theories of develop

How is development defined in psychology?

The systematic changes and continuities that individuals display over the course of their lives.

What is the difference between maturation and learning in development?

Maturation refers to biological changes resulting from the aging process, while learning refers to changes in behavior resulting from experience or practice.

What is 'normative development'?

Typical patterns of development observed across most or all individuals.

What is 'individual development'?

Variations in the rate, extent, or direction of development that are unique to a specific individual.

What are the four key issues in developmental psychology?

Nature vs. Nurture, Active vs. Passive, Stability vs. Change, and Continuity vs. Discontinuity.

What was the primary purpose of 'baby biographies' in the 1800s?

They were early attempts to record child development, helping to put the subject on the scientific agenda.

What method did G.S. Hall use to study children's minds?

He distributed questionnaires to large samples of children to obtain more reliable data.

What is the core focus of psychoanalytic theories?

Understanding human behavior through unconscious drives and motives stemming from early life experiences.

What are the five stages of Freud's psychosexual theory?

Oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.

How does Erikson's psychosocial theory differ from Freud's?

Erikson focuses on cultural demands and eight stages of major conflicts or crises that must be resolved throughout the lifespan.

What is the central premise of behaviorism in development?

Human behavior is learned through experience with the environment, specifically through conditioning.

What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning?

Classical conditioning involves the pairing of stimuli, while operant conditioning shapes behavior through consequences like reinforcement and punishment.

What does social learning theory suggest about behavior?

Behavior is learned through the observation and imitation of models.

What is the focus of cognitive developmental theories?

Understanding changes in children's thinking through the acquisition of new mental operations.

What are the four stages of Piaget's cognitive development theory?

Sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete-operational, and formal operational.

How does Vygotsky's sociocultural theory view cognitive growth?

As a socially mediated process that is heavily influenced by culture.

What is the 'information-processing' approach to development?

A perspective that uses a computer model to explain cognitive development and thinking.

What is the focus of the ethological (evolutionary) perspective?

The contribution of human evolution to psychology, assuming behavior depends on species-specific inborn motives shaped by natural selection.

What does Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems approach analyze?

The detailed environmental influences and the context in which an individual child grows up.

What is the 'testing effect' mentioned in the context of Feedback 5?

The finding that testing information you have just learned supports student satisfaction, memory, and understanding.

What does it mean that development is a 'holistic process'?

It means that development involves the integration of various domains (biological, cognitive, social) rather than occurring in isolation.

What does 'plasticity' refer to in development?

The capacity for change and the ability to adapt to different experiences throughout the lifespan.

Why is it difficult to separate maturation and learning?

Because biological maturation and environmental experience are deeply intertwined and influence each other throughout development.

What is the primary benefit of studying child development for social policy?

It helps society adopt wiser policies that promote children's well-being and protect their rights.

stability vs change

whether traits remain consistent or change over time

continuous vs discontinuous development

gradual development vs stage-like changes

learning

behaviour resulting from experience and practice

what drives Freuds theory

unconscious sexual drives and maturation

what is eriksons stages based on

psychosocial conflicts across 8 stages

what did Piaget propose

children actively construct knowledge through stages

quantitative vs qualitative change

change in amount vs change in type

nature vs nurture

whether development is driven by genetics or environment

what did vygotsky propose

social and cultural influences on cognitive development

eriksons stages

trust, autonomy, identity, intimacy, generativity