Psychology Across the Lifespan Challenge Questions 109 Terms with Solutions 2026-2027 32pages

Lifespan Development - Answer: is the field of study that explores these patterns of stability, continuity, growth and change that occur throughout a person's life, from birth to death. Three major types or domains of development: - Answer: physical, cognitive, and psychosocial. Physical Development - Answer: (biological changes) is concerned primarily with physical changes such as growth, motor skill development and basic perception Cognitive Development - Answer: (thinking, language, memory) is concerned with cognition, involving psychological processes from learning, processing information and thinking about the environment Psychosocial Development - Answer: (emotions, interpersonal relationships) is concerned primarily with personality, social knowledge, skills and emotions Psychology Across the Lifespan Gesell's Maturational Theory (1926) - Answer: Gathered normative data on physical, social, mental and behavioural development. His theory contends that development in childhood and adolescence is primarily biological, or genetic, in origin. Discontinuous Development/Change - Answer: A process in which development occurs in distinct states or steps, with each step resulting in behaviour that is Qualitative (quality) e.g. crawling to walking Continuous Development/Change - Answer: Gradual and progressive development in which achievements at one level build Quantative (quantity) e.g. change in height Damon's Moral Growth Theory (1996) - Answer: Sense of right and wrong deepens with age Children's moral opinions do not necessarily match their actions Aligning self with ideals enhances commitment to morally consistent actions Less verbal hypocrisy in adulthood Changing meanings and vantage points - Answer: Meaning of experiences varies with age, roles, and responsibilities Development is plastic - flexible Opportunities for growth are present at every age Individual differences in plasticity - experience and adaptability e.g. the ability of individual's to adapt to change Psychology Across the Lifespan Developmental Diversity - Answer: Differences in development relate to Genetic, Environmental, Social and Cultural Context Nature - Answer: Genetically inherited traits, abilities and capacities •Individual differences and universal human traits Nuture - Answer: Environmental influences: relationships (family, teachers, friends), neighbourhood, beliefs, customs •Pre- and post-natal experiences •Example: language is genetically programmed, but the specific language you learn depends on your environment Baltes model of Normative & Non-Normative Development (1979) - Answer: Basic determinants: Interaction between biology and environment Normative age-graded norms: Biological and Social Normative history-graded norms: Significant events such as famine, war etc Non-normative events: Accidents, illness, divorce Bronfenbrenner's model of ecological system levels - Answer: Microsystems: Face-to-face interactions e.g. family, peers, school Mesosystems: Connections between microsystems e.g. parent's involvement at child's school Exosystems: Indirect influences e.g. parent's workplace