pych final exam Flashcards
What is development?
Systematic changes and continuities in an individual over time.
What is developmental psychology?
The study of human development across the lifespan.
Define maturation.
Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior.
Define learning.
Permanent change in behavior due to experience.
What is normative development?
Typical patterns of development seen in most individuals.
What is ideographic development?
Individual variations in development.
Define theory.
A set of ideas intended to explain a phenomenon.
Define hypothesis.
A testable prediction derived from a theory.
What is reliability?
Consistency of a research study or measuring test.
What is validity?
The extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure.
Hobbes’ view on childhood?
Children are inherently selfish (original sin).
Locke’s view on childhood?
Children are born as blank slates (tabula rasa).
Rousseau’s view on childhood?
Children are innately good (noble savages).
Name three developmental research designs.
Cross-sectional, longitudinal, sequential.
Name three research methods in developmental psychology.
Self-report, observation, case study.
Key ethical considerations in research?
Informed consent, protection from harm, confidentiality, debriefing.
Freud’s theory?
Psychosexual stages of development.
Erikson’s theory?
Psychosocial stages across lifespan.
Skinner’s learning theory?
Operant conditioning (rewards/punishments).
Bandura’s learning theory?
Social learning via observation and modeling.
Piaget’s key contribution?
Four stages of cognitive development.
Bronfenbrenner’s theory?
Ecological systems theory (microsystem to macrosystem).
Define behavioural genetics.
Study of genetic vs. environmental influences.
Define heritability.
Proportion of variation due to genes.
