In Class Notes 8/29: Understanding Human Development and Influences

Human Development

The science of understanding how and why people of all ages and circumstances change and remain the same over time.

Multidirectional

Human characteristics change in all directions, not just in one direction.

Multicontextual

Development occurs within different contexts, such as historical context, socioeconomic status, and culture.

Multicultural

Development is influenced by multiple cultures and cultural backgrounds.

Plastic

Development is moldable and durable, meaning it can be shaped and changed over time.

Cohort

A group of individuals born within a few years of each other, sharing similar historical experiences.

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A measure that includes income, wealth, occupation, education, and neighborhood, affecting various areas of development.

Culture

A system of shared beliefs, norms, and behaviors that guide social behavior.

Social constructions

Based on shared perceptions, not objective reality.

Difference equals deficit error

The assumption that one's own culture is superior to others, leading to biases and misunderstandings.

Vygotsky's Theory

Emphasizes the interaction between culture and education, learning cultural knowledge through observation and interaction.

Ethnicity

A social construction affected by social context, more than biology.

Race

A social construction that can lead to racism, affecting development.

Nature vs

A debated topic focusing on the influence of biology (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) on human development.

Epigenetics

The study of how environmental factors affect genetic expression, bridging nature and nurture.

Differential Susceptibility

The varying degrees of environmental influence on individuals based on their genetic makeup.

Critical Periods

Specific times when certain developmental milestones must occur, or they will not happen at all.

Sensitive Periods

Times when development is more responsive to environmental influences, but not a one-time opportunity.

Language Development

A critical aspect of human development, especially from 0 to 3 years old, where the brain is primed to learn language.

Ecological Systems Approach

Bronfenbrenner's theory that states every person develops within multiple contexts, including microsystem, mesosystem, and macrosystem.

Psychoanalytic Theory

Freud's theory proposing that irrational, unconscious drives and motives guide behavior, developed in childhood.

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory

Emphasizes the importance of childhood experiences and includes adult stages, with developmental crises to overcome.

Trust Issues

Unresolved trust issues from early childhood can lead to difficulties in forming healthy relationships in adulthood.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process involving associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to elicit an unconditioned response.

Operant Conditioning

A learning process that uses rewards and punishments to modify behavior.

Social Learning

A learning process that involves observing and imitating others.

Bobo Doll Study

An experiment demonstrating that children learn behaviors by observing adults, particularly aggressive or non-aggressive actions.

Cognitive Theory

Piaget's theory focusing on how thinking and brain development changes over time, occurring in stages.

Chronosystem

Part of Bronfenbrenner's theory, referring to the effect of time and age on human development.