Chapter 1: Human Development

human development

focuses on the scientific study of the systematic processes of change and stability in people, starting from conception

life span development

• from “womb to tomb” comprising the entire human life span from conception to death.

• concept of human development as lifelong process, which can be studied scientifically

life-span perspective

views development as lifelong, multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary, and contextual, and as a process that involves growth, maintenance, and regulation of loss

• describe

• explain

• predict

• intervene

what are the four goals of human development?

• physical

• cognitive

• psychosocial

what are the domains of development?

social construction

a concept or practice that is an invention of a particular culture or society.

Heredity

can be conceptualized as the genetic roll of the dice. It consists of the inborn traits and characteristics provided by a child’s biological parents.

Environment

outside the body, starting at conception with the prenatal environment in the womb and continuing throughout life.

nuclear

Two-generational; a household unit consisting of one or two parents and their children, whether biological, adopted, or stepchildren.

polygamy

one parent (most commonly the father) is married to multiple spouses

extended

a multigenerational network of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and more distant relatives—is the traditional family form

socioeconomic status

based on family income and the educational and occupational levels of the adults in the household.

culture

society’s or group’s total way of life, including its customs, traditions, laws, knowledge, beliefs, values, language, and physical products, from tools to artworks—all of the behavior and attitudes that are learned, shared, and transmitted among members of a social group.

individualistic

priority on personal goals and encourage people to view themselves as distinct individuals.

collectivistic

more concerned with collective goals and group dynamics. In these cultures, people are more likely to view themselves with respect to their relationships with others

race

refers to the concept of dividing people into groups on the basis of various sets of physical characteristics and the process of ascribing social meaning to those groups

ethnicity

refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language

ethnic group

consists of people united by a distinctive culture, ancestry, religion, language, or national origin, all of which contribute to a sense of shared identity and shared attitudes, beliefs, and values.

ethnic minorities

ethnic groups with national or cultural traditions different from the majority of the population, and they are often affected by prejudice and discrimination

ethnic gloss

an overgeneralization that obscures or blurs such variations.

historical context

over time investigators began to focus on how influences tied to time and place affect the course of people’s lives

normative age-graded influences

• highly similar for people in a particular age group

• timing of biological events is fairly predictable within a normal range

normative history-graded influences

significant events (such as World War II or the COVID-19 pandemic) that shape the behavior and attitudes of a historical generation

historical generation

a group of people who experience the event at a formative time in their lives

cohort

a group of people born at about the same time. can part of a historical generation only if they experience major, shaping historical events at a formative point in their lives

historical generation

a group of people who experience the event at a formative time in their lives

nonnormative influences

• unusual events that have a major impact on individual lives because they disturb the expected sequence of the life cycle

• typical events that happen at an atypical time of life (such as the death of a parent when a child is young) or atypical events (such as surviving a plane crash)

imprinting

newly hatched goslings will instinctively follow the first moving object they see, whether it is a member of their species or not

critical period

a specific time when a given event, or its absence, has a specific impact on development

sensitive period

time/s when a developing person is especially responsive to certain kinds of experience