Unit 6 Ap Psychology

Imported from quizlet

developmental psychology

study of humans from womb to tomb (changes and constants in life)

continuous development

views development as a cumulative process, gradually improving on existing skills

discontinuous development

views development as occurring in distinct stages (specific times/ages)

cross-sectional study

study different groups of people with different ages at the same point in time

ad/disadvantages of cross-sectional

- inexpensive, quick, low attrition

- different age groups not very alike, differences may be due to characteristic differences (not age)

longitudinal study

study the same group of people over time

ad/disadvantages of longitudinal

- detailed info abt subjects, developmental changes studied detailedly, no cohort differences

- expensive and time-consuming, maybe high attrition, differences may be due to assessment tools (not age)

biographical/retrospective study

participant's past reconstructed through interviews/other research abt their life

ad/disadvantages of biographical

- individual's life is detailed, in-depth study of 1 person

- recall of memory may not be accurate, expensive and time-consuming

the lifespan

germinal, embryonic, fetal, infancy, toddlerhood, childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, early adult, middle adult, late adult

prenatal development

zygote (4 days), embryo (8 weeks), fetus (11th week - birth)

critical period

time during development when influences have major effects

teratogens

substances that can damage an embryo/fetus (birth defects)

physical development

growth/changes in body, brain, senses, motor skills, health/wellness

cognitive development

learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, creativity

psychosocial development

emotion, personality, social relationships

developmental milestones

Characteristics and behaviors considered normal for children in specific age groups.

biological milestones

tend to be universal (like puberty)

social milestones

vary across cultures (such as starting school)

conception

single sperm cell penetrates outer coating of egg and fuses to make 1 fertilized cell

zygote

fertilized cell with cells that become increasingly diverse

teratogen

environmental agent that causes damage to developing embryo/fetus (alcohol, smoking, drugs, radiation/virus)

fetal-alcohol syndrome

birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy

newborn reflexes

inborn automatic responses to stimuli (helps newborn survive)

rooting reflex

baby turns head toward something that touches cheek

sucking reflex

sucking objects placed by mouth

grasping reflex

clinging to object placed in hands

moro reflex

spreads arms and pulls back in when they are startled/feel like falling

babinski reflex

toes spread when foot stroked

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to visual stimulus: interest decreases (they are learning)

blooming period

time of rapid academic growth

fine motor skills

physical abilities involving small body movements, especially of the hands and fingers, such as drawing and picking up a coin

gross motor skills

motor skills that involve large-muscle activities, such as walking

separation anxiety

the distress displayed by infants when mommy isn't there (13 months, then gradually declines)

harlow study

A study that shows comfort instead of necessity. Monkey were attracted to the "mother" covered in cloth instead of that covered in food.

harry harlow

Studied attachment in monkeys with artificial mothers

konrad lorenz

researcher who focused on critical attachment periods in baby birds, a concept he called imprinting

imprinting

process by which certain animals form strong attachments early in life

john bowlby

created attachment theory

attachment theory

idea that children need to develop a relationship with at least one caregiver for normal deveopment

mary ainsworth

developmental psychology; devised patterns of attachment; "The Strange Situation": observation of parent/child attachment

secure attachment

showing temporary distress, comforted when parent returns (66% of the time)

avoidant attachment

do not go to parents when they return (21%)

resistant attachment

show extreme stress when parent leaves but do not go to parent when they return (12%)

disorganized attachment

show odd behavior around parent (run away, etc)

termperament

a person's inborn characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity 기질

stella chess

Theorist who, with Alexander Thomas, developed a classic system for describing and categorizing temperament

easy child

generally in a positive mood, quickly establishes regular routines in infancy, and adapts easily to new experiences.

difficult child

tends to react negatively and cry frequently, engages in irregular daily routines, and is slow to accept change.

slow to warm up child

low activity level, somewhat negative, displays a low intensity of mood

diana baumrind

categorized parenting styles

authoritarian parents

parents who impose rules and demand obedience

authoritative parents

parents who set rules but allow open discussion and exceptions

permissive parents

parents who set few limits, make few demands and use little punishment

uninvolved parents

parents who are careless, inattentive and do not seek a close relationship with their child

erik erickson

suggested 8 Stages of Human Development

albert bandura

researcher famous for work in observational or social learning (modeling, observing, imitating) including the famous Bobo doll experiment

temperament

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

psychosexual theory

freud believed that childhood experiences shape our personality and behavior as adults

- development is discontinuous

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational stage

schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas (adding)

accommodation

adapting our current schemas to incorporate new info (modify)

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when out of sensory range

egocentricism

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

theory of mind

the understanding that others have intentions/desires/beliefs/perceptions/emotions different from our own

conservation

principle that properties such as mass/volume remain same despite changes in the forms of objects

formal operational stage

stage of cognitive development (begins age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

- start thinking abt moral/philosophical/ethical issues

- using deductive logic

- concrete to abstract

lev vygotsky

child development; investigated how culture & social interaction/communication guide development

jean piaget

Known for his theory of cognitive development in children

- interaction in physical environment

scaffolding

a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

- teaching children new words

zone of proximal development

zone between what child can/can't do

- continuous theory (not stage theory)

- "sweet spot", not too easy/hard

lawrence kohlberg

Famous for his theory of moral development in children; made use of moral dilemmas in assessment

heinz dilemma

whether a person should steal medicine to save his wife

3 levels of moral thinking

1. preconventional (thinking of oneself)

2. conventional (thinking of how others will perceive yourself)

3. postconventional (thinking of society, rights, universal principles)

carol gilligan

challenged Kohlberg's findings: drawn from wealthy middle-class males (didn't reflect female moral development)

- but, no gender differences

moral intuition

quick gut feelings that precede moral reasoning

adolescence

transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

puberty

period of sexual maturation, person becomes capable of reproducing

- brain cells increase connections

why do adolescents engage in risky behaviors/emotional outbursts

the frontal lobe (judgement, impulse control, planning) isn't fully developed yet

imaginary audience

adolescents' belief that they are the focus of everyone else's attention and concern

personal fable

type of thought common to adolescents in which young people believe themselves to be unique and protected from harm

identity

our sense of self

- erikson: "adolescents should solidify identity"

social identity

the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships