Final Exam Flashcards
Nature
Genetic or hereditary influences
Nurture
Environmental Influences
Continuity v. Discontinuity
Whether a particular developmental phenomenon represents a smooth progression throughout the life span (continuity) or a series of abrupt shifts (discontinuity)
Continuity
A particular developmental phenomenon that represents a smooth progression throughout the life span
Discontinuity
A particular developmental phenomenon that represents a series of abrupt shifts
Universal v. Context
Whether there is just one path of development or several paths
Lifespan Perspective
View that human development is multiply determined and cannot be understood within the scope of a single framework
Multi-directionality
Development involves both growth and decline; as people grown in one area, they may lose at another and at different rates.
EX: Vocabulary: ability tends to increase throughout life, but reaction times tend to slow down
Plasticity
Ones capacity is not predetermined or carved in stone. Many skills can be learned or improved with practice, even in later life.
EX: People can learn better ways to remember information, which may help them deal with declines in memory ability that accompany aging.
Historical Context
Each of us develops within a particular set of circumstances determined by the historical time in which we are born and the culture in which we grow up EX: Living in a middle class suburb in 1950s Indianapolis has little in common with living in poor Latino neighborhood in 1990s Texas
Multiple Causation
How we develop results from the biological, psychological, sociocultural and life-cycle forces that we mentioned before.
EX: 2 children growing up in same family will have different experiences if one has a development disability and the other does not
Naturalistic Observation
Technique in which people are observed as they behave spontaneously in some real-life situation
Structural Observation
Technique in which a researcher creates a setting that is likely to elicit the behavior of interest
Sampling behavior with tasks
Creating tasks that are thought to sample the behavior of interest
Self Reports
Peoples answers to questions about the topic of interest
Correlational Study
Investigations looking at relations between variables as they exist naturally in the world
Experiment
A systematic way of manipulating the key factor(s) that the investigator thanks causes a particular behavior.
Independent Variable
Factor being manipulated
Dependent Variable
The behavior being observed
Longitudinal
One group of people is tested repeatedly as they develope
Cross-Sectional
People of different ages are tested over-time based on either multiple longitudinal or cross-sectional designs
Genes
A group of nucleotide bases that provides a specific set of biochemical instructions
DNA
Molecule composed of 4 nucleotide bases that is the biochemical basis of heredity
Chromosomes
Threadlike structures in the nuclei of cells that contain genetic material
Genotype
Person’s heredity makeup
Phenotype
Physical, behavioral and psychological features that result from the interaction between ones genes and environment
Monozygotic Twins
The result of a single fertilized egg splitting to form 2 new individuals, also called identical twins
Dizygotic Twins
The result of 2 separate eggs fertilized by 2 sperm, also called fraternal twins
Behavioral Genetics
The branch of genetics that studies the inheritance of behavioral and psychological traits
Polygenetic Inheritance
When phenotypes are the result of the combined activity of many separate genes
Niche-picking
Process of deliberately seeking environments that are compatible with one’s genetic makeup
Non-shared environmental Influences
Forces within a family that make siblings different from one another
Teratogen
An agent that causes abnormal prenatal development
FASD
Disorder affecting babies whose mothers consumed large amounts of alcohol while pregnant
Physical Traits of FASD
Small head, thin upper lip, short nose, widely spread eyes
Complications at birth for FASD
- Preterm babies: born before 36 weeks
- Low Birthweight: Less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds)
- Very Low Birthweight: Less than 1,500 grams (3 pounds)
Preterm babies
Born before 36 weeks
Low birthweight Babies
Less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds)
Very Low Birthweight Babies
Less than 1,500 grams (3 pounds)
Temperament
Consistent style or pattern of behavior
Assimilation
Taking in information that is compatible with what one already knows
Accommodation
Changing existing knowledge based on knew knowledge
Equilibration
Children reorganize their schemes to return to a state or equilibrium when disequilibrium occurs
Sensorimotor Stage
- Interact w/ environment
- 0-2 years
- Object permanence: objects exists even when we can’t see then
Object Permanence
Objects exists even when we can’t see them
Pre-Operational Stage
- Represent World Symbolically
- 2-7 years
- Egocentrism: Difficulty seeing the world from another’s point of view
- Centration: Focused on one aspect of the problem
- Appearance as reality: Objects appearance tells what object really is
Egocentrism
Difficulty seeing the world from another’s point of view: pre-operational stage
Centration
Focused on one aspect of the problem: Pre-operational stage
