Lifespan & Developmental Psychology: Exam 3

Trust vs. Mistrust

Stage 1 (0-1): if basic needs (affection and nourishment) are met, babies develop trust

Autonomy vs. Shame

Stage 2 (1-3): toddlers begin to learn to do things for themselves (can control environment)

Initiative vs. Guilt

Stage 3 (3-6): preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry them out, or they feel guilty about efforts to be independent

Industry vs. Inferiority

Stage 4 (6-11): elementary school age children develop a sense of industry

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Stage 5 (adolescence 11-18): adolescents develop a coherent sense of self and their role in society or they face identity/role confusion

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Stage 6 (18-40): young adults form intimate connections with others, if not, they may experience feelings of isolation

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Stage 7 (Middle Adulthood): middle-aged develop concern for establishing guiding and influencing the next generation; if not, they face stagnation (lifelessness)

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Stage 8 (Late Adulthood): older people enter a period of reflection and life review

Learning Theory

B.F. Skinner: Language is learned through reinforcement and imitation » correction from adults facilitates learning

Nativist Theory

Chomsky: Humans are born with an innate language acquisition device

Critical Period Hypothesis

Studies on second-language learning and feral children show language acquisition is most efficient in early childhood—supporting a biological window for learning

Interactionist Theory

Language develops through both biological readiness and social interaction; learning speeds vary based on social environment, supporting idea that interactional context is crucial even if biological readiness is present

Cooing

Vowel sounds like ohhh and ahh (2 months)

Babbling

Repeated consonant-vowel combos like ba-ba-ba (6 months)

Holophrases

Single words expressing full thoughts (10-13 months)

Overregularization

Applying grammar rules too broadly (tooths/teeths)

Logical Extension

Applying learned words to similar objects: a child learns “cup” to refer to their sippy cup and then calls a mug or glass a “cup” too

Vocabulary Spurt

Rapid vocab growth (50-400 words in a week)

Temperament

Comes before personality » early-emerging behavioral tendencies (biological basis)

Personality

Develops from temperament, shaped by experiences and environment (evolves into recognizable traits by early childhood)

Secure Attachment

Parents are a secure base, distress when parent leaves, comforted upon return - 33% of North American infants

Insecure-Avoidant

Little interest, no distress, ignore or avoid upon mothers return to room - 15% of infants

Insecure-Resistant

Close proximity, distressed, resistance/cling upon mothers return - 10% of infants

Insecure-Disorganized

Inconsistent, greatest insecurity, fear - 10% of infants

Self-Recognition

18-24 months (mirror test)

Self-Conscious Emotions

Secondary emotions that depend on cognitive development and awareness of self (empathy, pride, embarrassment, shame, guilt; emerges around 15-18 months)

Self-Concept

Beliefs about one’s traits and identity (appearance, general abilities, favorite activities)

Self-Esteem

Evaluation of one’s self-worth » self-acceptance and self-respect

Moratorium

Exploring options without commitment » a time-out period that provides more freedom and autonomy than childhood but is without the full autonomy of adulthood - adolescence

Identity Diffusion

No direction or commitment

Foreclosed Identity

Commitment without exploration

Achieved Identity

Exploration and commitment completed

Which Big Five trait tends to increase during adolescence?

Neuroticism

What are Levinson’s “Seasons of Life”?

Adults pass through common life phases » views personality as qualitative shifts in challenges that result from intrapersonal and social forces

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

Our emotional experience is linked with social goals

Psychosocial Approach

Erikson’s Stage Theory

Trait Approach

Big 5 Theory

Seasons Approach

Levinson’s Seasons of Life

Easy Temperament

Positive mood, even-tempered, adaptable - 40%

Difficult Temperament

Irritable, irregular biological rhythms, slow to adapt - 10%

Slow-to-warm-up Temperament

Inactive, moody, slow to adapt but more mild - 15%

Phonemes

Basic units of sound - ba, da, pa

Morphemes

The smallest unit of language that has meaning, words are made up of morphemes

Syntax

The rules combining words to construct sentences, this understanding develops through childhood and adolescence

Fast Mapping

The process of quickly acquiring and retaining a word after hearing it applied a few times

Overextension

Applying a word too broadly (saying cow to everything with 4 legs)

Underextension

Applying a word too narrowly

Telegraphic Speech

Can combine words into telegraphic speech using a few precise words to express a thought

Primary Emotions

Happiness, sadness, interest, surprise, fear, anger, and disgust (begins at birth)

Emotional Regulation

The ability to control one’s emotions, improves as language and cognition continue to develop

Sensitive Caregiving

Use of soothing behaviors & minimizing exposure to overwhelming stimuli (giving a child an ipad, coloring a book at a restaurant)

Parent-infant Interaction

Positive reactions to improvements, later emotions between mother-child influence each other

Social Referencing

Looking to adults for clues on how to respond and interpret ambiguous events

Stranger wariness

Fear of unfamiliar people

Bowlby’s Ethology of Attachment Theory

Argues there is an innate tendency to form close bonds

Phases of Bowlby’s Ethology of Attachment Theory

Pre-attachments 0-2 months, early attachments (2-6 months), attachments (7-24 months separation anxiety), reciprocal relationships (24-30 months)

Ainsworth’s Classification Theory

Testing security of attachment; extent to which child feels that their parents reliably meets their needs

Internal Working Model

A mental model of the caregiving relationships & expectation to care

Self-Concept

The knowledge and belief that we hold about ourselves - traits & characteristics

Subjective Age

How old one feels

Perceived Control

An individual’s expectations about the extent to which they can bring about desired outcomes

Big Five Trait Theory

Clusters of personality traits that reflect an inherited predisposition that is stable throughout life

Big Five Traits

Openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, neuroticism