Unit 3: Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology

The scientific study of how humans grow and change cross the lifespan

Chronological development

the study how individuals change overtime in relation to specific age ranges

Lifespan Development

study of human development from conception to death, emphasizing the interconnectedness of different stages

Stability and Change

on going debate in developmental psychology about whether individual characteristics remain relatively stable overtime or change significantly

nature and nurture

long standing debate about the relative influences of genetics and environment on human development

continuous development

view that development is a gradual ongoing process, with quantitative changes occurring overtime

discontinuous development

view that development occurs in distinct stages, with qualitive changes occurring at specific points in time

teratogens

any agent that causes abnormality following fetal pregnancy (tobacco and alcohol)

milestones

significant and measurable achievements or developmental stages in an individual's life, particularly in terms of cognitive, emotional, and social growth

prenatal development

the process of growth and development within the womb from fertilization until birth

fine motor coordination

the coordination of muscles, bones, and nerves to produce small, exact movements

gross motor coordination

the ability to control and coordinate large muscle groups for activities like running, jumping, and throwing a ball

maturation

the process by which we change, grow, and develop through life

reflexes

automatic and involuntary responses to stimuli that help protect our bodies from harm or maintain balance

rooting reflex

the tendency for an infant to move its mouth toward any object that touches its cheek

visual cliff

a research method used to study depth perception in infants and animals

critical periods

a specific time during development when an organism is most sensitive to environmental influences or stimuli

sensitive periods

specific time frames in which children are more receptive to learning and acquiring certain skills or abilities (learning a second language)

imprinting

inherit traits that some animals use as means for survival (ex: ducklings following their mom)

growth spurt

the fast and intense increase in the rate of growth in height and weight that occurs during adolescent stage of the human cycle

puberty

period of sexual maturation, during which a person is capable of reproducing

primary sex characteristics

innate and include sex organs and genitalia

secondary sex characterisics

traits that develop during puberty (facial hair, breasts, deeper voice)

menarche

a girl's first menstrual period

spermarche

the onset of sperm production in males

menopause

the time of natural cessation of menstruation

sex

the biological category male or female as defined by physical differences in genetics composition and in reproductive anatomy and function

gender

social constraints rather than the biological male or female designation

socialization

the process by which individuals learn the norms, values, beliefs, and behaviors of their society through interaction with others

sensorimotor stage

coordinating input of senses with bodily actions (0,2)

object permanence

things don't disappear because they are no longer seen

preoperational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

mental symbols

internal representations that stand for object or experiences in the world, they allow us to think about things that are not physically present

pretend play

play that involves make believe; children use objects to symbolize other things and act out imaginary roles

conservation

the understanding that the physical properties of an object remains the same even when their appearance changes ex: tall glass and fat glass have the same amount of water

reversibility

the ability to mentally "undo" an action or operation

animism

the belief that inanimate objects have lifelike qualities

egocentrism

difficulty seeing the world in another person's perspective

theory of mind

understanding that other people have their own thoughts and beliefs

concrete operational stage

ages 7-11

systematic thinking

approaches problems in a rational and analytical fashion

formal operational stage

ages 12+

abstract thinking

capacity to understand hypothetical concepts like theories and ideas

hypothetical thinking

imagining possibilities and exploring their consequences through a process of mental simulation.

scaffolding

the support and guidance provided by a more knowledgeable other to help them learn a new concept or skill

zone of proximal development

the range of tasks that a learner can accomplish with the guidance and support of a more knowledgeable other ex: tying shoes, learning hard math when knowing the basic

crystallized intelligence

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

fluid intellegence

the ability to think abstractly, reason logically and solve problems

dementia

a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgment, that is often accompanied by personality changes

language

our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

nonverbal gestures

non-spoken forms of communication that convey meaning

phonemes

in language, the smallest distinctive sound unit ex: "buh" "puh"

cooing

early vowel-like sounds that babies produce

morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language ex: "un" "ed"

babbling

stage of language development in which infants begin to produce consonant-vowel sounds

semantics

the study of meaning in language, ex: big vs small

one-word stage

the stage in which children speak mainly in single words

grammar

the rules of language that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences

telegraphic speech

early speech stage in which children use two-word utterances that resembles telegrams in their brevity

syntax

Sentence structure

overgeneralization of language rules

applying grammar rules in areas they don't apply

ecological systems theory

views child development within the content of the system of relationships that form their environment

exosystem

social settings that a person may not experience firsthand but that still influence development

microsystem

the people and objects in an individual's immediate environment

macrosystem

consists of cultural values, laws, customs, and resources

mesosystem

connections between microsystems; ex: school life vs home life

chronosystem

historical changes that influence the other systems

authoritarian parenting

style of parenting in which parent is rigid and overly strict, showing little warmth to the child

authoritative parenting

parenting style characterized by emotional warmth, high standards for behavior, explanation and consistent enforcement of rules, and inclusion of children in decision making

permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by the placement of few limits on the child's behavior.

attatchment styles

describe the enduring patterns of emotional and behavioral responses that infants and adults display in their relationships with significant people in their life

avoidant attachment

infants appear indifferent to their caregivers' presence and departure

secure attachment

a relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver

anxious attachment

infants become extremely distressed when their caregivers leave - difficult to soothe

insecure attachment

difficulty forming emotional bonds with others

disorganized attachment

inconsistent and unpredictable behavior, sometimes contradicting

temperament

the enduring characteristics with which each person is born

seperation anxiety

distress experienced by infants when separated by caregivers

contact comfort

the pleasure derived from physical contact with another

parallel play

activity in which children play side by side without interacting

imaginary audience

adolescents belief that they are constantly being judged; self concious

personal fable

adolescents belief that they are unique and immune to consequences

social clock

culturally preferred timing of social events

emerging adulthood

transition period from adolescents to adult; can experience instability

trust and mistrust

(0-1 year) infancy; if needs are dependably met, infants develop basic trust

autonomy and shame and doubt

toddler (1.5-3) after gaining trust infants discover they have a will. They assert their sense of autonomy or independence. If restrained or punished too harshly, they are likely to develop a sense of shame & doubt

initiative and guilt

age 3 to 5, preschooler - learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about efforts to be independent

industry and inferiority

age 6 to puberty, elementary school - learn the pleasures of applying themselves to tasks, or they fell inferior

identity and role confusion

(12-18 years) adolescents must make the transition to adulthood, establish an identity, develop a sense of self, and consider a future occupational identity; otherwise, role confusion can result

intimacy and isolation

(20-30 years) the task is to develop healthy intimate relationships, but maintain appropriate independence

generativity and stagnation

40s to 60s, middle adulthood - people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they feel a lack of purpose for their life

integrity and despair

late 60s to death, late adulthood - when reflecting on their life, the older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure

adverse childhood experiences

traumatic childhood experiences, such as abuse, neglect, violence exposure, or death of a parent, that are linked to mental and physical health problems later in life

achievement (adolescent development)

a key developmental task during adolescence, involves a sense of competence in various activities such as sports or music

diffusion (adolescent development)

characterized by a lack of exploration or commitment

foreclosure (adolescent development)

characterized by commitment to an identity without prior experience; ex: parents forcing to become a doctor

moratorium (adolescent development)

characterized by active exploration of different identities without making a commitment; experimentation

racial/ethnic identity

a person's sense of belonging to a particular racial or ethnic group

sexual orientation

a person's sexual, romantic, or emotional attraction to others; based on gender

religious identity

a person's sense of belonging to a particular religion or religious group