Appearance as reality
Objects appearance tells what the object really is: Pre-operational stage
Autobiographical Memory
Memories of the significant experiences of one’s own life
- Preschool years
- A sense of self, language skills that enable children to converse with parents about past and future, and basic memory skills all contribute to emergence of autobiographical memory
“Preschoolers as eyewitnesses”
- Children interviewed frequently and can confuse what actually happen with what is suggested
- Limited source of monitoring skills: cannot recall where they gained memories
Vygotsky’s Theory
- Zone of Proximal Development: Difference between what children can do with assistance and what they can do alone; unlearned tasks as the limit of the learners ability
- Scaffolding: A style in which teachers gauge the amount of assistance they offer to match the learner’s needs; suggestions, corrections, manage frustrations
- Private Speech: A child’s comments that are not intended for others but are designed to help regulate that child’s own behavior (Intermediate step toward self-regulation of cognitive skills)
Zone of Proximal Development
Difference between what children can do with assistance and what they can do alone; unlearned tasks as the limit of the learners ability
Scaffolding
A style in which teachers gauge the amount of assistance they offer to match the learner’s needs; suggestions, corrections, manage frustrations
Private Speech
A child’s comments that are not intended for others but are designed to help regulate that child’s own behavior (Intermediate step toward self-regulation of cognitive skills)
Erickson’s Stages of Early Psychological Development
Describes development as a series of 8 stages, each with a unique crisis for psychological growth. When crisis solved, a psychological strength is established
Erickson’s Stages in Preschool
1) Basic Trust v. Mistrust
2) Autotomy v. Shame and Doubt
3) Initiative V. Guilt
Basic Trust v. Mistrust
With proper trust v. mistrust balance, infants acquire hope; an openness to new experience tempered by wariness that discomfort of danger may arise.
Autotomy v. Shame and Doubt
Gradually come to understand they can control their own actions so strive for independence from others. but counteracted by giving rise to will; knowledge that within limits, youngsters can act on their world intentionally
Initiative V. Guilt
Youngsters begin to understand opportunities and have a purpose, but moderated by quilt as they realize that initiative may place them in conflict with others to have a purpose; a balance between individual initiative and willingness to cooperate with others
Attachment in Infancy
- Pre-attachment (birth-8 weeks)
- Attachment in the making (6 weeks-8 Months)
- True Attachment (6 Months-18 Months)
- Reciprocal Relationship (18 Months)
Strange Situation
A series of episodes about 3 minutes long with a child, a mother and a stranger at different times
Secure Attachment
- Infants trust and depend on their mothers
- Baby may or may not cry when mother leaves
- Baby seeks comfort when mother returns
- 60-65% of babies
Avoidant Attachment
- Infants turn away from their mothers when they are reunited following a brief separation
- Baby is not upset when mother leaves
- When mother returns, baby may ignore by looking away
- About 20% of babies
Resistant Attachment
- After a brief separation, infants want to be held but are difficult to console
- Baby is upset when mother leaves
- Remains upset or even angry when she returns and is difficult to console
- 10-15% of babies
Disorganized (Disoriented) Attachement
- Infant’s don’t seem to understand what’s happening when separated and reunited
- 5-10% of babies
What influences the quality of early attachments?
- Mothers behavior
- Erickson’s Trust v. Mistrust
- Internal Working Model: Infants understanding of how responsive and dependable the mother is; thought to influence close relationships throughout the child’s life
Internal Working Model
Infants understanding of how responsive and dependable the mother is; thought to influence close relationships throughout the child’s life
What are the effects of attachment on later development?
- Securely attached infants more likely to:
- Initiate play activities
- Sensitive to needs and feelings of other children
- Popular among peers
- Curious, self-directed, eager to learn
- Cortisol response dampens over time
Piaget’s Middle Childhood stages
- Concrete-operational: Can reason logically about concrete objects,events and situations
- Formal Operations: Can think logically about abstract objects events and situations
Concrete Operational
Can reason logically about concrete objects, events and situations
Formal Operations
Can think logically about abstract events and situations
Intelligence
Ability to reason logically, connect ideas and solve real problems
Gardner’s Theory of multiple intelligences
- Broader theory of intelligence
- Does not use test scores,but uses research in child development, studies or brain damages persons and exceptionally talented people fro 9 different intelligence’s
Types of Gardner’s Theory of multiple intelligences
Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical, Spatial, Musical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, Existential