Psych- theories and research methods

Developmental Science

seeks to understand how and why people change or remain the same over time

Lifespan Perspective

the view that changes—both gains and losses—occur across the entire lifespan

ex. both multidisciplinary and multicontextual

What are the three Developmental Domains?

physical, cognitive, and social

Nature vs. Nurture

the core issue examining the roles of biological maturation versus environmental influences

ex. they both interconnect

Continuous vs. Discontinuous Development

continuous development involves quantitative change, while discontinuous development involves qualitative change

ex. pine seed to pine tree vs. caterpillar to butterfly

Normative Age-Graded Changes

involves biological maturation and social clock experiences tied to chronological age

Normative History-Graded Changes

involves experiences that vary by cohort due to a shared historical context

Non-Normative Changes

involves unique, unshared events and individual differences that can lead to atypical development

Plasticity

the capacity for human traits and development to be molded or changed throughout life

Sensitive and Critical Periods

specific timing windows when development is especially vulnerable or responsive to particular experiences

Cross-Sectional Research

comparing people of different age groups at the same point in time

ex. study failed to account for the “cohort effect”

Longitudinal Research

studying the same group of people over a long period of time and testing intelligence every few years

ex. study takes a while to complete; participants may become complacent with tests; experiences cohort effect

Cross-Sequential Research

a research design that combines both cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches

ex. eliminates cohort effect by introducing new participants

Psychoanalytic Theories

emphasize the influence of unconscious processes and early childhood experiences

ex. Freud proposed theory that development occurred through psychosexual stages

ex. Erikson proposed theory that development occurs through psychosocial stages

Social Learning Theory

Bandura's approach that views behavior changes through experiences while recognizing the role of cognition

What were the stages of Cognitive Development?

sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational

Sociocultural Theory

Vygotsky's theory that emphasizes the unique social and cultural contexts and guided participation

ex. views child as an apprentice

Bioecological Theory

focuses on the interconnection of contextual influences across multiple systems on development

ex. Bronfenbrenner's model

Eclectic Approach

the perspective that many theories are necessary to fully explain human development across the lifespan

Cohort effect

a difference in behavior, attitudes, or health among a group of people who share a common life experience or historical background

Cognitive theory

explains how we come to know, understand, and think about the world

ex. emphasizes mental processes

What are the systems involved in the bioecological theory?

microsystem: direct and immediate impact

mesosystem: interpersonal relationships

exosystem: indirectly impacts person

macrosystem: cultural values and morals

chronosystem: temporal influences

Behaviorism

focuses on overt, observable behaviors and the processes by which behaviors are learned

ex. involves both classical and operant conditioning

Social leaning

observational learning that recognizes the role of cognition

ex. lean by imitation

Information processing approach

focuses on processes involved in taking information in and processing it

Ethology

considers behavior in terms of the adaptive or survival value of actions

ex. features biological influences

Assimilation vs. Accomidation

assimilation revises information to fit existing schema

accommodation revises schema to include new information