10. Development

Question 1

Adaptive behaviours

Answer 1

activity that enhances an individual’s ability to match the changing demands of their everyday life

Question 2

Adolescence

Answer 2

the developmental period beginning after the onset of puberty from approximately 10 to 20 years old

Question 3

Assimilation

Answer 3

the cognitive process of **incorporating new information into an existing schema **

Question 4

Attachment

Answer 4

a long-lasting emotional bond between an infant anf their primary caregiver

Question 5

Attachment theory

Answer 5

theory that suggests that the bond formed between children and their primary caregivers determines the nature of the child’s emotional development into adulthood

Question 6

Biopsychosocial model

Answer 6

a holistic, interdisciplinary framework for understanding the human experience in terms of the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors

Question 7

Biological factors

Answer 7

internal genetic and/ or physiologically based factors

Question 8

Psychological factors

Answer 8

internal factors pertaining to an individual’s mental processes, including their cognition, affect, thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes

Question 9

Concrete thinking

Answer 9

a type of thought based on knowledge acquired through personal experience which involves literal interpretations of tangible concepts

Question 10

Conservation

Answer 10

the ability to understand that the properties of an object stay the same even when the object’s appearance is altered

Question 11

Critical periods

Answer 11

the narrow, rigid developmental period in which a specific skill or function must be learnt

Question 12

Difficult temperament

Answer 12

relatively stable disposition in which infants are unhappy and have irregular sleeping and eating patterns

Question 13

Disorganised attachment

Answer 13

infant displays problematic and unpredictable behaviours, usually due to extremely negative early life experiences

Question 14

Dizygotic twins

Answer 14

twins who are not identical due to variations in the genes they inherited

Question 15

Easy temperament

Answer 15

relatively stable disposition in which infants are warm and friendly and have established sleeping and eating patterns

Question 16

Egocentrism

Answer 16

inability to understand the perspectives of others

Question 17

Emotional development

Answer 17

the continuous, life-long development of skills which allow individuals to control, express, and recognise emotions in an appropriate way

Question 18

Environmental factors

Answer 18

factors which influence development that arise from an individual’s physical and social surroundings

Question 19

Social factors

Answer 19

external factors relating to an individual’s interactions with others and their external environment, including their relationships and community involvement

Question 20

Frontal lobe development

Answer 20

the growth and neural maturation of the frontal lobe

Question 21

Genetics

Answer 21

the unique, cellular makeup of each individual which is inherited from biological parents

Question 22

Genetic Predisposition

Answer 22

increased likelihood to develop certain traits, including diseases, if certain conditions are met

Question 23

Goal-directed behaviour

Answer 23

the ability to behave in a way which meets the demands of a goal that has been purposefully set out

Question 24

Hereditary factors

Answer 24

factors which influence development that are genetically passed down from biological parents to their offspring

Question 25

Infancy

Answer 25

the developmental period from birth until one years old

Question 26

Insecure-anxious attachment

Answer 26

the infant fluctuates between clinging to and rejecting their primary caregiver, usually due to the caregiver inconsistently meeting the infant’s needs

Question 27

Insecure-avoidant attachment

Answer 27

the infant may be reluctant to or avoid contact from their primary caregiver, usually formed due to a lack of responsiveness to their needs

Question 28

Maturation

Answer 28

the biologically programmed changes which facilitate development from conception through to adulthood

Question 29

Mental wellbeing

Answer 29

an individual’s current psychological state, involving their ability to think, process information, and regulate emotions

Question 30

Monozygotic twins

Answer 30

twins who are identical due to inheriting the exact same genes

Question 31

Nature versus nurture debate

Answer 31

a debate which questions whether development is dependent on hereditary (nature) or environmental (nurture) factors

Question 32

Object permanence

Answer 32

the understanding that an object still exists when it is unable to be seen, heard, or touched

Question 33

Psychological development

Answer 33

an individual’s changes across multiple domains, including the life-long growth across emotional, cognitive and social domains

Question 34

Reversibility

Answer 34

the understanding that objects can experience change and then return to their original form

Question 35

Schema

Answer 35

mental representation of a concept developed through experience

Question 36

Secure attachment

Answer 36

style of attachment formed by a strong emotional bond between the infant and their primary caregiver due to the caregiver consistently meeting the needs of the infant

Question 37

Sensitive periods

Answer 37

the optimal developmental period for a specific function or skill to be learnt

Question 38

Symbolic thinking

Answer 38

a more sophisticated type of thought based on the ability to represent concepts, draw conclusions, and understand hypothetical constructs

Question 39

Temperament

Answer 39

the relatively stable disposition of an individual, including the typical behaviours and emotions they express

Question 40

Typical behaviour

Answer 40

an activity that is consistent with how an individual usually behaves

Question 41

Atypical behaviour

Answer 41

an activity that is unusual or unnatural according to how an individual usually behaves

Question 42

Societal norms

Answer 42

society’s unofficial rules and expectations regarding how individuals should act

Question 43

Statistical rarity

Answer 43

something that lies outside the range of statistical normality and is also unusual enough to be considered significant

Question 44

Personal distress

Answer 44

an aversive and often self-oriented emotional reaction

Question 45

Maladaptive behaviour

Answer 45

an action that impairs an individual’s ability to meet the changing demands of their everyday life

Question 46

Normality

Answer 46

the state of having thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that are considered common and acceptable

Question 47

Abnormality

Answer 47

the state of deviating from the norm, usually in a way that is undesirable

Question 48

Neurodivergent

Answer 48

individuals who have a variation in neurological development and functioning

Question 49

Neurodiversity

Answer 49

variations in neurological development and functioning within and between groups of people, such as those experienced by people with autism

Question 50

Neurotypicality

Answer 50

individuals who display neurological and cognitive functioning in a way that is typical or expected

Question 51

Autism-Spectrum Disorder

Answer 51

neurodevelopmental condition characterised by impaired social interactions, verbal and non-verbal communication difficulties, narrow interests, and repetitive behaviour

Question 52

Attention-Defecit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Answer 52

neurological condition characterised by persistent inattention or hyperactivity that disrupts social, academic, or occupational functioning

Question 53

Dyslexia

Answer 53

neurologically based learning difficulty manifested as severe challenges in reading, spelling, writing words, and sometimes in arithmetic

Question 54

Psychiatrist

Answer 54

doctor who specialises in the diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and study of mental, behavioural, and personality disorders