Final Exam Review: Lifespan Development

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering core concepts, research designs, cultural influences, physical/brain development, and major theories as outlined in the Lifespan Development final exam review.

Intra-individual changes

Changes that occur within a single person over time.

Inter-individual changes

Differences that exist between people.

Nature and Nurture

The relative influence of genetics versus environment on development.

Continuous vs. Discontinuous Development

The debate of whether change is gradual or occurs in distinct stages.

Sensitive Periods

Windows of heightened susceptibility during which changes can occur, though they may still occur later.

Critical Periods

Windows where certain changes must occur or they cannot be reversed, such as infant speech perception.

History-graded influences

Influences tied to a specific historical era, such as a pandemic or war.

Age-graded influences

Influences tied to a particular age, such as puberty or retirement.

Socio-cultural graded influences

Influences resulting from an individual's cultural and social context.

Non-normative influences

Unique events that affect only some individuals, such as a car accident.

Longitudinal Studies

Research that measures behavior or mental states of the same individuals as they age; ideal for studying intra-individual changes.

Cross-Sectional Studies

Research where people of different ages are compared at the same point in time to study inter-individual changes.

Cohort Effects

Differences in research findings that result from being born in a particular era rather than chronological age.

Sequential Studies

Research that examines several age groups over multiple points in time, combining longitudinal and cross-sectional approaches.

Culture (Arnett & Jensen, 2016)

The total pattern of a group's customs, beliefs, art, and technology; a common way of life passed between generations.

Individualistic cultures

Cultures that emphasize self-reliance, self-direction, self-expression, and hedonism.

Collectivistic cultures

Cultures that emphasize conformity, security, and interdependence.

Horizontal Individualism

A dimension characterized by an intolerance of inequality, exemplified by Sweden.

Vertical Individualism

A dimension characterized by competition for distinctness and a tolerance of inequality, exemplified by the United States.

Vertical Collectivism

Traditional societies characterized by hierarchy, such as India.

Voluntary Settlement Hypothesis

A hypothesis predicting cultural differences between new and old frontiers, such as Boston versus San Francisco.

Multifactorial transmission

The concept that traits emerge from a combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors.

Epigenetics

The study of how environment changes gene expression without altering the DNA sequence.

Gray matter volume peak

The stage of brain development occurring in early childhood.

Subcortical volume peak

The stage of brain development occurring in late childhood or adolescence.

White matter volume peak

The stage of brain development occurring in young adulthood.

Synaptogenesis

The formation of new synapses in the brain during adolescence.

Pruning

The elimination of unused synapses in the brain.

Socioemotional Network

A brain network that becomes more forceful during puberty, is oversensitive, and more salient.

Cognitive-Control Network

A brain network that is not fully developed in adolescence and lacks cross-talk among regions.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

The theory that language influences cognition and shapes conceptual frameworks.

Mediated Cognition

Higher cognitive processes of conscious awareness focused on intentional objects not perceptually present.

Intelligence Correlation (Identical Twins)

The correlation of intelligence between identical twins is documented as $0.86$.

Intelligence Correlation (Fraternal Twins)

The correlation of intelligence between fraternal twins is documented as $0.60$.

Genetic variance in intelligence

The percentage of variance in intelligence attributed to genetics, ranging from $50\%-70\%$.

Explicit social self-awareness

A developmental milestone that emerges at approximately $18$ months.

Kohlberg's theory

A theory describing stages of moral reasoning: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.

Gilligan's theory

A theory of moral development focused on the ethics of care, contrasted with a justice orientation.

Evolutionary theory (Gender)

A biological explanation for gender differences based on parental investment.