Developmental Psychology

frameworks that help us organize and interpret info

Ex. kid learns ___ for dog through picture books

Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas

Ex. kid might call any four-legged animal a dog

Adjusting current schemas to incorporate new info

Ex. kid recognizes a cat is not the same as a dog

birth-2 years

babies experience the world through senses and they learn that they can do things through movement

Within Sensorimotor stage

Recognizing that something is still there even if they can’t see it

2-7 years

the child learns to use language but cannot comprehend conservation

7-12 years

kids can think logically about physical events and understand math transformations; understand conservation

12+ years

develop abstract thinking and be able to consider hypotheticals and estimate consequences

common in infants when they feel anxious around people they do not know or aren’t comfortable with

infants in their mother’s presence are comfortable and explore their environment but become distressed when she leaves. When she returns they seek contact with her.

Infants in their mother’s presence cling to her or don’t explore their environment and become distressed when she leaves. When she returns they remain upset.

early in life when exposure to certain stimuli and events leads to normal development

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy and is formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question “who am I?”

infancy-1 year

if needs are met they develop trust

1-3 years

toddlers will learn to do things for themselves or will doubt their own abilities

3-6 years

preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans or to be guilty about efforts at independence

6 years-puberty

kids will learn to enjoy applying themselves to tasks or they will feel inferior

puberty-20s

teens work at testing roles and then forming them into an identity or they become confused about who they are

20s-early 40s

young adults form close relationships and develop a capacity for intimacy or they feel socially isolated

40s-60s

middle-aged people develop a sense of contributing to the world or feel a lack of purpose

60s+

as older adults reflect on life they feel a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment or a sense of failure

a set of expected behaviors for males or females

our sense of being male or female

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating & by being rewarded or punished

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

a consistent and comfortable sense of who we are

part of our identity that comes from group membership

a period from the late teens to mid-20s bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

the body structures that make sexual reproduction possible such as ovaries, testes, and external genitalia

nonreproductive sexual traits such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

when during sexual attraction one feels to the opposite (heterosexual), same (homosexual), or both (bisexual) sexes

long-lasting and unchanging

more influenced by biology than the environment

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

a social standard that says there are certain expectations about when people should get married, have kids, retire, etc

most powerful when comparing yourself to others

impose rules and expect obedience

submit to their children’s desires; make few demands and use little punishment

indulgent - best friends

neglectful - ignores kids and acts as if they’re an inconvenience

both demanding and responsive; exert control by setting rules and enforcing them but also explain the reason for rules; encourage open discussion when making the rules