1.1 HOW SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT? 1. How do developmental scientists define development?

They define it as systematic changes and continuities in the individual from womb to tomb. Orderly, patterned not fleeting or unpredictable. Physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development. What does the typical path of development look like across the life span? Typical path of development is positive gains in capacity from birth to young adulthood, little change from young adulthood to middle age, and loss of capacities in the later years. 2. How has our understanding of different periods of the life span changed historically? Development changes at any age can see both gains and losses. Aging doesnt have to mean loss. Biologically aging is deterioration of organisms, but you can gain wisdom and knowledge over the span of your life. More information has been received as you grow older. Children were considered little adults up to the 17th and 18th century. There were no adolescence until the 19th 20th century. Age did not matter and when you were old enough you worked unless you were one of wealth. You were not allowed find out who you are or what you wanted to be. Only after WWII adolescents began to attend college. Adults had a short life span up until the 20th century. More people lived to an old age and more babies survived. People used to work until they dropped. Now they can have the means to do so. What cultural and sub cultural differences exist in perspective of the life span? Each culture and sub culture have their own definition of an age grade or group. The society defines by what people should and should not do at different points in their lives. In cultures where the life span is low, they tend to marry early, have children early, work early in life. The American society is compromised of sub cultures that have their own idea of what an age norm is for certain milestones in their lives. Our multicultural families sometimes have different developmental experiences. Lower income families tend to reach milestones of adulthood earlier than middle-income and upper-income, where it seems unusual middle class to have mothers so young. 3. What are the main components of each side of the nature-nurture issue? Nature; Heredity, Maturation, Genes, Biologically based predispositions. Nurture; Environment, Learning, Experience, Cultural influences. 4. What are the features of the bioecological model and why is this perspective important to our understanding of development? The features of the bioecological model describe how the environment is organized and how it affects development. Microsystem is face to face interactions with other people and influences like in a new born baby to its mother or caregiver. Family environment is important for child development, peer groups, schools, and neighborhood environments. Mesosystem is interrelationships between two or more Microsystems. For example, divorcing couples can have an effect on the children and possibly withdraw from other children at daycare or staff members. A stable, loving home environment is most likely to allow the child to benefit from social experiences in the daycare or later in life. The Exosystem links social settings that are not directly towards them but influence their development. Can be affected by their school changing what they focus their studies on or how their parents day went. The Macrosystem is a larger cultural piece and is a culmination of the three: On what children need to be taught and how to lead their lives in their society. Chronosystem is a pattern of all of these events over time.

1.2 WHAT IS THE SCIENCE OF LIFE-SPAN DEVELOPMENT? Is the study of life-span development. 5. What are the three goals of developmental psychology and the seven assumptions of the modern life-span perspective on human development? Describing, explaining, and optimizing development. Seven assumptions: 1. Development is a lifelong process. 2. Development is multidirectional. 3. Development involves both gains and loss. 4. Development is characterized by lifelong plasticity. 5. Development is shaped by its historical-cultural context. 6. Development is multiply influenced. Urie Bronfenbrenners belief development is the product of many causes bio environmental, both inside and out. 7. Understanding development requires multiple disciplines. 1.3 HOW IS DEVELOPMENT STUDIED? Scientific method. 6. What is the scientific method mindset and how is the scientific method used to study development? Scientific method mindset or approach is the process of generating ideas and testing them by making observations. It is used to study development by using experiments, longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies, correlation studies, and case studies 7. What are the essential features of the experimental method? Manipulation of the independent variable, Random assignment, experimental control. What sorts of information can be gathered from an experimental study and what are its strengths To establish unambiguously that one thing causes another. and weaknesses not taking place in a natural setting, ethical reasons (cannot manipulate a death to study the reaction of another) ?

8. What are the important features of the correlation method? Researchers take people the way they are without manipulation and determine if there is a relationship among their experiences. What sorts of information can be gathered from this type of study and what are its strengths Use it more because of ethical issues. and weaknesses cannot unambiguously establish a causual relationship between the two variables.? 9. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the cross-sectional quick and easy, different age groups. and longitudinal designs can indicate how individuals are alike and different as they change over time, not able to generalize what they find in other historical periods. and how does the sequential design resolve the weaknesses of these designs? Separates effects of age, group, and time of measurment 1.4 WHAT SPECIAL CHALLENGES DO DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENTISTS FACE? 10. What challenges arise in studying development and how can scientists address these issues? Must develop culturally sensitive methods and measures, keep their bias. Confidentiality of patient or participants, harm to participants, consent, debriefing.