Human development

Impairment

A loss or abnormality of physiological, psychological, or anatomical structure or function.

Disability

A restriction in the ability to perform a normal activity due to an impairment.

Handicap

A disadvantage resulting from an impairment/disability that limits fulfillment of a role.

Ableism

Discrimination or prejudice against individuals with disabilities.

Neurodiversity

Recognizes neurological differences as natural variations (e.g., ADHD, autism).

Infantilization

Treating adults with disabilities as if they are children.

Social Model of Disability

Proposes that societal barriers, not impairments themselves, disable people.

Microsystem

Immediate surroundings, including family and school, that influence an individual.

Mesosystem

Interactions between different microsystems (e.g., parent-teacher interactions).

Exosystem

External environments that indirectly influence the individual (e.g., parent’s workplace).

Macrosystem

Cultural values, laws, and customs that shape an individual’s experience.

Chronosystem

Dimension of time that includes changes over the life course and historical period.

PPCT Model

Framework including Person, Process, Context, and Time factors in development.

Person (in PPCT)

Characteristics such as age, sex, temperament, and beliefs.

Process (in PPCT)

Daily interactions that drive development.

Context (in PPCT)

The ecological systems that influence development.

Time (in PPCT)

Includes developmental stages and historical context.

Social Construction

The idea that development is shaped by societal norms rather than just biology.

Roles

Expectations associated with particular statuses in society.

Stereotyping

Oversimplified beliefs about groups; often reinforced by media and socialization.

Labeling Theory (Becker)

The concept that labels affect identity formation and may reinforce deviant behavior.

Role Engulfment

When one aspect of identity overshadows all others.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek information that confirms existing beliefs.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overemphasis on personal traits rather than situational causes when explaining behavior.

Contrast Effect

The perception that is influenced by comparison to others.

Framing Effect

Decisions can be affected by how information is presented.

Paradox of Choice

The concept that too many options can lead to decision fatigue.

Memory Recall in Older Adults

Most common issue is retrieval failure, not loss of information.

Aging Paradox

Older adults often report higher well-being despite physical or cognitive decline.

Compression of Morbidity

The effort to shorten the duration of illness near the end of life.

Subjective Age

How old one feels as opposed to their actual chronological age.

Death as Cultural & Social

The understanding that rituals and experiences of death vary globally.

Denial of Death (Philippe Ariès)

The idea that modern society hides death, making it a taboo subject.

COVID Impact on Death

Made death more visible and disrupted traditional mourning rituals.

Death Awareness Movement

Initiatives focusing on hospice, palliative care, and meaning-making at end of life.

Death Anxiety (Freud)

Thanatos, or the death instinct that influences human behavior.

Death Anxiety (Becker)

The notion that fear of death drives human behavior.

Types of Death

Predictable deaths arise from chronic illness or aging, while unpredictable deaths are from suicide or accidents.

Kübler-Ross Stages of Grief

Stages include Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

Non-linear Grieving

Grief does not always follow the Kübler-Ross stages in a linear fashion.

Dual Process Model (Stroebe & Schut)

Involves Loss-Oriented and Restoration-Oriented coping with grief.

Oscillation in Grief

Moving between loss-oriented and restoration-oriented coping is regarded as healthiest.

Narrative Model of Grief

Finding meaning in loss through storytelling and ritual.

Disenfranchised Grief

Loss that is not socially recognized, such as miscarriage or loss of an ex-partner.

Attachment Styles and Grief: Secure

Healthy grieving and continuity in attachment.

Attachment Styles and Grief: Avoidant

Suppressed grief and delayed processing of emotions.

Attachment Styles and Grief: Ambivalent

Prolonged and intense grief responses.

Milgram’s Obedience Study

A psychological study on obedience to authority figures, often resulting in harmful actions.

Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment

An experiment showing how roles and environments significantly influence behavior.

Exam Strategy Reminder

Be prepared to apply Bronfenbrenner’s theory and understand cultural views on death and grief.