Developmental Psychology

Human Development (Developmental Psychology)

scientific study of processes of change and stability throughout the human lifespan

Systematic

coherent and organized

Adaptive

aimed at dealing with internal and external conditions of existence

Lifespan Development

Concept of human development as a lifelong process, which can be studied scientifically

Lifespan Development

Comprising the entire lifespan from conception to death; from womb to tomb

Describe

A goal of Developmental Psychology; behavior and how it changes

Explain

A goal of Developmental Psychology; processes/causes of change

Predict

A goal of Developmental Psychology; future behavior

Intervene

A goal of Developmental Psychology; to enhance/modify behavior

Growth

physical and physiological changes (structure and form); quantitative

Development

relatively predictable pattern of changes (organization and function); qualitative

Maturation

unfolding of traits resulting from theinteraction of heredity and environment; broad term

Risk Factor

increase likelihood of negative developmental outcomes

Protective Factor

reduce likelihood of negative developmental outcomes

Casual Factor

leads to the negative developmental outcome

Physical Domain

Growth of the body and brain, sensory capacities, motor skills, and health; Bound by the rules of biology

Cognitive Domain

Learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity; Capacity to learn / make use of mental processes

Psychosocial Development

Emotions, personality, and changes in relationships

Involves social environment

Also called “socioemotional”

Conception to birth

Age range of Prenatal Period

Prenatal Period

The period where the rapid formation of basic body structures and organs

Prenatal Period

This is the period where the fetus begins to learn how to respond to mother’s voice and other sensory stimuli

Birth to 3 years

Age range for Infancy and Toddlerhood

Infancy and Toddlerhood

Period where there is more physical growth, especially cognitive and motor skills

Infancy and Toddlerhood

Centers around attachment to parents

3 to 6 years

Age range of early childhood

Preschool Years

acquisition of school readiness skills

Egocentrism

inability to differentiate between own perspective with others

6 to 11 Years

Age range of Middle Childhood

Elementary Years

building of fundamental skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic

Middle Childhod

Period in where exposure to a larger world; Achievement is a central theme

11 to 20 years

Age range in adolescence

Adolescence

Rapid physical changes due to puberty, identity and independence, logical, idealistic, and abstract thought, more time outside family

Emerging and Young Adulthood

Transition between adolescence and adulthood

Emerging and Young Adulthood

Marked by exploration and experimentation of occupational, sexual, ideological roles

20 to 40 years

Age range of emerging and young adulthood

40 to 65 years

Age range of middle adulthood

Middle Adulthood

Expansion of personal and social responsibilities beyond family

Middle Adulthood

Maintaining career satisfaction

65 and over

Age range of late adulthod

Late Adulthood

Period of life review, retirement, and adjustment to new social roles

Late Adulthood

Decline in health and abilities

Young-Old

Under late adulthood, this age range is 65 - 74

Old-Old

Under late adulthood, this age range is 75 - 84

Oldest-Old

Under late adulthood, this age range is 85 - 99

Centenarians

Under late adulthood, this age range is > or equal to 100

Chronological Age

Number of years that have elapsed since birth

Biological Clock

timelines set by the body

Biological Age

Age in terms of individual’s biological health

Psychological Age

Individual’s adaptive capacities compared with those of other individuals of the same chronological age

Social Clock

timelines set by society

Social Age

Social roles and expectations related to a person’s age

Cephalocaudal Principle

head to tail

Cephalocaudal Principle

development proceeds from the head to the lower part of the trunk

Proximodistal Principle

development proceeds from parts near the center of the body to outer ones

Proximodistal Principle

near to far

Plasticity

capacity for adaptive reorganization of the neurological, psychological, and behavioral levels

Continuity

refers to the stability in characteristics from one period of life to another

Continuity

refers to a sense of of sameness over time built on a history of memories, identity, and reflected self

Developmental Change

patterns of growth and reorganization which may be attributed to biological maturation, systematic socialization, self-directed striving, and to the interactions of these forces

Social Construction

a concept or practice that is an invention of a particular culture or

society

Selective Breeding

involves attempting to breed animals for a particular trait to determine whether the trait is heritable

Nature

development is influenced by heredity

Nativists

adopt an extreme hereditary position

Nature

Basic assumption is that the characteristics of humans are a product of evolution and that individual differences are because of one’s unique genetic code

Heredity

Genetic roll of the dice / inherited from biological parent

Maturation

unfolding of a natural sequence of physical changes and behavioral patterns

Epigenetics

study of how the environment and other factors can influence gene expression

Nurture

development is influenced by the environment (aka empiricist approach)

Empiricists

extreme nurture position

Nurture

Basic assumption is that at birth, the human mind is a tabula rasa and that our experiences contributes to our development; What we know now is a result of our environment

Environment

Totality of non hereditary or experiential influence

Twin Studies

shown that identical twins reared apart tends to have more similar personalities, indicating a genetic component to personality

Heredity

it consists of the inborn traits and characteristics inherited from the biological parents

Maturation

the unfolding of a natural sequence of physical changes and behavior pattern

Behavioral Genetics

scientific study of the extent to which genetic and environmental differences among people and animals are responsible for differences in their traits

Heritability

proportion of all the variability that can be linked to genetic differences among those individuals

Chromosomes

coils of DNA that consist of smaller segments called genes

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

DNA

DNA

a double-helix structure of chemicals that carries inherited instructions for the development of all cellular forms of life

Genes

small segments of DNA located in definite positions on particular chromosomes; functional units of heredity

Bases

the “letters” of the genetic code

Adenine

genetic code A

Thymine

genetic code T

Cytosine

genetic code C

Guanine

genetic code G

Human Genome

complete sequence of genes in the human body

Mitosis

a process by which the non-sex cells divide in half over and over again, the DNA replicates itself, so that each newly formed cell has the same DNA structure as all the others

Meiosis

which the sex cells undergo when they are developing—each sex cell ends up with only 23 chromosomes—one from each pair

Mutation

permanent alterations in genes or chromosomes that may produce harmful characteristics

Autosomes

in humans, the 22 pairs of chromosomes not related to sexual expression

Sex Chromosomes

pair chromosomes that determines sex

SRY Gene

the gene for maleness

XX

chromosomes for normal female

XY

chromosomes for normal male

Alleles

two or more alternative forms of a gene that occupies the same position on paired chromosomes and affect the same trait

Homozygous

possessing two identical alleles for a trait

Heterozygous

possessing differing alleles for a trait

Dominant Inheritance

pattern of inheritance in which, when a child receives different alleles, only the dominant one is expressed

Recessive Inheritance

pattern of inheritance in which a child receives identical recessive alleles, resulting in expression of a nondominant trait

Polygenic Inheritance

pattern of inheritance in which multiple genes at different sites on chromosomes affect a complex trait