Unit 3 - Developmental Psychology Themes and Methods
Unit 3 - Part 1: Vocabulary List
3.1 – Themes and Methods in Developmental Psychology
Developmental Psychology: A field focused on how people grow and change throughout life.
Themes in Developmental Psychology
Stability vs. Change: Examines whether personality traits remain consistent or change over time.
Nature vs. Nurture: Discusses the influence of genetic inheritance (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) on development.
Continuous vs. Discontinuous: Questions if development is a gradual process (continuous) or involves distinct stages (discontinuous).
3.2 – Physical Development Across the Lifespan
Teratogens: Environmental agents that can cause harm during prenatal development.
Rooting Reflex: An infant's natural inclination to turn their head toward a touch on their cheek and seek nourishment.
Critical / Sensitive Periods: Specific time frames during development when certain skills or abilities are most easily acquired.
Imprinting (in animals): A process where young animals form attachments to the first moving object they encounter, typically their mother.
Primary vs. Secondary Sex Characteristics:
Primary: Physical features directly involved in reproduction (e.g., reproductive organs).
Secondary: Physical features that emerge during puberty that are not directly involved in reproduction (e.g., breast development, body hair).
Menarche vs. Spermarche:
Menarche: The first occurrence of menstruation in females.
Spermarche: The first occurrence of sperm production in males.
3.3 – Gender and Sexual Orientation
Sex: The biological classification based on physical characteristics (e.g., male, female).
Gender: Social and cultural roles and behaviors associated with being male or female.
Gender Roles/Gender Identity: Expectations and norms for behavior associated with one's gender and how individuals identify themselves.
Social Learning Theory and Gender Typing: A theory suggesting that gender roles are learned through observation, imitation, and reinforcement from the environment.
3.4 – Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan
Schemas: Cognitive structures that help organize and interpret information.
Assimilation: Integrating new experiences into existing schemas without changing the schema.
Accommodation: Modifying existing schemas to incorporate new experiences.
Jean Piaget’s Stages of Cognitive Development:
Sensorimotor Stage: (Birth to ~2 years) - Involves the development of mental symbols, pretend play, and understanding object permanence.
Preoperational Stage: (2 to ~7 years) - Characterized by an inability to understand conservation, lack of reversibility, tendency towards animism and egocentrism, and the emergence of theory of mind.
Concrete Operational Stage: (7 to ~11 years) - Logical thinking develops but struggles with abstract and systematic thinking.
Formal Operational Stage: (11 years and up) - Ability to think hypothetically and abstractly.
Scaffolding: A teaching method that involves providing support to help students achieve higher levels of understanding.
Zone of Proximal Development: The difference between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance.
Neurocognitive Disorders (e.g., dementia, Alzheimer’s): Disorders affecting cognitive functioning due to brain damage or disease.
3.5 – Communication & Language Development
Language: A system of communication using sounds or symbols to convey meaning.
Broca’s/Wernicke’s Areas & Aphasia:
Broca’s Area: Region in the frontal lobe associated with speech production. Damage leads to Broca’s aphasia, characterized by difficulty in speech.
Wernicke’s Area: Region in the temporal lobe linked to language comprehension. Damage leads to Wernicke’s aphasia, where speech may be fluent but nonsensical.
Phonemes & Morphemes:
Phonemes: The smallest units of sound in language.
Morphemes: The smallest units of meaning in language.
Grammar: A system of rules that govern the structure of sentences; encompasses semantics (meaning) and syntax (sentence structure).
Productive Language vs. Receptive Language:
Productive Language: The ability to produce and use language.
Receptive Language: The ability to understand language.
Language Development Stages:
Cooing: (Around 2-3 months) - Early vocalization, producing sounds like "oo" and "ah."
Babbling: (Around 4-6 months) - Repetition of consonant-vowel combinations (e.g., "ba-ba").
One-Word Stage: (Around 12 months) - Use of single words to convey meanings (e.g., "milk").
Two-Word Stage (Telegraphic Speech): (Around 18-24 months) - Phrase consisting of two words conveying a simple idea (e.g., "want cookie").
3.6 – Social-Emotional Development Across the Lifespan
Ecological Systems Theory: A framework for understanding human development through various environmental systems:
Microsystems: Immediate environments (e.g., family, school).
Mesosystem: Interactions between microsystems (e.g., parent-teacher relations).
Exosystem: External environments that indirectly affect an individual (e.g., parental workplace).
Macrosystem: Larger cultural context (e.g., laws, customs).
Chronosystem: Impact of time and historical context on an individual's development.
Parenting Styles:
Authoritative: High warmth and high control, promotes independence while maintaining limits.
Authoritarian: Low warmth and high control, rigorous rules with little flexibility.
Permissive: High warmth and low control, indulgent and lenient parenting.
Neglectful: Low warmth and low control, lack of responsiveness to child's needs.
Attachment Styles:
Secure: Positive and trusting relationship style with caregivers.
Insecure: Can be subdivided into three types:
Avoidant: Indifference to caregiver.
Anxious: Clingy and upset when caregivers leave.
Disorganized: A mix of behaviors, showing confusion and apprehension.
Temperament: Innate traits that influence how children experience and interact with the world (e.g., emotional reactivity, self-regulation).
Separation Anxiety: Distress experienced by infants when separated from caregivers.
Harlow’s Monkey Experiment: A study showing the importance of caregiving and comfort in attachment, where infant monkeys preferred soft, nurturing figures over wire mothers that provided food.
Pretend Play: A form of play where children create scenarios and take on roles, indicative of cognitive and social development.
Adolescent Egocentrism: A term describing the heightened self-consciousness and belief that one is special, often manifesting through two concepts:
Imaginary Audience: The belief that others are as preoccupied with the adolescent's appearance and behavior as they are.
Personal Fable: The belief that one's experiences are unique and cannot be understood by others.
Emerging Adulthood: A developmental phase defined by exploration of identity, relationships, and career paths occurring typically from ages 18 to 25.
Social Clock & Culture: The cultural timeline that sets norms for expected life events (e.g., marriage, career). Different cultures may have varying expectations for these milestones.
Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development:
Trust vs. Mistrust: Infancy (0-1 year) - Establishing a sense of safety and security.
Autonomy vs. Shame/Guilt: Early Childhood (1-3 years) - Developing personal control and independence.
Initiative vs. Guilt: Preschool (3-6 years) - Learning to initiate activities and assert power.
Competence vs. Inferiority: School Age (6-12 years) - Mastering skills and gaining self-esteem.
Identity vs. Role Confusion: Adolescence (12-18 years) - Developing a personal sense of self.
Intimacy vs. Isolation: Young Adulthood (18-40 years) - Forming intimate relationships.
Generativity vs. Stagnation: Middle Adulthood (40-65 years) - Contributing to society and guiding the next generation.
Integrity vs. Despair: Late Adulthood (65 years and up) - Reflecting on life with a sense of fulfillment or regret.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Traumatic events occurring in childhood that can have negative, lasting effects on health and well-being.
Adolescent Sense of Identity: Various paths through which adolescents attain identity:
Achievement: Successfully exploring and committing to values and goals.
Diffusion: Lack of direction or commitment to values/goals.
Foreclosure: Commitment without exploration; adopting parental or societal values without personal assessment.
Moratorium: Exploring various options without commitment.
Identity Development via Possible Selves: Refers to an individual’s representation of many alternative aspects of the self that they might become (both positive and negative) and includes aspirations, fears, and goals for the future.