The Life-Span Perspective on Development

These flashcards cover key concepts and theories related to the life-span perspective of development.

Development

Pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the human life-span.

Traditional Approach

Emphasizes extensive change from birth to adolescence, little to none in adulthood, and decline in old age.

Life-Span Approach

Emphasizes developmental change throughout childhood and adulthood.

Life Span

Length of time a species can exist under the most optimal conditions.

Life Expectancy

Predicted number of years a person born in a particular time period can reasonably expect to live.

Periods of Development

Stages of human growth that include prenatal, infancy, early childhood, middle and late childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, early adulthood, middle adulthood, and late adulthood.

Erickson's Psychosocial Theory

Each period of life has a unique crisis a person must face.

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Cognitive Theory

A theory that emphasizes the importance of social interaction and culture in cognitive development.

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory

A theory describing how children's understanding of the world evolves through different stages.

Pavlov's Classical Conditioning

A learning process that occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus.

Skinner's Operant Conditioning

A method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior.

Bandura's Social Learning Theory

The theory that people learn from one another through observation, imitation, and modeling.

Brofenbrenner's Ecological Theory

A theory that emphasizes the multiple influences on human development, including environment and cultural context.

Cross-Sectional Approach

A research design comparing individuals of different ages at one time.

Longitudinal Approach

A research design in which the same individuals are studied over a long period of time.

Sequential Research

A research method that combines elements of both cross-sectional and longitudinal designs.