The Life Span: Human Development for Helping Professionals

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on human development, focusing on theories, principles, and frameworks relevant to practitioners in the field.

Developmental Science

The study of how and why people change as they grow older, integrating research and theory into problem-solving processes.

Classic Theoretical Approaches

Foundational theories in developmental science, including stage theories and incremental theories, that characterize developmental changes.

Multidimensional Developmental Theories

Contemporary approaches that synthesize classic theories, emphasizing both qualitative and quantitative changes.

Freud’s Psychosexual Stages

Five stages of personality development that occur from infancy to adulthood, including oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital stages.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages

Eight stages of development from birth to late adulthood, each associated with a specific conflict and virtue.

Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory

A theory composed of four stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.

Behaviorist Learning Theories

Theories that explain behavior changes as a result of environmental events through classical and operant conditioning.

Incremental Change

The view of development as a continuous process characterized by gradual improvements in skills and abilities.

Bioecological Theory

A framework that describes development as a process shaped by the interaction of biological and environmental influences.

Life Span Developmental Theory

The belief that developmental change is an ongoing process throughout the entire life, impacted by biological and cultural factors.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, crucial for adaptation.

Multifinality

The principle that similar beginnings can result in different outcomes, emphasizing the diversity of developmental paths.

Equifinality

The principle that different beginnings can lead to the same outcome, highlighting the various ways to achieve similar results.

Reflective Practice

An approach in which practitioners integrate theoretical knowledge with personal beliefs and testing in the problem-solving process.

Translational Research

Research that seeks to translate findings from laboratory science to practical applications in real-world settings.