question

Developmental science

answer

A field of study devoted to understanding constancy and change throughout the lifespan

question

Common goal all developmental investigators share

answer

To identify those factors that influence consistencies and transformations in people from conception to death

question

Interdisciplinary contributions

answer

Psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology, and neuroscience joined with other services such as education, family services, medicine, public health, and social service, to name a few.

question

The study of developmental science began

answer

19th century

question

Theory

answer

is an orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behavior.

question

Example of theory: Infant-caregiver attachment

answer

1) Describe the behaviors of babies 6 to 8 months as they seek the affection and comfort of a familiar adult 2) Explain how and why infants develop this strong desire to bond with a caregiver 3) Predict the consequences of this emotional bond for future relationships

question

Why are theories vital tools?

answer

1) They provide organizing frameworks for our observations of people. As in they guide and give meaning to what we see. 2) Theories that are verified by research provide a sound basis for practical action. Once a theory helps us understand development, we are in a much better position to know how to improve the welfare and treatment of children and adults

question

Scientific verification

answer

Every theory must be tested using a fair set of research procedures agreed on by the scientific community, and the findings must endure, or be replicated, over time

question

Theories stand on 3 basic issues

answer

1) Is the course of development continuous or discontinuous? 2) Does one course of development characterize all people, or are there many possible courses? 3) Are genetic or environmental factors more important in influencing development?

question

Continuous

answer

A process of gradually augmenting the same types of skills that were there to begin with. (Infants and toddlers respond to the world much in the same way as adults do. The difference between the immature and mature being is simply one of amount or complexity) walking up a hill. Gradual and ongoing

question

Discontinuous

answer

A process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times. (Infants and toddlers have a unique way of thinking, feeling and behaving, ones quite different from adults.) walking up stairs. Rapid transformations.

question

Contexts

answer

unique combinations of personal and environmental circumstances that can result in different paths of change

question

Contexts- Contemporary theorists

answer

contexts that shape development are multilayered and complex

question

Contexts- Personal side

answer

concerned with heredity and biological makeup

question

Contexts- Environmental side

answer

concerned with immediate settings such as school, home and neighborhood

question

Contexts- Circumstances more remote from people's everyday lives

answer

community resources, societal values, and historical time period

question

Nature

answer

inborn biological givens. The hereditary information we receive from our parents at the moment of conception

question

Nurture

answer

Complex forces of the physical and social world that influences our biological makeup and psychological experiences before and after birth

question

Theorists who emphasize STABILITY usually

answer

Stress the importance of heredity

question

Theorists who emphasize a more optimistic view

answer

stress that change is possible and even likely if new experiences support it (PLASTICITY)

question

Current life expectancy

answer

78.1 years

question

Estimated life expectancy by year 2050

answer

84 years

question

Lifespan perspective

answer

Four assumptions make up this broader view: that development is 1) lifelong 2)multidimensional and multidirectional 3) highly plastic 4) affected by multiple, interesting forces

question

Prenatal (conception to birth)

answer

The one-celled organism transforms into a human baby with remarkable capacities to adjust to life outside the womb

question

Infancy to toddlerhood (birth to 2 years)

answer

Dramatic changes in the body and brain support the emergence of a wide array of motor, perceptual and intellectual capacities and first intimate ties to others

question

Early childhood (2-6 years)

answer

During the "play years" motor skills are refines, thought and language expand at an astounding pace, a sense of morality is evident, and children establish ties with peers

question

Middle childhood (6-11 years)

answer

The school years are marked by improved athletic abilities, more logical thought processes, mastery of basic literacy skills, advances in self understanding, morality, and friendship, and at the beginnings of peer-group membership

question

Adolescence (11-18 years)

answer

Puberty leads to an adult sized body and sexual maturity. Through becomes abstract and idealistic and school achievement more serious. Adolescents begin to establish autonomy from the family and to define personal values and goals

question

Early adulthood (18-40 years)

answer

Most young people leave home, complete their education, and begin full-time work. Major concerns are developing a career, forming an intimate partnership, and marrying, rearing children, or establishing other lifestyles

question

Middle adulthood (40-65 years)

answer

Many people are at the height of their careers and attain leadership positions. They must also help their children begin independent lives and their parents adapt to aging. They become more aware of their own mortality

question

Late adulthood (65-death)

answer

People adjust to retirement, to decreased physical strength and health, and often to the death of a spouse. They reflect on the meaning of their lives

