Dev Psychology Definitions Flashcards
(28 cards)
Developmental Psychology
A field of study that seeks to understand and explain change in individuals’ cognitive, social and other capacities: first by describing changes in the child’s observed behaviours and second by uncovering the processes that underlie these changes.
Empiricism
The idea that development is primarily determined by environmental influences.
Nativism
The idea that development is primarily determined by inherited factors (i.e. genetics).
Continuous development
A pattern of development in which abilities change in a gradual and smooth way.
Discontinuous development
A pattern of development in which changes occur suddenly resulting in qualitatively different stages (periods) of development.
Critical Period
A period of development (age range) at which specific experiences are vital for development to occur in a typical way.
Sensitive Period
A period of development (age range) at which particular experiences are important for typical development. If those experiences do not occur during that period, typical development may still occur.
Domain-general development
The idea that developments can have impacts on a wide range of abilities.
Domain-specific development
The idea that the development of various abilities occurs independently (or separately) and has little impact on skills in other domains.
Levels of Explanation
The way in which we choose to describe psychological abilities (and the developments of those abilities). Levels of explanation can include biological, behavioural, social and emotional.
Ecological Perspective
A perspective that stresses the importance of understanding not only the relationships between organisms and various environmental systems but also the relations among such systems themselves.
Lifespan perspective
A view of development as a process that continues throughout the life cycle, from infancy through adulthood and old age.
Age cohort
People born within the same generation.
Behaviourism
A school of psychology prominent in the early twentieth century that emphasized the role of learning in human behaviour and attempted to describe behaviour in such terms.
classical conditioning
A type of learning in which two stimuli are repeatedly presented together until individuals learn to respond to the unfamiliar stimulus in the same way they respond to the familiar stimulus.
maturational approach
An early approach to explaining development in terms of maturational timetables, predetermined by genetic inheritance.
psychodynamic theory
In this view of development, which is derived from Freudian theory, development occurs in discrete stages and is determined largely by biologically based drives shaped by encounters with the environment and through the interaction of the personality’s three components: the id, ego and superego.
id
Freudian theory, the person’s instinctual drives; the first component of the personality to evolve, the id operates on the basis of the pleasure principle.
ego
In Freudian theory, the rational, controlling component of the personality, which tries to satisfy needs through appropriate, socially acceptable behaviours.
superego
In Freudian theory, the personality component that is the repository of the child’s internalization of parental or societal values, morals and roles.
psychosocial theory
Erikson’s theory of development, which sees children developing through a series of stages largely through accomplishing tasks that involve them in interaction with their social environment.
ethological theory
A theory which holds that behaviour must be viewed and understood as occurring in a particular context and as having adaptive or survival value.
social learning theory
A learning theory that stresses the importance of observation and imitation in the acquisition of new behaviours, with learning mediated by cognitive processes.
Piagetian theory
A theory of cognitive development that sees the child as actively seeking new information.
