Developmental Psychology

Schema

frameworks that help us organize and interpret info

Ex. kid learns ___ for dog through picture books

Assimilation

Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas

Ex. kid might call any four-legged animal a dog

Accommodation

Adjusting current schemas to incorporate new info

Ex. kid recognizes a cat is not the same as a dog

Piaget’s stages: Sensorimotor

birth-2 years

babies experience the world through senses and they learn that they can do things through movement

Object Permanence

Within Sensorimotor stage

Recognizing that something is still there even if they can’t see it

Piaget’s stages: Preoperational

2-7 years

the child learns to use language but cannot comprehend conservation

Piaget’s stages: Concrete operational

7-12 years

kids can think logically about physical events and understand math transformations; understand conservation

Piaget’s stage: Formal Operational

12+ years

develop abstract thinking and be able to consider hypotheticals and estimate consequences

Stranger Anxiety

common in infants when they feel anxious around people they do not know or aren’t comfortable with

Secure attachment

infants in their mother’s presence are comfortable and explore their environment but become distressed when she leaves. When she returns they seek contact with her.

Insecure attachment

Infants in their mother’s presence cling to her or don’t explore their environment and become distressed when she leaves. When she returns they remain upset.

Critical Period

early in life when exposure to certain stimuli and events leads to normal development

Imprinting

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period

Temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Basic trust

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy and is formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

Self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question “who am I?”

Erikson’s theory: Trust vs Mistrust

infancy-1 year

if needs are met they develop trust

Erikson’s theory: Autonomy vs shame and doubt

1-3 years

toddlers will learn to do things for themselves or will doubt their own abilities

Erikson’s theory: Initiative vs guilt

3-6 years

preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans or to be guilty about efforts at independence

Erikson’s theory: Competence vs inferiority

6 years-puberty

kids will learn to enjoy applying themselves to tasks or they will feel inferior

Erikson’s theory: Identity vs role confusion

puberty-20s

teens work at testing roles and then forming them into an identity or they become confused about who they are

Erikson’s theory: Intimacy vs isolation

20s-early 40s

young adults form close relationships and develop a capacity for intimacy or they feel socially isolated

Erikson’s theory: Generativity vs stagnation

40s-60s

middle-aged people develop a sense of contributing to the world or feel a lack of purpose

Erikson’s theory: Integrity vs despair

60s+

as older adults reflect on life they feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment or a sense of failure

Gender role

a set of expected behaviors for males or females

Gender identity

our sense of being male or female

Social learning thoery

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating & by being rewarded or punished

Gender typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

Transgender

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

Identity

a consistent and comfortable sense of who we are

Social identity

part of our identity that comes from group membership

Emerging adulthood

a period from the late teens to mid-20s bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

Primary sex characteristics

the body structures that make sexual reproduction possible such as ovaries, testes, and external genitalia

Secondary sex characteristics

nonreproductive sexual traits such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

Sexual orientation

when during sexual attraction one feels to the opposite (heterosexual), same (homosexual), or both (bisexual) sexes

long-lasting and unchanging

more influenced by biology than the environment

Menopause

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

Social clock

a social standard that says there are certain expectations about when people should get married, have kids, retire, etc

most powerful when comparing yourself to others

Authoritarian parenting

impose rules and expect obedience

Permissive parenting

submit to their children’s desires; make few demands and use little punishment

indulgent - best friends

neglectful - ignores kids and acts as if they’re an inconvenience

Authoritative parenting

both demanding and responsive; exert control by setting rules and enforcing them but also explain the reason for rules; encourage open discussion when making the rules