question

Physical development

answer

Changes in body size, proportions, appearance, functioning of body systems, perceptual and motor capacities, and physical health

question

Cognitive development

answer

Changes in intellectual abilities, including attention, memory, academic and everyday knowledge, problem solving, imagination, creativity, and language

question

Emotional and social development

answer

Changes in emotional communication, self-understanding, knowledge about other people, interpersonal skills, friendships, intimate relationships and moral reasoning and behavior

question

Multidimensional

answer

challenges and adjustments of development are affected by an intricate blend of biological, psychological, and social forces

question

Multidirectional

answer

1) Development is not limited to improved performance. Rather, at every period, it is a joint expression of growth and decline. Gains are especially evident early in life, and losses are evident during the final years. People of all ages can improve current skills and develop new ones, including skills that compensate for reduced functioning. (like an elderly person using a pill box calendar) 2) Besides being multidirectional over time, change is multidirectional within each domain of development. (developing new forms of thinking. Wisdom.)

question

Environmental risks

answer

Poverty, negative family interactions, parental divorce, job loss, mental illness and drug abuse

question

Resilience

answer

The ability to adapt effectively in the face of threats to development

question

4 broad factors offer protection from the damaging effects of stressful life events

answer

personal characteristics, a warm parental relationship, social support outside the immediate family, and community resources and opportunities

question

Personal characteristics

answer

biological characteristics. High intelligence and socially valued talents like music and sports increase the chances that the child will have rewarding experiences in school and in the community that offset the impact of a stressful home life. Pg 11

question

A warm parental relationship

answer

a close relationship with at least one parent who provides warmth, appropriately high expectations, monitoring of the child's activities, and an organized home environment fosters resilience. Pg 11

question

Social support outside the immediate family

answer

The most consistent asset of resilient children is a strong bond to a competent, caring adult. A grandparent, aunt, uncle or teacher can take this role if a parent does not. Pg 11

question

Community resources and opportunities

answer

Community supports, good schools, convenient and affordable health care and social services, libraries, and recreation centers, foster both parents and children's well being. Through extracurricular activities, children and adolescents can self-reliance, self-esteem, and community commitment. 11

question

Interventions

answer

must not only reduce risks but also enhance children's protective relationships at home, in school, and in the community. This means attending to both the person and the environment. Strengthening the individual's capacities while also reducing hazardous experiences.

question

Development is plastic

answer

Evidence on plasticity reveals that aging is not an eventual "shipwreck". Instead, the metaphor of a "butterfly" of metamorphosis and continued potential provides a far more accurate picture of life span change. Pg 10

question

Development is influenced by multiple, interacting forces

answer

According to the lifespan perspective, pathways of change are highly diverse because development is influenced by multiple forces such as biological, historical, social and cultural.

question

3 categories of wide ranging influences

answer

1) Age-Graded influences 2) History-Graded influences 3) Nonnormative influences

question

Age-Graded influences

answer

Events that are strongly related to age and therefore are fairly predictable in when they occur and for how long they last. Most walk shortly after their first birthday. Driver's license when teen turns 16. Milestones. Especially prevalent in childhood and adolescence when biological changes are rapid. 11

question

History-Graded influences

answer

Epidemics, wars, and periods of economic prosperity or depression, technological advances, changes in cultural values. This explains why people born around the same time (cohort) tend to be alike in ways that set them apart from people born at other times. Baby boomers. 13

question

Nonnormative influences

answer

Age and History-Graded are normative but these are irregular events that tend to happen to just one person or a few and do not follow a predictable timeline. 13

question

Darwin's theory of evolution

answer

emphasizes the adaptive value of physical characteristics and behavior. Affection and care in families are adaptive throughout the lifespan, promoting survival and psychological well-being. 14

question

Founder of the child study movement

answer

G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924)

question

Maturational process

answer

a genetically determined series of events that unfold automatically, like a flower.

question

Normative approach

answer

Measures of behavior are taken on large numbers of individuals, and age related averages are computed to represent typical development. 14

question

The mental testing movement

answer

Binet and Simon constructed the first successful intelligence test in the early 1900's. 15

question

Psychoanalytic perspective

answer

People move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations. How these conflicts are resolved determines the person's ability to learn, to get along with others, and to cope with anxiety. 15

question

Sigmund Freud

answer

Founder of the psychoanalytic movement

question

Erik Erikson

answer

Psychosocial stages

question

Psychosexual theory-Freud

answer

Emphasizes that how parents manage their child's sexual and aggressive drives in the first few years of life is crucial for healthy personality development. 15-16

question

Freud's theory- 3 parts to the personality

answer

id, ego and superego

question

id

answer

Largest portion of the mind, is the source of basic biological needs and desires.

