Chapter 1 - History, Theory, and Research Strategies

Child Development

A field of study devoted to examining the constancy and change from conception until adolescence

Constancy and Change

Child Development is a field of study devoted to understand what important aspects from conception through adolescence

Developmental Science

A larger, interdisciplinary field that includes all changes we experience throughout the lifespan

Physical, Cognitive, and Emotional/Social

What are the 3 Domains of childhood development?

Physical Development

Functioning of body systems is an example of which domain of childhood development?

Cognitive development

Intellectual Abilities is an example of which domain of childhood development

Emotional/Social Development

Self-Concept and Relationships are examples of which domain of childhood development

Holistic View of Development

Term describing the view of development as an intricate system where each domain of development impacts and interacts with one another

The 3 Domains

The Holistic View of Development views development as an intricate system where there is interaction between what?

Prenatal, Infancy and toddlerhood, Early childhood, Middle childhood, Adolescence, Emerging adulthood

What are all the periods of childhood development?

Conception to Birth

Timeframe for the Prenatal Period

Birth to 3 Years

Timeframe for Infancy and Toddlerhood

3 to 5 years

Timeframe for Early childhood

5 to 12 Years

Timeframe for Middle childhood

12 to 20 Years

Timeframe for Adolescence

20 to mid-late twenties

Timeframe for Emerging Adulthood

Theory

An orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior

Began to employ the scientific method to research

What did it mean when developmental psychology became a Science?

Describe, Predict, Explain

Theories and the scientific method involve attempts to _________, ____________, and ___________ behavior

1. Continuous VS Discontinuous

2. Are there different courses of development?

3. Nature VS Nurture

What are the three basic issues that are tackled in child development?

Continuous Development

A process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were there to begin with

Adult and children experience the same emotions and perceptions

How does continuous development compare adult and children?

Discontinuous Development

A process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times

Adult and children are different, are they are in different stages of life

How does discontinuous development compare adult and children?

Quantitative Development

Alternative name for Continuous Development

Qualitative Development

Alternative name for Discontinuous Development

Stages

Qualitative changes in thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterize specific periods of development

Hill VS Stairs

An analogy used for continuous VS discontinuous is that they resemble what shapes?

Stage theorists assume everyone follows the same sequence of development

What opinion do stage theorists have on the trajectory that children follow in development

Contexts

Unique combinations of personal and environmental circumstances that can result in different paths of change

Cultural

_________ Diversity is recently researched for its retaliations in development

Nature-Nurture Controversy

Debate over relative influence of genetic and environmental factors

Heredity/Genetics

The nature aspect of nature VS nurture believes what is the most important influence in regards to development?

Environmental and Social Influences

The Nurture aspect of nature VS nurture believes what is the most important influence in regards to development?

Stability

Belief that heredity and early experiences are key to establishing lifelong pattern of behavior

Plasticity

Belief that development is open to change in response to influential experiences

Challenged, Supported

Someone with the nature perspective additionally agree with plasticity, children may be ____________ at birth, but can be ______________ with environmental aid

Developmental systems perspective

Development as an ongoing process molded by a complex network of genetic/biological, psychological, and social influences

the attribute/domain assessed

Based on the balance point of view, Both continuous and discontinuous changes can occur based on what?

Universal, Individual

Based on the balanced point of view, development has both ____________ features (experienced by all) and ___________ features (specific to the context)

Both heredity/genetics and environmental influences interact with one another.

What position does the balanced point of view take in the nature VS nurture debate

Children depicted as a separate period of life.

What was thought of children during the medieval times?

Children were viewed as depraved and inherently bad

What was thought of children during the Reformation?

John Locke

Who viewed children as a tabula rasa (blank slate) and development as continuous

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Who viewed children as noble savages with built-in moral sense and development as discontinuous

tabula rasa, continuous

John Locke viewed children as a _____________ (blank slate_ and development as ____________

noble savages, moral sense

Jean-Jacques Rousseau viewed children as _______________

with a built in __________, that they are corrupted by society.

Stage, Maturation

Jean-Jacques Rousseau introduced the concepts of _________ and __________