Unit 1: The complexity of psychological development test

What psychological development means and involves.

Psychological development refers to the changes in an individual’s social, emotional and cognitive abilities, from infancy through to old age

How a person’s psychological development can be influenced by both hereditary and environmental factors, which interact.

Environmental factors: different external influences within a person’s environment that can affect their development

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eg. prenatal, learning, socioeconomic, physical, emotional

what is hereditary factors, give example

biological influences on development that result from the genetic information passed from biological parents to their offspring

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example:

eye colour, height, complexion, hair colour

What is environmental factors, give example

The way that a child is raised, the experiences they have, the relationships they form, the education they receive and the resources they have access to

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1. Parental environment -- if a mother drinks alcohol while pregnant, a baby could develop Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
2. Social economic status -- wealthy families can provide children with more resources that will give them an advantage over others

How twin studies and adoption studies contribute to an understanding of the role of hereditary and environmental factors on psychological development.

Identify and describe different biological, psychological and social factors that influence psychological development and mental wellbeing.

Protective factors that \n ensure all aspects of a child’s developmental \n needs are being met include adequate sleep \n (biological), engaging play and intellectual \n stimulation from the environment (psychological), and emotional support from the child’s caregivers (social). Protective factors can also be used to manage an individual’s mental wellbeing, including exercise for stress relief (biological), increased resilience (psychological) and social supports (social).

Identify the characteristics of mental health and how it differs from mental health problems and mental disorders.

Mentally healthy:

• have high levels of functioning

• can form positive relationships with others (high levels of social wellbeing)

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Mental health problem:

This is typically recognised through the disruption that it causes to the everyday functioning of an individual

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Mental disorder:

Distress, dysfunction and deviance

• reduced levels of day-to-day functioning

• reduced ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty

Social Development – Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory.

Birth to 2 years

Early infancy

trust vs mistrust

Whether the infant will develop a sense of trust that the world (incl. people, objects and events) is a predictable, safe, caring and happy place, or, a sense of mistrust that it is unpredictable, unsafe etc.2

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2–3 years

Late infancy

autonomy vs shame and doubt

Whether the infant will develop a sense of autonomy about themselves and their capabilities (e.g. independence, self-confidence, self-reliant etc.) or a sense of shame and doubt about their capabilities.3

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3–6 years

Early childhood

initiative vs guilt

Whether the child will develop a sense of initiative (e.g. ability to plan, think for oneself, purposeful behaviour etc.)  or a sense of guilt about too little or too much initiative, overstepping boundaries/lack of self-control, not doing what’s best etc.4

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6–12 years

Middle and late childhood

industry vs inferiority

Whether the child will develop a sense of industry (e.g. ability to competently do things which are important etc.) or a sense of inferiority (i.e. feel less than adequate) about their achievements, skills and abilities.5

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12–18 years

Adolescence

identity vs role confusion

Whether the adolescent will develop a sense of self (including personal identity) and their roles in life, or, a sense of role confusion e.g. not knowing who they are (or identity confusion), where they belong, to whom they belong or where they are headed in life etc.6

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18–25 years

Early adulthood

intimacy vs isolation

Whether the young adult will develop a sense of intimacy involving sharing and caring with and about others without feeling a loss of sense of self, or a sense of isolation with feelings of being alone without anyone to share one’s life with or care for.7

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25–65 years

Middle Age

generativity vs stagnation

Whether the adult will develop a sense of generativity involving concern with others beyond their immediate family, friends etc. (e.g. future generations) and immediate lifestyle or stagnation involving a sense of sameness, inactivity, lack of personal growth boredom, feeling unproductive etc.8

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65+ years

Old age

integrity vs despair

Whether the older person will develop a sense of integrity involving self-satisfaction with life achievements and other positive reflections, or a sense of despair involving feelings of hopelessness and negative reflections of their life.

independent variables in controlled experiments.

the variable that is being manipulated (controlled, selected or changed) by the researcher

dependent variables in controlled experiments.

the variable that is being measured by the researcher

controlled variables in controlled experiments.

a variable that is held constant to ensure that the only influence on the dependent variable is the independent variable

Beneficence

an ethical concept involving the commitment to maximising benefits and minimising risks and harms

integrity

an ethical concept involving the \n commitment to searching for knowledge and understanding and the honest reporting of all sources of information and results

justice

an ethical concept involving fair consideration of competing claims, no unfair burden on a particular group, and fair access to benefits of an action

non-maleficence

an ethical concept involving the avoidance of causing harm

respect

an ethical concept involving the consideration of the value of living things, giving due regard, and consideration of the capacity of living things to make their own decisions

Confidentiality

an ethical guideline that ensures participants remain anonymous, and their personal information is kept private, protected and secure throughout the study

debriefing

an ethical guideline involving provision of information to participants at the end of the study, including the true aims, results and conclusions, and answering any questions, clarifying misunderstandings or deception, and providing support to ensure no lasting harm

 informed consent procedures

an ethical guideline conducted before a study begins – participants agree to participate after they have received all the details of the study, including the purpose, procedures and potential risks

use of deception in research

an ethical guideline involving withholding the true nature of the study from participants, when their knowledge of the true purpose may affect their behaviour and subsequent validity of the investigation

voluntary participation

an ethical guideline ensuring that each participant freely agrees to participate in a study, with no pressure or coercion

withdrawal rights

an ethical guideline that ensures the participants are free to discontinue their involvement in a study at any point during or after the conclusion of the study, without receiving any penalty