question

Ego

answer

The conscious, rational part of personality, emerges in early infancy to redirect the id's impulses so they are discharged in acceptable ways.

question

Superego

answer

between ages 3 and 6. Conscience develops through interactions with parents, who insist that children conform to the values of society.

question

Psychosocial theory

answer

Erikson emphasized that in addition to mediating between id impulses and superego demands, the ego makes a positive contribution to development, acquiring attitudes and skills at each stage that make the individual an active, contributing member of society. 15

question

Freud's psychosexual stages

answer

Pg 16

question

Erikson's psychosocial stages

answer

Pg 17

question

Behaviorism

answer

directly observable events-stimuli and responses- are the appropriate focus of the study. 17

question

Pavlov dogs

answer

Neutral stimulus (the trainer) Another stimulus (food) produces a reflexive response (salivation) Neutral stimulus alone could trigger a reflexive response and so Pavlov discovered Classical Conditioning. 18

question

Operant conditioning theory

answer

B.F. Skinner. Reinforcers and punishment. Rat study. Radiation or sugar water. 18

question

Social learning theory

answer

Bandura. Emphasizes modeling, also known as imitation or observational learning, as a powerful source of development. 18

question

Sense of self-efficacy

answer

The belief that their own abilities will help them succeed. 18

question

Behavior modification

answer

Consists of procedures that combine conditioning and modeling to eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses. 18

question

Piaget's cognitive developmental theory

answer

Children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world. There are 4 broad stages 19-20

question

According to the psychoanalytic perspective,

answer

the way conflicts between biological drives and social expectations are resolved determines personality development.

question

In contrast to Freud, Erikson believed that human development can be understood only by making reference to

answer

an individual's culture.

question

The goal of behaviorism was to

answer

create an objective science of psychology.

question

Bandura's social learning theory emphasizes the role of __________ as a powerful source of development.

answer

modeling

question

Which of the following is an example of behavior modification?

answer

Reinforcing children with small toys for answering questions about a story read to them while a dentist cleans their teeth

question

A major contribution of Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory is that it convinced the field that

answer

children are active learners.

question

A psychologist who focuses on the distinct contexts in which children and adults live would most likely emphasize __________ in his or her explanations of behavior.

answer

the role of unique combinations of personal and environmental circumstances

question

Theorists who regard environmental influences as key factors in development believe that _____________ is most important.

answer

nurture

question

Theorists who emphasize __________ in individual development typically stress the importance of __________.

answer

stability; heredity

question

Which of the following is an assumption of the lifespan perspective?

answer

Development is plastic at all ages.

question

The ability to adapt to conditions that threaten development is called

answer

resilience.

question

Which of the following is an example of an age-graded influence?

answer

reaching puberty

question

Compared to previous generations, many young baby boomers were

answer

economically privileged.

question

____________ is an example of a nonnormative influence.

answer

Prolonging parenthood

question

__________ inspired scientific child study through his attempt to document similarities between child growth and human evolution.

answer

Darwin

question

Which of the following theorists was the first to make knowledge about child development meaningful to parents by informing them of what to expect at each age?

answer

Arnold Gesell

question

__________ is based on age-related averages about typical development derived from research on large numbers of individuals.

answer

The normative approach

question

Oral

answer

Basic trust vs Mistrust

question

Anal

answer

Autonomy vs Shame and doubt

question

Phallic

answer

Initiative vs Guilt

question

Latency

answer

Industry vs Inferiority

question

Genital

answer

Identity vs Identity confusion

question

3 adult stages that Erikson added to Freud's stages

answer

Intimacy vs Isolation, Generativity vs Stagnation, Ego Integrity vs Despair

question

A major strength of the information-processing approach is its

answer

commitment to careful, rigorous research methods.

question

Konrad Lorenz and Niko Tinbergen's observations of __________ inspired the concept of __________.

answer

imprinting; a critical period

question

Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the importance of __________ as a powerful source of development.

answer

social interaction between children and more knowledgeable members of their culture

question

__________ theory has risen to the forefront of the field because it provides the most differentiated and thorough account of contextual influences on children's development.

answer

Ecological systems

question

Parent-teacher conferences are an example of development at the ___________ level.

answer

mesosystem

question

Both __________ emphasize discontinuous development.

