Introduction to Human Development Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the basic principles of human development, lifespan perspectives, and the theories of Piaget and Erikson.

Human Development

The physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development of humans throughout the lifespan, from birth to death.

3 Domains in Human Development

1. Physical Development

   • Growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness.

2. Psychosocial Development

   • Development involving emotions, personality, and social relationships.

3. Cognitive Development

   • Development involving learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity.

Continuous Development

A cumulative process of development that gradually improves on existing skills, similar to a plant growing.

Discontinuous Development

Development that occurs in unique stages at specific times or ages, similar to Pokémon evolution.

Nature

Influences on development stemming from biology and genetics.

Nurture

Influences on development stemming from environment, including parents, peers, and culture.

3 key issues in Human Development

1. Is change smooth or uneven (continuous vs discontinuous)?

2. Is this pattern of change the same for everyone, or are there different patterns of change (one course of development versus many courses)?

3. How do genetics and environment interact to influence development (nature versus nurture)?

Continuos

[Human Development] What type of development is this?

A child learning to read starts by recognizing letters, then sounding out words, and gradually advances to reading full sentences and books. Each stage builds on the previous skills.

Continuos

[Human Development] What type of development is this?

A pianist improves their ability over time by practicing scales, learning simple pieces, and eventually mastering complex compositions.

Discontinuos

[Human Development] What type of development is this?

A teenager experiencing a growth spurt during puberty is a clear stage-based developmental change that happens at a specific age range.

Paul Baltes

The German psychologist who developed the lifespan perspective approach to studying development.

Plasticity

The principle that developmental characteristics are malleable or changeable in response to life experiences.

Multidirectional

The principle that development involves both growth and decline, with gains in some areas coinciding with losses in others.

Age-Graded Influence

A contextual influence where a child starts kindergarten at age 5 and learns social rules like taking turns.

History-Graded Influence

A contextual influence where a specific time period, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, impacts an entire generation.

Non-normative Influence

A unique life event, such as a 25-year-old losing a parent unexpectedly, that significantly shapes an individual's outlook.

Socio-economic Status

A factor defined by education, income, and occupation that influences lifestyles, parenting styles, and stressors.

Culture

A blueprint shared by a group of people specifying how to live, including values, language, and ideas about right and wrong.

Schema

A mental framework or blueprint that organizes and interprets information from the world.

Assimilation

The process of fitting new information into existing schemas, such as a child calling a cat a "dog" because it has four legs.

Accommodation

The process of modifying existing schemas to incorporate new information that does not fit.

Equilibrium

The process of keeping knowledge organized by balancing assimilation and accommodation.

Object Permanence

The understanding that things continue to exist even when they are unseen, learned during the Sensori-Motor Stage.

Egocentrism

A characteristic of the Pre-Operational Stage where children see the world only from their own perspective.

Conservation

The understanding that changes in the shape of an object do not mean changes in quantity, developed in the Concrete Operational Stage.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget’s final stage for ages $11$ and above where individuals can think abstractly and solve hypothetical problems.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson’s first stage ($0-1$ year) where infants develop hope if caregivers provide consistent care.

Identity Crisis

A term coined by Erik Erikson to describe the struggle adolescents face while exploring roles and forming a personal identity.

Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson’s stage for school-age children ($6-12$ years) focused on mastering new skills and developing competence.

Fidelity

The virtue gained when an adolescent successfully resolves the conflict of Identity vs. Role Confusion.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson’s middle adulthood stage (40-65 years) focused on contributing to society and supporting the next generation.