Developmental Flashcards, test questions and answers

Discover flashcards, test exam answers, and assignments to help you learn more about Developmental and other subjects. Don’t miss the chance to use them for more effective college education. Use our database of questions and answers on Developmental and get quick solutions for your test.

What is Developmental?

PsychologyDevelopmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why human beings change over the course of their life. This field examines development across three major domains: physical, cognitive, and social-emotional. Developmental psychologists focus on a variety of theoretical areas including motor skills, language acquisition, morality, identity formation and gender roles. They also investigate a variety of issues such as bullying, learning disabilities and poverty.The physical domain includes growth in terms of body size and composition as well as changes in physical abilities such as strength, speed and coordination. Cognitive development involves changes in intellectual abilities such as problem solving, memory and abstraction. Social-emotional development includes the emergence of social skills such as communication, cooperation and empathy. It also involves emotional regulation which is the ability to regulate emotions appropriately for various situations.Developmental psychologists use a wide range of methods to examine developmental processes including cross-sectional studies which compare individuals at different ages; longitudinal studies which follow individuals over time; laboratory experiments that manipulate variables to assess effects on behavior; correlational studies that evaluate the relationships between variables; case studies which focus on an individual or small group; surveys which collect information from large samples; naturalistic observations where behavior is observed in its natural environment without manipulation by experimenters; analysis of artifacts like diaries or works of art; computer simulations where behavior is modeled using computers or robots; neurobiological techniques that measure brain structure or activity associated with behavior and genetics where inherited traits are studied at a molecular level. Developmental psychology has important implications for society because it provides insight into how to best help children reach their full potentials. It can also provide insight into how best to help adults cope with changes throughout adulthood such as career transitions or parenting roles. Furthermore, it can inform policies related to education systems based on an understanding of children’s needs at each stage in life .