Chapter 9

Question 1

Developmental Psychology

Answer 1

1) study of the changes over time, in a life span, of emotion, cognition, physiology, and social behavior

Question 2

Stages of Human development

Answer 2

1) Period Ages
Prenatal--Conception to birth
Infancy--Birth to ~ 18-24 months
childhood--Infancy to ~ 11-14 years
adolescence--Childhood to ~ 18-21 years
Adulthood--Adolescence to death

Question 3

Prenatal Development and its Stages

Answer 3

1) conception–sperm fertilizes an egg to form a zygote
2) zygote–implants in uterine wall and becomes an embryo
3) embryo–2-8 weeks after conception
4) 9 weeks after conception to birth
5) Prenatal Development–influenced by factors other than genetics (i.e. teratogens–environmental influences that harm prenatal development.

Question 4

Dynamic Systems Theory

Answer 4

1) new behaviors emerge through complex and consistent interactions between biological traits and environmental factors

Question 5

Attachment

Answer 5

1) is an emotional bond between a caregiver and a child that persists over time
2) strang-situation test–used to test attachment by presenting a child with an unusual situation and seeing how they react

Question 6

Attachment Styles

Answer 6

1) Secure (60%)
initial behavior with care giver–friendly with stranger
reaction to caregiver absence–distress
reunion with caregiver–relieved asks to be picked up
2) Insecure Avoidant (20%)
initial behavior with care giver–may prefer strangers to caregivers
reaction to caregiver absence–no distress
reunion with caregiver–avoids or ignores caregiver
3) Insecure Anxious/ambivalent
initial behavior–clings to care giver
caregiver absence–distress
reunion with caregiver–angry with caretaker

Question 7

Piaget’s Theories of cognitive development

Answer 7

1) interested in how children form and revise schemas–assimilation (adding information into existing schema) and accommodation (revising schema to fit new information
2) stage 1: sensorimotor (birth to 2 years)–develop basic senses, learn through experiences, develop object pertinence (objects exist even after they are hidden from view).
3) stage 2: pre-occupational (2-7 years)–self-centered behavior (egocentrism), learn basic symbolic thinking, limited by centration (inability to think about more than one thing at a time).
4) stage 3: concrete operational (7-12 years)–can perform operations and basic logic, but not capable of abstract thought, more understanding of mental states of others
5) stage 4: Formal Operational (12 years and up)–capable of abstract thought, use hypothesis testing to solve problems
6) needs to be updated because of the underestimation of children’s abilities, and the continuity of development as opposed to a stage-process

Question 8

Theory of Mind

Answer 8

1) The ability to explain or recognize one’s behavior based on the state of his/her mind.
2) tested using false belief task–knowing that other people act differently than oneself

Question 9

Moral Development

Answer 9

1) the way people learn to decide between behaviors with competing social outcomes
2) Kohlberg’s stage theory
stage one: pre-conventional
morality determined by: self-interest and event outcomes
stage two: conventional
Morality determined by: general ethical laws/guidelines and approval of others
stage three: post-conventional
morality determined by: abstract principles and the value of all life

Question 10

gender and sex: roles, identity, and schema

Answer 10

1) sex–biological differences
2) gender–psychological differences between males and females
3) gender identity–personal belief about whether one is male or female or something else, affected by peer and parental influence and various environmental/biological factors
4) gender roles–characteristics or occupations associated with either sex/gender because of cultural influences and learning
5) gender schemas–cognitive structures that reflect perceived appropriate behavior for males and females

Question 11

Childhood to adolescence

Answer 11

1) Childhood to adolescence marked by puberty, increase in gray matter, un-completed myelination of frontal lobe fibers (explains risky-behavior)
2) identity formation plays major role
3) Erik Erickson: identity formed in course of 8 stages from birth to adulthood each with their own crises to be overcome for transition

Question 12

Adulthood

Answer 12

1) Physical changes: graying of hair, wrinkles, decreased metabolism and amount of gray matter in frontal lobe
2) Cognitive changes: reduced working memory capacity, decline in fluid intelligence
3) Socioemotional selective theory–as people grow older they perceive that they have less available time and therefore focus on good emotions instead of bad ones.