose brain functions differently to others, embracing differences in brain functions and behaviours.

autism spectrum disorder (asd)

a persistent neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms evident from early childhood (poor communication and social skills, emotional and social cues, poor non-verbal communication skills, struggle to form and maintain relationships). Differs in degrees of levels of support.

masking

acting a certain way in order to fit in and suit social norms.

theory of mind

a cognitive ability that allows us to make judgements about the other person's mental states. It usually develops in children between the ages of 3-5 years and allows us to use our understanding of other's beliefs, desires and intentions to predict their behaviour.

executive function

a cognitive process that helps us set goals, organise and plan, focus our attention and get things done (working memory, problem solving, flexible thinking). Children with ASD tend to score lower on tests of short-term memory, mental processing and impulse control.

central coherence

the term given to a human's ability to derive meaning from a mass of details. People with ASD have been proposed to think in a way that leads them to focus on details rather than the global idea.

adhd

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, that has symptoms such as patterns of inattention, hyperactivity or restlessness, and impulsivity. can also cause lower emotional regulation.

dyspraxia

Developmental Coordination Disorder, a neurological conditions that impacts motor skill coordination, planning and sequencing. symptoms can include clumsiness, poor balance, difficulty with fine motor tasks and issues with speech and spatial awareness

dyslexia

a learning difficult that affects either reading or writing, symptoms can include difficultly reading, problems processing/understanding what is heard, having trouble reading words out loud and trouble remembering specifically things to do with words.

dyscalculia

a condition that involves difficulty understanding numbers and working with mathematical concepts. symptoms include starting to count late, difficult composing and decomposing numbers, difficulty recognizing number patterns and trouble with tasks such as counting change or reading a clock.

cultural responsiveness

acting in a way that responds to the needs of diverse communities and demonstrating an openness to ideas that may align with different cultural ideas, beliefs and values.

mental health worker

members of a mental health treatment team who assist in providing a wide ranges of services and care for patients with psychological or social problems.

psychologist

an individual who is professionally trained in one or more branches of psychology.

psychiatrist

 a doctor who specialises in the diagnosis and treatment of mental, behavioural and personality disorders.

mental health organisation

 a company or group that works to address or advocate for mental health, such as through providing support or specialised services.