Chapter 1 Lifespan Development

Lifespan Human Development

An approach to studying human development that examines ways in which individuals grow, change, and stay the same throughout their lives, from conception to death.

Physical Development

Changes in body structure and function over time, including growth, motor skills, and health.

Cognitive Development

The progression of mental abilities and processes, including learning, memory, and problem-solving.

Socioemotional Development

The evolution of emotional skills, personality, and social interactions throughout life.

Plasticity

The capacity for change in response to experiences; indicates that individuals can adapt throughout their lifespan.

Resilience

The ability to recover and adapt in the face of adversity or challenges.

Context

The various environments and circumstances surrounding an individual's life that impact development.

Culture

Shared beliefs, values, and practices that shape behavior and development within a group.

Cohort

A group of individuals who experience the same significant life events within the same time period.

Continuous Development

Development characterized by gradual and ongoing change, rather than discrete stages.

Discontinuous Development

Development occurring in distinct stages with qualitative differences between them.

Nature-Nurture Issue

The debate regarding the relative contributions of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) to human development.

Theory Hypotheses

Statements that can be tested within the framework of a theory to predict outcomes in development.

Psychoanalytic Theories

Frameworks focusing on unconscious processes and early life experiences, particularly by Freud and Erikson.

Behaviorism

The theory that behavior is learned through interactions with the environment, focusing on observable behaviors.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process through which associations are formed between a stimulus and a response, as demonstrated by Pavlov's experiments.

Operant Conditioning

A method of learning that employs rewards and punishments for behavior modification, developed by Skinner.

Reinforcement

Any consequence that strengthens the likelihood of a behavior occurring again.

Punishment

A consequence that decreases the likelihood of a behavior being repeated.

Social Learning Theory

Bandura's theory emphasizing the role of observational learning, imitation, and modeling in behavior.

Observational Learning

Learning that occurs through watching others and imitating their behaviors.

Reciprocal Determinism

The concept that personal, behavioral, and environmental factors all interact to influence behavior.

Cognitive-Developmental Perspective

A view focusing on the ways in which cognitive abilities develop in stages, notably proposed by Piaget.

Cognitive Schemas

Mental structures that organize and interpret information to help individuals understand the world.

Information Processing Theory

A cognitive perspective that compares human thinking to computer processing, focusing on how information is processed.

Sociocultural Theory

Vygotsky's theory emphasizing the importance of social interaction and cultural context in cognitive development.

Bioecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner's framework that explores how various environmental systems influence development.

Microsystem

The immediate environment in which a person lives, including relationships and actions affecting the individual directly.

Mesosystem

The interconnectedness of various microsystems, such as the relationship between a child's home and school.

Exosystem

Broader social systems that indirectly influence an individual, like parental workplace policies.

Macrosystem

The overarching cultural and societal influences that affect an individual's development.

Chronosystem

The dimension of time in environmental systems that emphasizes the timing of events and transitions in individuals' lives.

Ethology

The study of behavior in animals and humans in their natural environments, emphasizing evolutionary aspects.

Evolutionary Developmental Theory

An approach focusing on the interplay of biological and environmental influences over time.

Psychosocial Development

Erikson's theory focusing on the development of personality and social relationships across eight stages.

Applying Developmental Science

The use of research findings in real-world settings to improve individuals' lives and support healthy development.

Scientific Method

A systematic approach to inquiry involving observation, hypothesis formulation, experimentation, and analysis.

Open-Ended Interview

An interview format that allows participants to respond in their own words, providing qualitative insights.

Structured Interview

A rigid interview format with predefined questions, ensuring uniformity across interviews.

Questionnaire

A research instrument consisting of a series of questions designed to gather information from respondents.

Naturalistic Observation

A research method involving the observation of behavior in its natural context without interference.

Structured Observation

A controlled observational method where researchers create specific conditions to observe behavior.

Correlational Research

Research that examines the relationships between variables but does not imply causation.

Experimental Research

A method that manipulates one variable to determine its effect on another variable.

Dependent Variable

The variable in an experiment that is measured and affected by changes in the independent variable.

Independent Variable

The variable that is manipulated or changed in an experiment to observe its effects on the dependent variable.

Random Assignment

A technique used in experiments to ensure that participants are placed in groups randomly, enhancing the validity of findings.

Cross-Sectional Research

Research design that compares individuals from different age groups at the same point in time.

Longitudinal Research

A research design that follows the same individuals over time to assess changes and developments.

Sequential Research Design

A method combining cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches to study developmental trends.