Developmental Psychology: Lifespan Stages, Theories, and Research Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering developmental periods, theoretical and empirical perspectives, Piagetian and Vygotskian theories, research methodology, and genetic/environmental factors.

Prenatal Period

The developmental period from conception to birth.

Infancy

The developmental period from birth to 18 months.

Toddlerhood

The developmental period from 18 months to 3 years.

Early Childhood

The developmental period from 3 to 5 years.

Middle Childhood

The developmental period from 5 to approximately 12 years, ending with the onset of puberty.

Adolescence

The developmental period from 12 years to 20 years.

Young Adulthood

The developmental period from 20 to 40 years, although the exact beginning of adulthood is debated.

Middle Age

The developmental period from 40 to 65 years.

Old Age

The developmental period occurring from 65 years and older.

Developmental Psychology

The field that studies how psychological processes change or remain stable over time, focusing on asking how development happens.

Theoretical Perspectives

Approaches focused on abstract principles, logical reasoning, and models to explain how and why development occurs.

Empirical Perspectives

Approaches drawing conclusions based on real-world observations and experimentation from scientific study rather than pure logic or theorizing.

Theories

Organized points of view that explain a phenomenon based on robust scientific evidence.

Jean Piaget

Swiss biologist who viewed development as adaptation—the increased ability to meet environmental demands—and introduced knowledge constructs called schemas.

Schemas

Knowledge constructs introduced by Jean Piaget used to understand the world.

Assimilation

The process of adding new information into an existing schema.

Accommodation

The process of adjusting an existing schema to better match reality.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's developmental stage from birth to 2 years where infants explore using sensory and motor capabilities, progressing from basic reflexes to coordinated, planned movement.

Pre-operational Stage

Piaget's developmental stage from 2 to 7 years where children use symbols like images and language to understand the environment, marked by egocentric thinking.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's developmental stage from 7 to 11 years characterized by increased mental abilities to complete tasks requiring logic and reasoning.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's developmental stage from 11+ years where thinking becomes abstract.

Lev Vygotsky

Theorist who proposed sociocultural theory, which views development as other members of the social group passing on knowledge, beliefs, and behaviours.

Zone of Proximal Development

A concept from Lev Vygotsky that describes how information is passed from one person to another.

Causation

A definitive cause-and-effect relationship established through an experiment.

Correlation

A relationship identified through naturalistic observation, surveys, or interviews showing phenomena are related, though it does not equal causation.

Describe (Developmental Psychology Goal)

The goal of identifying what, how, who, when, and where development takes place.

Explain (Developmental Psychology Goal)

The goal of developmental psychology that addresses why development occurs.

Optimize (Developmental Psychology Goal)

The goal of developmental psychology focused on applying scientific discoveries to improve people's lives.

Normative Development

The study of common developmental processes people experience, general characteristics of an age group, and typical timing of milestones.

Ideographic Development

The study of individual variations in the rate, direction, or nature of development among individuals who make up averages, usually resulting from personal experiences.

Critical Periods

Restrictive time frames when an individual must be exposed to specific environmental conditions for typical development, during which development is particularly susceptible to damage.

Sensitive Periods

Optimal windows for development and learning where progress can still occur outside the timeframe; considered less restrictive and more accurate for human development.

Traits

Characteristics that make individuals who they are.

Zygote

A fertilized cell containing a full set of genetic information.

Gamete

A sex cell containing only half of the genetic code.

Phenotype

How genes are expressed, determined by dominant and recessive traits as well as environmental interactions modifying gene expression.

Developmental Context

The environmental settings influencing development, consisting of family, socio-economic, cultural, historical, and digital contexts.