Developmental Psychology Lecture 1 Theories of Development

Question 1

What is genotype

Answer 1

Is the specific genetic material on an individual’s chromosomes

Question 2

What is phenotype

Answer 2

Is the observed characteristic of the individual, such as brown eyes and black hair

Question 3

Dominant-Recessive Pattern of Inheritance:

Answer 3

A single dominant gene influences a person’s phenotype

Question 4

Recessive Pattern of Inheritance

Answer 4

Two recessive genes are necessary to produce an associated trait

Question 5

Explain epigenetics

Answer 5

Epigenetic markers that regulate our gene expression (our phenotype) by signaling some genes to “turn on” and others to “turn off”
Even though you might have been passed certain genes, your environment might change whether that gene is being expressed

Question 6

What is an example of epigenetics?

Answer 6

If you are someone who has parents that are both tall and that gene has been passed down but you do not have proper nutrition, than that may not be expressed
Your parents pass down 2 recipes to you (muffin recipe, cookie recipe) sometimes your environment may cross one of those recipes out → you can’t access that you don’t have that anymore

Question 7

Evolutionary Theory vs Ethological Theory

Answer 7

Evolutionary: attempt to explain our differences as individuals and commonalities as a species, often focusing on genetic and environmental mechanisms

Ethological: emphasizes the bio evolutionary basis of behavior

Question 8

ID

Answer 8

Innate, compelled by drives

Question 9

Ego

Answer 9

Conscious; rational

Question 10

Superego

Answer 10

Internalized moral standard

Question 11

Freud

Answer 11

Unconscious desires influence behavior (id,ego,superego)

stages of psychosexual development (Development driven by sexual drives )

Permitting too little or too much gratification can cause fixation

Question 12

Erik Erikson

Answer 12

Neo-freudian
less emphasis on sexual urges more on social and cultural influences on development
8 stages (dilemma)

Question 13

What are Eriksons 8 stages?

Answer 13

Infancy (1-2) Trust vs mistrust
Early Childhood (2-4) Autonomy vs shame & doubt
Preschool age (4-5) Initiative vs guilt
School age (5-12) Industry vs Inferiority
Adolescence (13-19) Identity vs Role Confusion
Early Adulthood (20-40) Intimacy vs Isolation
Adulthood (40-65) Generativity vs Stagnation
Maturity (65-Death) Ego Integrity vs Despair

Question 14

Humanistic Approach

Answer 14

Basic human needs; What do we need in order to flourish, in order for us to continue to develop and once we have those needs met we are able to continue that development and move into different stages of life

Question 15

Who is the key figure in humanistic theory?

Answer 15

Abraham Maslow

Question 16

Carl Rogers

Answer 16

Also involved in humanistic approach
Focused on capacity of each of us to become a “fully functioning person” without guilt or seriously distorting defenses
We have a potential for personal growth
Focused on a lot more social needs, relationships, nurturing, support→ those would be important for a person to become a fully functioning person

Question 17

What did Jean Piaget theory describe

Answer 17

Theory describes and explains the development of thought processes and mental states
Go through developmental stages
Schemes: An organized pattern of throughout action a child uses to make sense of experience

Question 18

List Jean Piaget Stages

Answer 18

Sensorimotor (birth-2):
Preoperational (2-7)
Concrete Operations (7-11)
Formal Operations (11 up)

Question 19

Information Processing theory

Answer 19

Looks at mind as if it is similar to a computer (receives input, generates output)

Question 20

Information Processing theory

Answer 20

They think development is very based in learning and maturation of the brain

Question 21

B.F. Skinner

Answer 21

Radical Behaviorism
Operant conditioning: Focus on outcome of behavior for predicting future occurrences of that behavior
Reinforcers
Punishers

Question 22

Bandura

Answer 22

Focuses on how our thoughts and actions are affected by our social environment (model behavior)
E.g. elevated example! modelling behavior

Question 23

What type of a theorist was Piaget?

Answer 23

Cognitive developmental theorist

Question 24

What theories look at how individuals are embedded in social groups

Answer 24

Social and Anthropological Theories

Question 25

Who looked at continuous and discontinous societies

Answer 25

Benedict

Question 26

What are continuous societies?

Answer 26

children gradually and peacefully take on adult roles
In canada we stretch this process out (live with parents)

Question 27

Discontinuous societies

Answer 27

abrupt and stressful transitions from adolescence to adulthood

Question 28

What is Ecological and Developmental Systems Theories

Answer 28

How all the different environments we/ our families engage in and how they impact us

Question 29

What is ecological systems theory?

Answer 29

Environment is a series of nested systems
How all the different environments we/ our families engage in and how they impact us
Detailed characterization of various environmental influences on development

Question 30

Name the 5 systems by Bronfenbrenner

Answer 30

Microsystem: Peers, siblings, parents, school (things closest to you)
Mesosystem: Where all of these things interact (parents interacting w teacher or your siblings)
Exosystem: Things that have more indirect impact on your life (parents stressful job, school board)
Macrosystem: Bigger level things → government (policies impact child development; child care)
Chronosystem: Time period → right now we are in a digital age

Question 31

What is