Theories Of Development – Flashcards
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the study of the change process in people.
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Developmental Psychology
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a time in a person's life that is noted for distinct changes or transitions in one of the areas of development.
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Developmental Stage
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researchers choose a group of subjects and study those individuals over a period of time. A good example is Louis Terman's study of gifted people that began in 1921 and continued at Stanford University even after his death. Terman studied all aspects of his group of very intelligent subjects. He studied factors such as high school graduation rates, college, marriages, divorces, health, and careers. In a longitudinal study, individuals are periodically assessed on selected variables. This would reveal a great deal of information about the change process. These studies are also very costly and time consuming. Subjects may be lost due to relocation or death.
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Longitudinal Design
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The main difference is that instead of selecting a group and following those subjects for years, a sample is selected that has all the age ranges a researcher is interested in studying. The differences in behavior or development in the various age groups are then compared. For example, if researchers were studying the ten- to twelve-year-old group, they would compare the differences at much smaller age intervals than if they were studying the whole of adulthood.
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cross-sectional design
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is how heredity unfolds in a systematic and programmed manner as a result of biological signals from DNA and genes.
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Maturation
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A critical period is a time in the developmental process when a person (or an animal) is best prepared to learn a particular skill.
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Critical Period
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A number of theories address different aspects of development. Some theories focus on cognitive development; other theories focus on variables such as psychological, social, moral, and ethnic identity development.
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Major Developmental Theories
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Jean Piaget (1896-1980) was a Swiss psychologist who spent his career studying how children think. Early in his study, he noticed that children did not perform the way adults did on intelligence tests. In fact, he noticed that children of the same age made the same types of errors.
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Cognitive Development
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which states that a key property of a substance (such as weight, volume, and number) stays the same even if it is rearranged. In the example, the amount of water is the same regardless of the container. Comprehension of the law of conservation is developed during the concrete operational stage. Piaget identified four stages of cognitive development.
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law of conservation
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extends from birth to approximately age two. This is a time when the infant explores the world through the senses and motor activity. Infants begin to explore their world and notice that when they hit something hanging in front of them, it moves. They begin to notice cause and effect relationships.
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sensorimotor stage
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At approximately six months, infants begin to develop the concept of object permanence. This is a stage when the infant realizes that even when a toy is hidden from view, it still exists. The infant may even search for the toy. This is a time when the child likes to play peek-a-boo.
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object permanence
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The preoperational stage lasts from age two until seven. During this time period, children are engaging in symbolic thought. They are learning words to represent their world. Even though they are making great verbal strides, they still have several key limitations in their thought processes: - Children at this age display an egocentric world view and see everything from only their own perspective. - Children evidence centration, which means they can focus on only one aspect of a situation at a time.
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preoperational stage
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lasts from age seven to age eleven. During this phase, children begin to use logic to solve problems. However, they are not yet able to engage in abstract thought.
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concrete operational stage
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begins at age eleven. This is the stage when young people develop the skills to think and reason about abstract concepts.
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formal operational stage
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Erikson proposed that social and emotional conflicts, rather than sexual conflicts, were important. Erikson also viewed the developmental process as being lifelong, rather than one that ended in early adolescence. His theory consists of eight stages, as shown in the chart on the next screen.
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Psychological Development
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Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) was a cognitive psychologist who developed a six-stage theory of moral development. His stages were divided into three levels of two stages each. Kohlberg pointed out that according to his theory, not everyone progressed to the higher stages.
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Moral Development
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At the preconventional level, children are primarily concerned about the consequences of their decisions or behavior.
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preconventional level
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At the conventional level, decisions and behaviors are based on what is considered the conventional standards of right and wrong in their culture.
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conventional level
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At the postconventional level, decisions are made based on an internal moral code.
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postconventional level
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Social development has to do with the way people learn to get along with others. It begins with Erikson's Trust vs. Mistrust stage of psychosocial development. Without a sense of trust, developing socially is difficult.
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Social Development
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the emotional bond between people.
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attachment
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Play is an important ingredient in social development. Through play, children learn to take turns and practice the many social skills that will enable them to be successful later in life. Play fosters creativity, learning, and the further development of language skills. It is also through play that children learn the skills and behaviors needed to be active members of society.
