Ch. 1 Basic Concepts and Methods

human development

the scientific study of age-related changes in our bodies, behaviour, thinking, emotions, social relationships, and personalities

norms

average ages at which developmental milestones are reached

maturation

the gradual unfolding of a genetically programmed sequential pattern of change

norm-referenced tests

standardized tests that compare an individual’s score to the average score of same-aged peers

lifespan perspective

the current view of developmentalists that changes happen throughout the entire human lifespan and that changes must be interpreted in light of the culture and context in which they occur; thus, interdisciplinary research is critical to understanding human development

plasticity

the ability of the brain to change in response to experience

physical domain

changes in size, shape, and characteristics of the body; how individuals sense and perceive the physical world

cognitive domain

changes in thinking, memory, problem-solving, and other intellectual skills

social domain

changes in variables that are associated with the relationship of an individual to others

quantitative change

a change in amount

qualitative change

a change in characteristic, kind, or type

stages

qualitatively distinct periods of development

social clock

a set of age norms that defines a sequence of life experiences that is considered normal in a given culture and that all individuals in that culture are expected to flow

ageism

a prejudicial view of older adults that characterizes them in negative ways

cohort

a group of individuals who share the same historical experiences at the same times in their lives

critical period

a specific period in development when an organism is especially sensitive to the presence (or absence) of some particular kind of experience

sensitive period

a span of months or years during which a child may be particularly responsive to specific forms of experience or particularly influenced by their absence

atypical development

development that deviates from the typical developmental pathway

interactionist model

the theory that development results from complex reciprocal interactions between multiple personal and environmental factors

case study

an in-depth examination of a single individual

naturalistic observation

the process of studying people in their normal environments

survey

a data collection method in which participants respond to questions

correlation

a relationship between two variables that can be expressed as a number ranging from -1.00 to +1.00

experiment

a study that tests a casual hypothesis

experimental group

the group in an experiment that received the treatment the experimenter thinks will produce a particular effect

control group

the group in an experimment thhat receives either no special treatment or a neutral experiment

independent variable

the presumed causal element in an experiment

dependent variable

the characteristic or behaviour that is expected to be affected by the independent variable

cross-sectional designs

a research design in which groups of different ages are compared

longitudinal design

a research design in which people in a single group are studied at different times in their lives

sequential design

a research design that combines cross-sectional and longtudinal examinations of development

ethnography

a detailed description of a single culture or context

research ethics

the guidelines that researchers follow to protect the rights of animals used in research and humans who participate in studies

original sin

Christian belief that all humans are born with a sinful nature inherited from Adam and Eve’s first act of disobedience against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3)

The Blank Slate (tabula rasa)

the view that individuals are born as a blank slate and all knowledge, behaviour, and individual differences arise from experience and the environment

innate goodness

the belief that humans are born inherently good and possess a natural drive toward growth, fulfillment, and self-actualization

universal changes

happen to every individual in a species; linked to specific ages

group-specific changes

happen to all individuals who develop in a specific group

individual changes

happen because of unique, unshared events

interactionalist model

proposes that human behavior and development result from the interaction between nature (biological factors) and nurture (environmental influences)

cross-cultural research

systematic studies that compare behaviors, beliefs, or psychological processes across different cultures or contexts

Cross-sectional research

collects data from diverse groups at a single point in time