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adolescence
Period where puberty occurs and young people begin to establish autonomy from the family and to define personal values and goals. 11-18 years.
age-graded influence
Events are strongly tied to a specific stage of development, and therefore are fairly predictable as to when they occur.
behaviorism
The theoretical perspective that considers directly observable events-stimuli and responses-as the appropriate focus of study.
chronological
Organized by ages.
chronosystem
The temporal element of the Ecological Systems Theory; changes over time.
classical conditioning
A learning process where a neurtral stimulus is paired with a stimulus to leads to a reflexive response.
cognitive domain
Changes in intellectual abilities, including attention, memory, academic and everyday knowledge, problem solving, imagination, and language.
contexts
Unique combinations of personal and environmental circumstances that can result in different paths of development.
continuous development
Process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were already present. Quantitative changes.
cultural relativity
An appreciation for cultural differences and the understanding that cultural practices are best understood from the standpoint of that particular culture.
culture
The totality of our shared language, knowledge, material objects, and behavior.
developmental neuroscience
Area of investigation that brings together researchers from a variety of discliplines to study the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing person.
developmental science
An interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding change and constancy throughout the lifespan. Synonymous with human development.
discontinuous development
Process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times. Qualitative changes.
domains
Three areas of development: physical, cognitive, and social and emotional.
early adulthood
Time when the primary focuses tend to be on establishing oneself into a career and adult relationships. 18-40 years. (18-25 is sometimes called emerging adulthood.)
early childhood
Period where motor skills are refined and children become more self-controlled and self-sufficient. 2-6 years.
Ecological Systems Theory
Bronfebrenner's perpective which view the individual as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment. Sometimes called the Bioecological Systems Theory.
emerging adulthood
Transitional period between adolescence and early adulthood during which young people have not yet assumed full adult responsibilities. 18-25 years.
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory
Building on the ideas of Freud. Lifespan theory with major "conflicts" at each age period.
ethnocentrism
The belief that our own culture is superior.
exosystem
Social settings that do not contain children but that nevertheless affect children's experiences in immediate settings.
history-graded influence
Explains why people born at the same time -- called cohorts -- tend to be alike in ways that set them apart from people born at other times.
human development
A multi/interdisciplinary field devoted to understanding change and constancy throughout the lifespan. Synonymous with developmental science.
infancy and toddlerhood
Period where there are dramatic changes in the body and brain that support a wide array of motor, perceptual, and intellectual capacities. Birth-2 years.
information processing theory
A perspective that compares human thinking processes, by analogy, to computer analysis of data, including sensory input, connections, stored memories, and output.
late adulthood
The final age period. The primary work is wrapping up ones life story. 65 years - end of life.
macrosystem
The outermost level of the Ecological Systems Theory; consists of cultural values, laws, customs, and resources.
mesosystem
Connections between microsystems.
microsystem
The innermost level of the environment that consists of activities and interaction patterns to the child's immediate surroundings.
middle adulthood
Often a time when one is well established in their career and peronal lives and beging to focus on giving to and guiding the next generation. 40-65 years.
middle and late childhood
Period where children master new responsibilities and start to think more logically. 6-11 years.
nature
Inborn biological givens.
non-normative influence
Events are irregular and happen to just one or a few people and do not follow a predictable timetable.
nurture
Forces of the physical and social world.
operant conditioning
The frequency of a behavior can be increased by following it with a wide variety of reinforcers or decreased through punishment.
physical domain
Changes in body size, proportions, appearance, functioning of body systems, perceptual and motor capacities, and physical health.
Piaget's Cognitive Developmental Theory
Perspective that views children as actively constructing knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world.
plasticity
The idea that development is open to change in response to influential experiences.
prenatal period
First age period where the new organism develops from a singe cell to trillions of cells. Conception-birth.
psychosocial domain
Changes in emotional communication, self-understanding, knowledge about other people, interpersonal skills, friendships, intimate relationships, and moral reasoning and behavior. Sometimes called the emotional & social domain, or the socioemotional domain.
qualitative
A change in the quality, or nature, of a skill; discontinuous change.
quantitative
A trait or characteristic that can be quantified; continuous change.
SES
Socioeconomic status; a way to identify families and households based on their shared levels of education, income, and occupation.
social learning theory
Emphasizes modeling (imitation) or observational learning as a powerful source of development.
stability
The idea that lifelong patterns are established by early experiences and the persistence of individual differences.
stages
Qualitative changes in thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterize specific periods of development.
theory
An orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior.
topical
Organized by domains or big topics.
Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory
Focuses on how culture-the values, beliefs, customs, and skills of a social group-is transmitted to the next generation.