answer

Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory and the psychoanalytic perspective

question

A major limitation of structured observation is that

answer

people do not necessarily behave in the laboratory as they do in everyday life.

question

One important strength of the clinical interview technique is that it

answer

comes as close as possible to the way that individuals think in everyday life.

question

A correlational coefficient of -.82 indicates a

answer

strong correlation in which one variable increases as the other decreases. 31, 33

question

Minority ethnicities tend to stress allegiance to ________ and ________.

answer

family; community

question

Cause-and-effect inferences can be made in an experimental design because the researcher

answer

manipulates changes in the independent variable 33

question

Having a surrogate decision maker for a research participant diagnosed with dementia is an example of

answer

informed consent 39

question

The field of human development is considered to be an applied discipline because

answer

findings are used for practical purposes to improve people's lives.

question

Our knowledge of human development is interdisciplinary. What does this mean?

answer

Individuals from diverse fields have contributed to our knowledge of human development.

question

Gradual building upon skills that one already exhibits is called _________ development, while qualitatively different changes are known as __________ development.

answer

continuous; discontinuous

question

Theories that emphasize early experiences in development view __________ as primary in establishing lifelong periods of behavior.

answer

early experiences

question

Which of the following is an example of a nonnormative influence?

answer

career choice

question

Which of the following is an example of a history-graded influence?

answer

the Great Depression of the 1930s

question

In contemporary adult development, _____________ influences have increasing importance.

answer

nonnormative

question

__________ observations of prenatal growth prompted the first attempts to carefully observe all aspects of children's behavior.

answer

Charles Darwin's

question

The normative approach

answer

produced a large body of descriptive facts about typical development in infants and children.

question

__________theory was the first theory to stress the role of early experience in human development.

answer

Freud's psychosexual

question

According to behaviorism, __________ is/are the proper means for understanding human development.

answer

observations of stimuli and responses

question

A child learning table manners by observing her parents is an example of ___________.

answer

modeling

question

According to Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory, the structures of a child's mind develop as the result of

answer

efforts to achieve equilibrium between internal structures and the outside world.

question

A major strength of the __________ approach is its commitment to rigorous, precise methods.

answer

information-processing

question

__________ inspired the concept of __________ in the field of human development.

answer

Ethology; a sensitive period

question

According to Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, __________ promote(s) the development of new cognitive skills.

answer

social dialogues with more knowledgeable individuals

question

In Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory, work benefits, such as flexible schedules and paid maternity leave, take place in the

answer

exosystem

question

A researcher is interested in examining children's helping behavior, but she is having trouble observing it in the natural environment. Which of the following research methods could she use to deal with this difficulty?

answer

structured observations

question

A major limitation of case studies is that

answer

conclusions are not generalizable to others.

question

A researcher interested in capturing the unique values and social processes of a culture would most likely rely on

answer

the ethnographic method

question

A +.55 correlation between a measure of maternal language stimulation and the size of children's vocabularies at age 2 suggests a

answer

moderate positive correlation

question

A study of the effects of listening to music on school-age children's intelligence test scores showed that

answer

active, sustained musical experiences lead to small increases in intelligence

question

A significant concern of baby-boom midlifers is an intense desire to

answer

control the physical changes of aging

question

The most consistent asset of resilient children is

answer

a strong bond to a caring, competent adult.

question

Research shows that students who are first-generation (foreign-born) or second-generation (American-born, with immigrant parents) typically achieve _____________ students of native-born parents.

answer

as well as or better than

question

The field of developmental science

answer

considers all factors that influence constancy and change throughout the lifespan.

question

Theorists who emphasize qualitative changes

answer

regard development as taking place in stages.

question

Dr. Arce is interested in the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors on human development. This is known as the _________ controversy.

answer

nature-nurture

question

According to the lifespan perspective,

answer

development is plastic at all ages.

question

According to the lifespan perspective,

answer

history-graded influences explain cohort effects.

question

Hall and Gesell conceptualized development as a(n) ___________ process.

answer

maturational

question

Arnold Gesell's child-rearing advice recommended

answer

sensitivity to children's cues.

question

A major limitation of psychoanalytic theory is that it

answer

overemphasizes the role of sexual feelings in development.

question

According to behaviorism, the proper focus of study for psychology should be

answer

directly observable events.

question

In a historic experiment with Little Albert, John Watson demonstrated that

answer

human behavior can be affected by the principles of classical conditioning.

question

Central to Bandura's social-cognitive theory is the concept of

answer

modeling.

