Psychological Development

A collection of vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts related to psychological development.

Development

Changes in an organism (human or animal) that occur over time, particularly from birth to old age.

Lifespan Development

The study of development from birth across the entire lifespan, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older age.

Biopsychosocial Model

An approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding psychological development and well-being.

Emotional Development

Changes in how an individual experiences, expresses, interprets, and deals with feelings over time.

Cognitive Development

Changes in mental abilities such as reasoning, problem-solving, and decision-making as a person matures.

Social Development

Changes in an individual's relationships with others and the ability to form and maintain close relationships.

Sensitive Periods

Time windows during development when an individual is more responsive to certain types of environmental experiences.

Critical Periods

Specific times during development when a person is most vulnerable to the absence of certain environmental experiences.

Erikson's Psychosocial Stages

Eight stages of development throughout the lifespan, each characterized by a psychosocial crisis that must be resolved.

Attachment

The emotional bond that develops between an infant and their primary caregiver, affecting social and emotional development.

Ainsworth's Strange Situation

A method used to assess the type of attachment relationship between a child and caregiver through a series of separations and reunions.

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, which develops during the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development.

Centration

The tendency of a young child to focus on one aspect of a situation while ignoring others, typically seen in the pre-operational stage of cognitive development.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information or experiences into existing mental schemas.

Accommodation

The process of modifying existing mental schemas to incorporate new information or experiences.

Generativity

Concern for others beyond one's immediate family, which is a key aspect of psychosocial development in adulthood.

Integrity

A sense of satisfaction with one's achievements and a belief that one's life has been valuable and meaningful, as described in Erikson's final stage.