Cross-Cultural Child Development and Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards generated from lecture review notes covering cross-cultural human development, ecological systems theory, moral reasoning, and socio-cultural practices.

Culture

Shared understanding, beliefs, values, and practices between a group of people.

Ethnicity

A group identity based on ancestry, history, and traditions.

Developmental cascade

A process where an earlier interaction impacts development later on, such as when poor parental mental health causes child behavioral problems later in life.

Cross-cultural developmental science

A field of study that helps researchers understand universal development, why culture exists, integrates findings across cultures into broader topics, shows how cultures impact learning, and defeats a single standard of learning.

Emic approach

A research approach used when trying to understand how a specific aspect of a culture impacts a child's development.

Etic approach

A research approach used when trying to discover a universal principle or cure to an illness that impacts anyone.

Individualism

A cultural orientation that focuses on the individual and trying to find one's own identity without others.

Collectivism

A cultural orientation that focuses on the community, shared identity, and group goals.

Horizontal dimension

A cultural dimension added to individualism or collectivism that focuses on equality.

Vertical dimension

A cultural dimension added to individualism or collectivism that incorporates hierarchies.

Microsystem

An ecological system layer containing direct and frequent personal interactions, such as family and friends.

Mesosystem

An ecological system layer that connects different layers, contrasting with the microsystem which focuses solely on direct personal interactions.

Exosystem influence

Indirect environmental influences on a child, such as neighbors, parents' workplaces, and school boards.

Macrosystem

An ecological system layer dealing with all overarching ideologies, where culture forms the foundation.

Chronosystem

An ecological system dimension focusing on time, historical period of the child (e.g., COVID-19, Cold War, AI), and life transitions (e.g., marriage, graduation, job).

Developmental Niche

A theoretical framework made up of three components: 1) physical and social settings, 2) cultural customs of care, and 3) caregiver beliefs.

Symbolic play

A developmental concept involving imagination, such as a child pretending a stick is a magic wand, typical in early childhood (preoperational stage).

Trust vs. Mistrust

The highly universal first developmental stage where a child depends on parents and learns whether to trust them and feel safe, which can cascade into trust issues later if trust is not formed.

Caregiver consistency

Consistent and dependable caregiving that ensures an infant's needs are met, helping the child develop trust rather than confusion and mistrust caused by neglect.

Preconventional level

A level of moral reasoning where behavior and motivation focus primarily on consequences.

Conventional level

A level of moral reasoning where behavior and motivation are focused on social expectations.

Postconventional level

A level of moral reasoning where behavior and motivation are focused on social norm laws.

Socialization

A lifelong process through which people become members of their culture.

Early infant parent-influenced behaviors

Infant behaviors heavily influenced by parents early in life, including social, emotional, and attachment seeking behaviors.

Cultural sleep practices

Cultural variations in infant sleep routines; individualistic cultures put children to sleep alone earlier, while collectivistic cultures emphasize co-sleeping to stay close.

Benefits of breastfeeding

Promotes mother-child bonding, optimal nutrition, and immune protection, while protecting mothers from type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, and serving as essential nutrition where clean water and formula are lacking.

Advantage of bottle-feeding

Allows the father to perform feedings, thereby increasing father-child bonding.

Caregiver responsiveness to crying

Caregiver behavior that supports secure attachment, enabling infants to feel safe and trust their caregiver to meet their needs.

Acculturation

The process that takes place when two cultures are in contact with one another.

Assimilation (Acculturation strategy)

An acculturation strategy where an individual adopts US culture and maintains low identification with their heritage culture.

Integration (Acculturation strategy)

An acculturation strategy where an individual incorporates aspects of their heritage culture into American culture, mixing the two.

Separation (Acculturation strategy)

An acculturation strategy where an individual mainly interacts with their heritage culture and does not interact with US culture.

Marginalization (Acculturation strategy)

An acculturation strategy where an individual does not interact with either their heritage culture or US culture.

Rite of passage

A major life event or change, such as marriage or a new job, that marks a transition to adulthood.

Peer influence across cultures

Variations in social influence from peers, which is stronger in school-based societies and weaker where family remains central.

Developmental tasks of middle adulthood

Key milestones during middle adulthood including achieving career stability and contributing to one's culture and family/social life.

Preferred partner trait

Kindness and understanding, which is the trait most consistently preferred in romantic partners across cultures.

Arranged marriages in collectivistic societies

Marriages viewed positively in collectivistic cultures because they integrate families together and support one another.

Allomothering

Shared caregiving provided by individuals other than the mother, such as a father, caregiver, grandparent, or teacher.

Contemporary elder care trends

Changes in care arrangements for elders driven by industrialization, urbanization, and smaller families, resulting in an increased reliance on alternative care systems.