question

Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory views children as

answer

active learners.

question

Information-processing researchers often use _________ to model the steps individuals use to solve problems.

answer

flow charts

question

Research shows that early extreme cognitive and social deprivation impairs intelligence in the later years. This finding demonstrates the concept of

answer

a sensitive period.

question

Vygostky proposed a socially mediated process of development that centers around

answer

cooperative dialogues with adults and more-expert peers.

question

__________ emphasizes that people interact bidirectionally with their environments.

answer

Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory

question

A major advantage of naturalistic observations is that they

answer

allow researchers to directly see the behavior of interest as it occurs in everyday settings.

question

Youths from which of the following ethnicities tend to have high rates of school failure and dropout, delinquency, teenage parenthood, and drug use?

answer

Cambodian and Laotian

question

Ethnographers strive to minimize their influence on research participants by

answer

becoming part of the culture they are studying.

question

The baby boomer generation is known for their collective emphasis on

answer

the search for personal meaning, self-expression, and social responsibility.

question

__________ permit(s) inferences about cause-and-effect in experimental designs.

answer

Random assignment of participants to treatment conditions

question

__________ are a major threat to findings of both longitudinal and cross-sectional research.

answer

Cohort effects

question

Following an experiment, a researcher plans to post children's names and intelligence test scores on the door of their classrooms. This violates which of the following children's research rights?

answer

privacy

question

______________ helps explain why some individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds thrive, while others experience poor outcomes.

answer

Resilience

question

Which of the following statements is true about the impact of music on intelligence?

answer

Research suggests that music lessons may increase scores on intelligence tests by a few points.

question

Theories of human development

answer

describe, explain, and predict behavior.

question

Theories that regard human development as taking place in a series of stages emphasize a ___________ perspective.

answer

discontinuous

question

Theorists who emphasize __________ are most likely to focus on the importance of __________.

answer

environmental influences; nurture

question

According to the lifespan perspective,

answer

development is a lifelong process.

question

Changes in voting rights for minorities as a result of the civil rights movement of the 1960s are an example of a(n) ___________ influence.

answer

history-graded

question

Jane's decision to put off having children until her late 30s because she decided to establish a career first is an example of a(n) ____________ influence.

answer

nonnormative

question

Charles Darwin is considered the forefather of scientific child study because

answer

his theory prompted other researchers to study children and their development directly. 14

question

While their assessments were designed for different purposes, Hall, Gessell, and Binet all took a __________ approach to child development.

answer

normative

question

The primary purpose of the first successful intelligence test was to

answer

identify children who needed special education services.

question

According to psychoanalytic theorists, people move through a series of stages in which they

answer

confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations.

question

Erikson expanded on Freud's psychosexual theory by

answer

adding three adult stages.

question

According to the behaviorist approach, psychological research should focus on

answer

directly observable events.

question

According to Bandura's social-cognitive approach to development, which of the following statements or questions would most likely foster a child's sense of self-efficacy?

answer

I'm proud of how hard you work on your homework.

question

Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory focuses on

answer

qualitative changes in the way children think through adaptation. 19

question

A major strength of the information-processing approach is its

answer

commitment to rigorous research methods.

question

According to developmental cognitive neuroscience, the brain is highly plastic and especially open to growth in response to experience for the first ____ years of life.

answer

5

question

Which of the following factors helped spark the post-World War II baby boom?

answer

Economic growth and prosperity

question

__________ is the factor that explains why some children growing up in difficult circumstances thrive, while others are less successful.

answer

Resilience

question

Vygotsky believed that __________ support development of cultural values.

answer

cooperative dialogues between children and more knowledgeable members of society

question

Ethnographers strive to minimize their influence on the culture they are observing by

answer

becoming part of the cultural community they are studying.

question

What is the major limitation of correlational research?

answer

It does not allow us to infer cause-and-effect relationships between variables.

question

An experimental design permits inferences about cause-and-effect because

answer

all participants are treated exactly alike except for changes in the independent variable.

question

In a 1993 study of the "Mozart effect," researchers found that

answer

Mozart seemed to improve arousal and mood, yielding better concentration on a test of spatial reasoning.

question

If a 10-year-old Misha decides that she does not want to continue in a study, the researcher should

answer

discontinue immediately.

question

What two factors insulate immigrant youths from delinquency, early pregnancy, drug use, and other high-risk behaviors?

answer

family relationships and school

Berk Ch 1 – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards