Basic Concepts of Child & Adolescent Development

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terminology and concepts in child and adolescent development.

Child Psychology

The study of how children develop, focusing on changes from conception to 18 years.

Developmental Stages

Phases of development marked by distinct characteristics and skills.

Prenatal Stage

The period of development from conception until birth.

Neonatal Stage

The first 2-4 weeks of life after birth.

Infancy

The period from birth to approximately 2 years.

Early Childhood

The stage of development from around 2 to 6 years.

Middle Childhood

The stage from about 6 years to the beginning of puberty (12 years).

Adolescence

The developmental period from puberty to adulthood (18 years).

Physical Development

Changes in body structure, motor skills, and overall health influenced by biological factors.

Cognitive Development

The processes of acquiring knowledge, influencing how children learn and understand their world.

Personality Development

The ongoing process by which a person's character and behavioral patterns develop over time.

Social Development

The growth of interpersonal skills and relationships, including moral understanding.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over whether genetic or environmental factors are more important in influencing development.

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

The discussion regarding whether development is a smooth, continuous process or occurs in distinct stages.

Passive or Active Involvement

The debate on whether children are shaped by their environment or actively shape their own development.

Universality vs. Cultural Context

The question of whether developmental pathways are the same across cultures or vary significantly.

Biological Perspective

The approach that emphasizes biological influences such as genetics and physiology on behavior.

Maturation Theory

The idea that child development is preordained by biological factors, with minimal influence from the environment.

Ethological Theory

Approach viewing behavior from an evolutionary perspective, focusing on adaptive behaviors.

Critical Period

Time frames during which specific types of learning must occur.

Evolutionary Theory

Applies Darwin's natural selection principles to explain human behaviors.

Psychodynamic Perspective

Focuses on unconscious motives and conflicts as drivers of behavior.

Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalytic Theory

Suggests personality development is shaped by resolving unconscious conflicts throughout stages.

Id, Ego, Superego

Freud's components of personality: the primal instincts (Id), practical reasoning (Ego), and moral standards (Superego).

Psychosexual Stages

Stages of development in Freud's theory, each focused on erogenous zones and conflicts.

Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial Theory

Proposes development is marked by social conflicts and crises across eight stages.

Learning Theory Perspective

Focuses on observable behaviors and the impact of the environment on learning.

Behaviorism

The theory proposing that behavior is primarily learned from the environment.

Operant Conditioning

B.F. Skinner's theory that behaviors are shaped by reinforcement or punishment.

Social Cognitive Theory

Albert Bandura's theory emphasizing learning through observational experiences.

Cognitive-Developmental Perspective

Focus on changes in thinking processes as children develop.

Jean Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development

Piaget's four stages of how children's thinking evolves over time.

Schemas

Mental structures that organize knowledge and guide cognitive processes.

Assimilation and Accommodation

Processes in which children integrate new experiences into existing schemas or adjust schemas based on new information.

Information-Processing Theory

Viewpoint comparing human cognition to computer functioning in processing information.

Executive Functions

Cognitive skills enabling planning, monitoring, and executing goals.

Contextual Perspective

Focus on environmental influence and cultural context in development.

Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Theory

Suggests social interaction is fundamental to cognitive development.

Ecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner's model illustrating different levels influencing a child's development.

Microsystem

The immediate environment interacting with the child, such as family and peers.

Mesosystem

The interactions between different microsystems in a child's life.

Exosystem

Influences that indirectly affect a child, like a parent's workplace.

Macrosystem

The broader cultural and societal norms impacting the child's development.

Ubuntu

An African philosophical concept emphasizing community and interconnectedness.

Social Ontogenesis

Development from conception to death, viewed through social and ecological contexts.

Spiritual Selfhood

Initial phase of selfhood connected to ancestral spirits and cultural identity.

Social Selfhood

Developmental phase where societal roles and relationships become central.

Ancestral Selfhood

The phase after biological death, where individuals are integrated into cultural memory.

Eclecticism

An integrative approach to understanding development, combining insights from various theories.