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Play
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Socialization is teaching, either directly or indirectly, the way humans do things or act in society. Some cultures have very different outcomes as a result of the socialization process.
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Socialization
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the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors associated with each sex.
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Gender Roles
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a complex concept that has many different definitions. This includes a sense of connection to the ethnic group with which one identifies. This also includes feelings and beliefs associated with membership in that group.
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Ethnic Identity
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Sensorimotor Stage
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Deshandra and Desmond are sister and brother. Their mother has two equal balls of clay. She rolls one into a long, skinny snake and the other into a short, thick snake. Mom then asks the children which snake has the most clay in it. Desmond says the long, skinny snake. Deshandra says both snakes have the same amount of clay. Mom brings the baby, Martin, over and the children begin to play with him. Desmond takes Martin's blanket and hides it to see if Martin will find it. Martin thinks it has disappeared and begins to cry, so Desmond gives it back to him. Martin just turned six months old. Which of Piaget's stages of cognitive development is Martin currently in?
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The cross-sectional study selects a sample that has all the age ranges the researchers are interested in versus one group that is followed throughout time.
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What is the major difference between a longitudinal study and a cross-sectional study?
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Developmental Psychologists
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Maria and James are research psychologists. They are interested in studying infancy (birth to age 3), early childhood (ages 3 - 5), and middle childhood (ages 6 - 12). Maria is interested in what age is best to teach children a new language. She thinks there is an age when children are developmentally best prepared to learn languages. James, on the other hand, is interested in studying one group of children from birth through age 12 to see how children who talk early differ in other aspects of their development. What type of research psychologists are Maria and James most likely to be?
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Preconventual
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Linda is a young girl who is playing with her friend Sally. Sally sees a kitten on the other side of the street and tells Linda to go across the street and catch the kitten. Linda says, "No, Mommy will be mad if I do." At this time, Mary (who is older) comes up and hears the conversation. She tells both girls that it would be wrong to get the kitten because it belongs to the neighbors and that people shouldn't take things that belong to others. Which level is Linda operating from based on Kohlberg's theory of moral development?
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Developmental Stages
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Maria and James are research psychologists. They are interested in studying infancy (birth to age 3), early childhood (ages 3 - 5), and middle childhood (ages 6 - 12). Maria is interested in what age is best to teach children a new language. She thinks there is an age when children are developmentally best prepared to learn languages. James, on the other hand, is interested in studying one group of children from birth through age 12 to see how children who talk early differ in other aspects of their development. Which term is used to describe the groupings of infancy, early childhood, and middle childhood?
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All the answers are correct.
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How did Erik Erikson's theory of development differ from Freud's theory?
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None of the answers are correct.
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Which statement is correct regarding gender roles?
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Formal Operational Stage
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One of Juan's favorite pastimes is solving complex logic puzzles. Which cognitive level is Juan most likely in?
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around six months old
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Deshandra and Desmond are sister and brother. Their mother has two equal balls of clay. She rolls one into a long, skinny snake and the other into a short, thick snake. Mom then asks the children which snake has the most clay in it. Desmond says the long, skinny snake. Deshandra says both snakes have the same amount of clay. Mom brings the baby, Martin, over and the children begin to play with him. Desmond takes Martin's blanket and hides it to see if Martin will find it. Martin thinks it has disappeared and begins to cry, so Desmond gives it back to him. Martin just turned six months old. When should Martin learn that just because the blanket is hidden, it has not ceased to exist?
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attachment
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Tim and Jim are infants born on the same day in the same hospital to different mothers. They are now three months old. Tim's basic needs are met from parents that are very nurturing and caring. Jim, on the other hand, was not wanted, and his parents often ignore him. They take care of Jim's basic needs only when they want to quiet him. Tim has formed a close bond with his parents. What is the term for this bond?
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concrete operational stage
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Which of Piaget's stages of cognitive development is Deshandra in?
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law of conservation
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What is the principle called that is demonstrated by the clay example?
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identity vs. confusion
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What is the psychosocial conflict for the adolescent (age 12-19) in Erikson's theory of psychosocial development?
