Developmental Psychology: Research Methods, Attachment, and Psychosocial Stages

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering developmental psychology research methods, self-control paradigms, attachment theory, the Strange Situation classification, Erik Erikson's eight psychosocial stages, and election information from the lecture materials.

The "Blue Book"

Colorado's official, nonpartisan ballot guide written by legislative staff, containing plain-language summaries of all $14$ statewide ballot measures with arguments for and against, as well as evaluations of judges.

Vote411.org

A nonpartisan voting guide website developed by the League of Women Voters that displays candidate responses to identical questions side-by-side.

Ballotpedia.org

A nonpartisan digital resource where voters can enter their address to view every race and measure appearing on their ballot, along with candidate biographies and full measure text.

Colorado Mail Ballot Deadline

The statutory requirement that voter registration must be completed by Monday, October $26$ to receive a mail ballot, and all returned ballots must arrive by $7\text{ p.m.}$ on Election Day, November $3$ (postmarks do not count).

Marshmallow Task

An experimental paradigm developed by Dr. Walter Mischel to measure self-control in young children by presenting a choice between eating one marshmallow immediately or waiting $10\text{ minutes}$ to receive two marshmallows.

Delay Discounting

A cognitive assessment task used to measure self-control and impulsivity in adults by offering choices between smaller immediate rewards (such as $\$20$ today) versus larger delayed rewards (such as $\$25$ in one month).

Longitudinal Design

A developmental research method that repeatedly observes and assesses the same cohort of participants across multiple time points over months, years, or decades to establish temporal ordering.

Cross-Sectional Cohort Design

A research design that compares different age cohorts simultaneously at a single point in time to investigate age-related differences in behavior, attitudes, or cognition.

Cohort

A group of individuals born during the same time period or defined by a shared, defining historical, cultural, or social experience (e.g., Millennials, Gen Z, Iraq War veterans).

Cohort Effect

A confounding factor in cross-sectional research where observed differences between age groups result from unique generational, historical, or technological exposures rather than true developmental aging.

Attrition

The loss or dropout of study participants over time due to relocation, loss of contact, disinterest, or mortality, which threatens internal validity and sample representativeness in longitudinal studies.

Watts et al. (2018)

A replication study of Walter Mischel's marshmallow task which revealed that the correlation between early self-control and later achievement at age $18$ significantly diminishes when controlling for socioeconomic status (SES), family background, and early cognitive skills.

Attachment Theory

The developmental framework originated by John Bowlby stating that forming a secure emotional and physical bond with at least one primary caregiver is an innate evolutionary necessity critical for survival and psychological growth.

Safe Haven

An attachment function wherein an infant or child returns to their primary caregiver for comfort, security, and emotional soothing when threatened, hurt, or distressed.

Secure Base

An attachment function in which the presence of an available, reliable caregiver gives a child the safety and confidence required to explore novel environments.

Harlow's Surrogate Mother Experiment

A landmark 1950s study by Harry Harlow with infant rhesus monkeys demonstrating that infants preferred a soft, cloth-covered surrogate mother over a bare wire mother that provided milk, confirming that attachment is rooted in contact comfort rather than mere food reinforcement.

Strange Situation

A standardized observational laboratory procedure developed by Mary Ainsworth in 1969 consisting of eight three-minute episodes designed to assess the quality of infant-caregiver attachment in infants aged $12\text{ to }18\text{ months}$.

Reunion Response

The critical observation period in Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation when the primary caregiver returns to the room, used as the primary diagnostic indicator to classify infant attachment styles.

Secure Attachment

An attachment style characterized by infants who explore freely when the caregiver is present, exhibit distress upon separation, but are readily soothed and happy upon the caregiver's return (representing approximately $70\%$ of infants studied by Ainsworth).

Anxious-Avoidant Attachment

An insecure attachment style where infants show little outward distress upon caregiver departure, avoid contact or ignore the caregiver upon reunion, and treat strangers similarly, despite exhibiting high physiological stress (found in roughly $15\%$ of infants).

Ambivalent Attachment

An insecure attachment pattern marked by extreme distress prior to separation, intense anxiety with strangers, and contradictory reunion behavior that alternates between seeking proximity and angrily resisting contact (found in roughly $15\%$ of infants).

Disorganized Attachment

An attachment classification added in 1990 by Mary Main and Judith Solomon to categorize infants displaying confused, contradictory, or fragmented behavioral responses during reunion, such as approaching the caregiver while looking away or freezing.

Caregiver Sensitivity Hypothesis

Mary Ainsworth's hypothesis stating that variations in infant attachment styles stem directly from the primary caregiver's responsiveness, predictability, and emotional attunement during a critical developmental period.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erik Erikson's first psychosocial stage (ages $0\text{ to }1.5\text{ years}$) in which infants develop the basic virtue of hope if caregiving is predictable and warm, or chronic anxiety if care is neglectful and inconsistent.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's second psychosocial stage (ages $1.5\text{ to }3\text{ years}$) where toddlers attempt independent actions; supportive guidance fosters the virtue of will, whereas excessive criticism or restriction results in self-doubt.

Initiative vs. Guilt

Erikson's third psychosocial stage (ages $3\text{ to }5\text{ years}$) in which preschoolers initiate play and ask questions; adult encouragement cultivates the virtue of purpose, while scolding and over-control induce excessive guilt.

Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson's fourth psychosocial stage (ages $5\text{ to }12\text{ years}$) where school-age children strive to master academic and social tasks; praise and encouragement develop the virtue of competency, while repeated failure or harsh comparison fosters feelings of inferiority.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage (ages $12\text{ to }18\text{ years}$) where adolescents explore personal values, beliefs, and vocational paths; cohesive integration of self yields the virtue of fidelity, while unresolved exploration leads to role confusion.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's sixth psychosocial stage (ages $18\text{ to }40\text{ years}$) wherein young adults seek deep, committed interpersonal relationships; successful intimacy fosters the virtue of love, while fear of vulnerability leads to emotional isolation.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's seventh psychosocial stage (ages $40\text{ to }65\text{ years}$) centered on contributing to society, raising children, and mentoring; active contribution develops the virtue of care, while self-absorption produces stagnation.

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's eighth and final psychosocial stage (ages $65+\text{ years}$) where individuals reflect on their life history; viewing one's life as meaningful yields the virtue of wisdom and peace, whereas unresolved regrets culminate in despair.