Lifespan Development Lecture Notes Review

Flashcards reviewing key concepts from a lecture on human development.

According to Arthur Burns, when do humans grow?

Humans grow when they become uncomfortable and are pushed towards change.

What is negative bias, in terms of brain function?

Assessing the environment for threats, assuming something bad will happen.

What characterizes the higher order brain in humans?

The capacity to reflect upon ourselves and analyze our behaviors.

What is developmental science?

The study of how humans change or remain the same throughout the lifespan.

What four perspectives are required to understand why humans change or stay the same?

Biological, psychological, cultural, and social/environmental.

What is the term for the life stage encompassing ages 18 to 25?

Emerging adulthood.

What is the difference between the map and the territory, according to Ken Wilbur?

Theory vs. lived experience. Theory is the map, lived experience is the territory.

What are the three reoccurring issues in developmental science?

Whether development is continuous or discontinuous, whether there is one course of development or many (context-specific vs. universal), and what drives development (nature vs. nurture).

What is continuous development?

Steady, gradual growth without significant setbacks.

What is discontinuous development?

Development characterized by distinct stages, conflict, and potential curveballs; experiences are not steady.

What are human universals in development?

Things that all humans go through, like birth, death, and puberty.

What does it mean to say that context is specific to development?

The idea that each human exists within their own unique context (family, culture, generation).

What is 'nature' referring to in the nature vs. nurture debate?

Biology and genetics.

What is 'nurture' referring to in the nature vs. nurture debate?

The environment, including people, relationships, ideas, and culture.

What is stability in the context of development?

The persistence of individual differences and lifelong patterns established by early experiences.

What is plasticity in the context of development?

The brain's ability to change neural pathways throughout life.

In what ways is development not one way?

Multi-dimensional and multi-directional. Many things influencing each other.

What are the three basic capacities that developmental courses often follow?

Physical/biological (including brain development), cognitive, and psychosocial (or socio-emotional).

What is resiliency in the context of development?

The ability to adapt effectively in the face of threats to development.

What is critical to remember when studying development?

It is not a competition or hierarchy.

When studying development, what are the two factors that are unique to each individual?

People develop on their own spectrum and own time spectrum.

In terms of development, what is in our backpacks since the moment we come out of the womb?

All of them are in our backpack from the moment we come out of the womb.

In terms of stages, what occurs in the process?

They can't be skipped and they can't be reversed.

What is part of our social sphere?

Social relationships, cultures, experiences, communication, mutuality, diversity and equity, all are part of our social sphere, our collective spheres of being with other people.