Chapter 1 Principles of Development

macrosystem

system in the ecological systems theory that consists of cultural values, laws, customs, and resources

ethnography

descriptive, qualitative research technique in which participant observation is used to understand a culture or distinct social group

history-graded influences

explain why people born around the same time (cohorts) tend to be alike in ways that set them apart from people born at other times

developmental science

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

sociocultural theory

focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation; according to Vygotsky, social interaction is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community's culture

lifelong, multidimensional and multidirectional, highly plastic, affected by multiple interacting forces

four assumptions of development used in the lifespan perspective

clinical interview

interview which uses a flexible, conversational style

normative approach

method in which measures of behavior are taken on large numbers of individuals, and age-related averages are computed to represent typical development

social learning theory

most influential is Bandura's theory based on modeling/imitation/observational learning

lifespan perspective

perspective of development as a dynamic system in which a complex network of biological, psychological, and social influences have effect on a perpetually ongoing process extending from conception to death; rests on 4 assumptions

information processing

perspective which views the human mind as a symbol-manipulation system through which information flows

behavior modification

procedures that combine conditioning and modeling to eliminate undesirable behaviors and increase desirable responses

stages

qualitative changes in thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterize specific periods of development

ethology

study of the adaptive value of behavior and its evolutionary history

evolutionary developmental psychology

study of the adaptive value of specieswide cognitive, emotional, and social competencies as those competencies change with age

developmental cognitive neuroscience

study of the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing person's cognitive processing and behavior patterns

microsystem

system in the ecological systems theory that consists of activities and interaction patterns in the person's immediate surroundings

exosystem

system in the ecological systems theory that consists of social settings tat do not contain the developing person but nevertheless affect experiences in more immediate settings (examples: religion, workplace, etc.)

mesosystem

system in the ecological systems theory that encompasses connections between microsystems

chronosystem

temporal dimension of Brofenbrenner's model for ecological systems theory

resilience

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

cognitive-developmental theory

theory In which children actively construct knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world

ecological systems theory

views the person as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment

Konrad Lorenz's research on imprinting led to the concept of the critical period

what value to developmental psychology was added by ethology?

discontinuous development.

which view of development embraces the theory of stages (rather than smooth, gradual development)?

discontinuous development

a process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at specific times

continuous development

a process of gradually augmenting the same types of skills that were there to begin with

sensitive period

a time that is optimal for certain capacities to emerge and in which the individual is especially responsive to environmental influences; less well-defined boundaries than those of a critical period, and development of these capacities can occur later but is harder to induce

nonnormative influences

events that are irregular; they happen to just one person or a few people and do not follow a predictable timetable

age-graded influences

events that are strongly related to age and are therefore fairly predictable in when they occur and how long they last