2 Flashcards
(60 cards)
Developmental Psychology (Definition)
the study of how people grow, change, and develop throughout their lives. It looks at physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development from infancy to old age. This branch of psychology focuses on understanding how individuals develop skills, abilities, and behaviors at different stages of life.
Sensorimotor Stage (Birth to 2 years):
Piaget’s Cognitive Development: The 4 Stages
Key Characteristic: Infants learn through their senses and actions.
Main Development: Object permanence—understanding that objects continue to exist even when they can’t be seen, heard, or touched.
Example: A baby learns that a toy still exists even if it’s hidden under a blanket.
Preoperational Stage (2 to 7 years):
Piaget’s Cognitive Development: The 4 Stages
Key Characteristic: Children begin to use symbols, such as words and images, to represent objects and events.
Main Development: Egocentrism (difficulty in seeing things from another person’s perspective) and the development of imagination and make-believe play.
Example: A child might pretend a stick is a sword, but they may have trouble understanding that another person might not see it the same way.
Concrete Operational Stage (7 to 11 years):
Piaget’s Cognitive Development: The 4 Stages
Key Characteristic: Children start thinking logically about concrete events and objects.
Main Development: Conservation (the understanding that quantity remains the same even when its appearance changes) and the ability to perform operations (e.g., addition, subtraction).
Example: A child understands that a tall, narrow glass can hold the same amount of liquid as a short, wide glass.
Formal Operational Stage (12 years and up):
Piaget’s Cognitive Development: The 4 Stages
Key Characteristic: Adolescents develop the ability to think abstractly, logically, and hypothetically.
Main Development: Abstract thinking, reasoning about hypothetical situations, and forming and testing hypotheses.
Example: An adolescent can solve problems like algebra equations and think about future possibilities or abstract concepts, like justice or freedom.
Object Permanence
the realization that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible.
Newborns live in the present and lack object permanence
Object permanence begins at about 8 months
Irreversibility
the inability to envision reversing an action.
Conservation
the awareness that physical quantities remain constant in spite of changes in their shape or appearance.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Vygotski‘s Zone of Proximal Development
refers to the gap between what a child can do independently and what they can do with assistance. The most effective learning occurs when individuals operate within their ZPD.
Scaffolding or temporary support is provided to assist the learner, not to do the task for the learner.
Authoritative
Parenting Styles
(The rules are clear and there are consequences for breaking them. Do you have a valid reason as to why you broke them?) Parents balance warmth and control, leading to positive social development in children.
Authoritarian
Parenting Styles
(Because I said so!) Parents are strict with low warmth, potentially resulting in lower social competence.
Permissive Indulgent
Parenting Styles
(Whatever makes you happy!) Parents are indulgent but undemanding, possibly leading to impulsiveness in children and an inability to respect boundaries.
Permissive Indifferent / Neglectful
Parenting Styles
(Were you saying something? Don’t bother me!) This style is characterized by low levels of both responsiveness and demandingness, resulting in limited emotional involvement and attention to a child’s needs.
Tactile Comfort
such as affectionate touch, stimulates the release of oxytocin in both caregivers and children. Oxytocin, often referred to as the “love hormone,” plays a crucial role in bonding and emotional regulation.
private speech
(talking to themselves) during tasks. He argued that this self-talk plays a crucial role in cognitive development, serving as a way for children to regulate and guide their own thinking. It’s talking one’s self through problem solving and not a conversation or dialogue!
Attachment Anxiety
Attachment Theory
refers to a psychological condition characterized by a heightened fear of abandonment or rejection in close relationships. It is typically associated with individuals who have an anxious attachment style, one of the four attachment styles identified in attachment theory. People with attachment anxiety often feel insecure and may become overly preoccupied with their relationships, constantly seeking reassurance and validation from their partners. This type of anxiety can cause individuals to worry excessively about their partner’s commitment, leading to behaviors such as clinginess or emotional dependence.
Temperament Anxiety
Attachment Theory
refers to anxiety that may arise from an individual’s inherent temperament, which is their biologically based emotional and behavioral style. Some people are naturally more sensitive, reactive, or prone to stress, making them more susceptible to anxiety. This type of anxiety can interact with environmental factors and personal experiences, influencing how a person reacts to stressors and forms relationships.
Separation Anxiety
Attachment Theory
refers to excessive fear or distress that a person, particularly a child, experiences when separated from their attachment figures, usually a parent or caregiver. It is considered a normal developmental stage for infants and toddlers but can become problematic if it persists beyond the typical age range or interferes with daily functioning.
Attachment Theory
is a psychological framework that examines the emotional bonds between individuals, particularly between children and their primary caregivers. Developed by British psychologist John Bowlby in the mid-20th century, the theory posits that these early relationships are crucial for a child’s emotional development and have a profound impact on their future social and emotional well-being.
The Harlow’s Monkey Studies
infant rhesus monkeys, which were separated from their biological mothers and raised with surrogate “mothers” made of wire or soft cloth. The two types of surrogate mothers were:
Wire mother: A cold, metal figure that provided food (through a bottle).
Cloth mother: A soft, warm figure that provided comfort but not food.
Harlow observed the monkeys’ behavior and found that, even though the wire mother provided food, the infant monkeys spent significantly more time clinging to the cloth mother, especially when they were frightened or stressed. This demonstrated that the monkeys sought comfort and security from the soft, comforting mother, rather than just nourishment. Harlow concluded that contact comfort—the physical touch and warmth of a caregiver—is crucial for healthy emotional development.
In another variation of the experiment, Harlow placed the infant monkeys in a novel or frightening situation (such as an unfamiliar environment or with a scary toy). The monkeys would run to the cloth mother for comfort and security before exploring the new environment, supporting the idea that attachment provides a sense of safety and security that allows individuals to explore and develop.
personal fable
involves adolescents’ belief that they are unique and exceptional, often leading to a sense of invulnerability. Adolescents with a personal fable may think that they are immune to common dangers or consequences that others face. This mindset can contribute to risky behaviors, as they may underestimate the potential negative outcomes due to their perceived uniqueness.
Executive Functioning
mental processes related to planning, organizing,. The prefrontal cortex, particularly its frontal lobes, plays a crucial role in these functions, helping to coordinate and control various cognitive processes essential for goal-directed behavior and decision-making.
Egocentrism
In Piaget’s theory, egocentrism refers to the inability of children (particularly in the preoperational stage, before age 7) to differentiate between their own perspective and the perspectives of others. However, in adolescence, this egocentrism can manifest in a different form. Adolescents often become overly focused on themselves and their personal experiences. This can lead them to believe that everyone else is also focused on them, leading to the development of the imaginary audience and personal fable.
Imaginary Audience
This refers to the belief held by many adolescents that they are the center of attention and that everyone around them is watching and judging them. It’s an extension of egocentrism where teens feel as if they are constantly in the spotlight, even if they are not. This can lead to feelings of self-consciousness and heightened sensitivity to others’ opinions.
