intro to developmental psych Flashcards
(25 cards)
What does developmental psychology typically involve?
Observing and/or measuring children’s behaviour and tracking changes in human behaviour over time.
What are the main goals of developmental psychology?
To describe what develops (structure) and explain how it develops (process).
What aspects of development does developmental psychology often need to distinguish or explain?
Genetic influences, physical, emotional, social, cognitive, and communicative development.
What areas are included in physical development?
Reflexes, sensory input, brain development, motor skills.
What innate influences affect physical development?
Child temperament, genetic primers, nature & nurture interactions.
What are key components of emotional development?
Emotion processing and regulation, forming trust with caregivers, understanding the self, and childhood disorders.
What influences social development?
Parenting, family context, play, peers and friendships, gender roles, identity formation in adolescence.
What does cognitive development involve?
Learning to understand and organize the world (formative) and developing social/moral understanding (interpretative).
What is included in communicative development?
Language, intelligence, reasoning, and problem-solving.
What makes a developmental theory useful?
It should predict change and explain how the change occurs.
What key questions must developmental psychology answer?
What drives development: nature or nurture?
Why do individual differences exist?
Does the child play an active role?
Is development continuous or in stages?
Are there critical periods?
Is development universal or culturally specific?
What is the nature vs. nurture debate about?
Whether development is driven by genetic inheritance (nature) or environment and experience (nurture), or both.
What is gene-environment interplay?
The idea that genes and environment influence each other in development.
Why is there variation among children of the same age?
Due to genetic differences, treatment by others, reactions to experiences, and environmental choices.
What is the role of risk factors and resilience?
They influence how individual differences manifest and affect outcomes.
How do children influence their own development?
By shaping their environment and through bidirectional relationships with it.
What does the continuity vs. discontinuity debate address?
Whether development is gradual or involves distinct stages (e.g., Piaget’s theory).
What are critical and sensitive periods in development?
Times when certain experiences have a significant impact on development.
How does sociocultural context affect development?
Through cultural influences and ecological systems like SES (socioeconomic status).
What are common research methods in developmental psychology?
Interviews, questionnaires, observations, hypothetical scenarios, lab tasks.
What are cross-sectional designs?
Studies comparing children of different age groups to identify what develops (structure).
What are the limitations of cross-sectional designs?
They don’t show how development occurs or explain individual differences.
What are longitudinal designs?
Studies that follow the same group over time to reveal patterns of change and stability.
What are practical applications of developmental psychology?
Physical and mental health, education, policy, law, social work, and family services.
