Chapter 1 Flashcards
(36 cards)
science of human development
-the science that seeks to undertand how and why people of all ages and circumstances change or remain the same over time
scientific method
-a way to anser questions using empirical research and data-based conclusions
Steps of Scienfitic Method
- Begin with curiosity
- Develop a hypothesis
- Test the hypothesis
- Draw conclusions
- Report the results
theory
-a comprehensive set of ideas
hypothesis
-a specific prediction that can be tested
empirical
-based on observation, experience, or experiment; not theoretical
replication
-repeating a study, usually using different participants, perhaps of another age, SES, or culture
SIDS
- sudden infant death syndrome
- a situation in which a seemingly healthy infant, usually between 2-6 months old, suddenly stops breathing and dies unexpectedly while asleep
nature
-in development, this refers to the traits, capacities, and limitations that each individual inherits genetically from his or her parents at the moment of conception
nurture
-in development this includes all the environmental inlfuences that affect the individual after conception—this includes everything from the mother’s nutrition while pregnant to the cultural influences of the nation
critical period
-a time when a particular type of developmental growth (in body or behavior) must happen for normal development to occur
sensitive period
- a time when a certain type of development is most likely, although it may still happen later with more difficulty
- ex: early childhood is considered a sensitive period for language learning
plasticity
- the idea that abilities, personality, and other human characteristics can change over time
- particularly evident during childhood, but even older adults are not always “set in their ways”
difference-equals-deficit error
-the mistaken belief that a deviation from some norm is necessarily inferior to behavior or characteristics that meet the standard
social construction
- an idea that is built on shared perceptions, not on objective reality
- many age-related terms are connected to biological traits but strongly influenced by social assumptions
- examples: childhood, adolescence, yuppie, and senior citizen
culture
-a system of shared beliefs, norms, behaviors, and expectations that persist over time and prescribe social behavior and assumptions
ethnic group
-people whose ancestors were born in the same region and who often share a language, culture, and religion
race
- a group of people who are regarded by themselves or by others as distinct from other groups on the basis of physical appearance, typically skin color
- social scientists think this a misleading concept, as biological differences are not signified by outward appearance
SES
- socioeconomic status
- a person’s position in society as determined by income, occupation, education, and place of residence
dynamic systems
- a view of human development as an ongoing, ever-changing interaction between the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial influences
- the crucial understanding is that development is never static but is always affected by, and affects, many systems of development
ecological-systems approach
- aka bioecological theory
- Urie Bronfenbrenner
- a perspecitve on human development that considers all the influences from the various contexts of development
cohort
- people born within the same historical period who therfore move through life together, experiencing the same events, new technologies, and cultural shifts at the same ages
- ex: the effect of the internet varies depending on what cohort of a person it belongs to
biopsychosocial
- a term emphasizing the internaction of the three developmental domains–biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial
- all development is this although the domains are studied separately
mirror neurons
-cells in an observer’s brain that are activated by watching an action performed by someone else as they would be if the observer had personally performed that action
