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Psy 2413 Chapter 1 - Invitation to the Life Span Summary
This is a comprehensive and detailed summary on Chapter 1; the science of human development from the book intro to life span for Psy 2413. *Essential!!
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Chapter 1The Science of Human Development
● Developmental study is a science
Scientific method is used to refrain from personal bias. There are 5 basis:
– Curiosity
– Hypothesis
– Test
– Analyze data and draw conclusion
– Report the issues
Replication: repeating the procedures and methods of a study w/ different
participants (age, socioeconomic status)
– Scientists study reports of other scientists and build on what’s done before.
Some may duplicate an existing study
– Conclusions are refined, revised, rejected, or confirmed after replication
– Psychology is having replication crisis since many studies fail to replicate
Nature v. Nurture
● Nature: refers to the influence of the genes that people inherit
● Nurture: environmental influence, beginning with the health and diet of the
embryo’s mother and continuing lifelong
Both genes and experience affect every characteristic; the question is “how
much”, not “which”
Epigenetics: the study of how environmental factors affect genes and genetic
expression
Differential susceptibility: the idea that people vary in how sensitive they are to
particular experiences, either b/c genes or past experiences
Metaphors for children for those can blossom and others needing intensive care
– Dandelions: hardy, growing and thriving in good soil or bad, w/ or w/o kind of
child rearing experience
– Orchids: quite wonderful, but only when ideal growing conditions are met
Children can become immature and orchid if their parents are depressed, but
those mature if the mother isn’t
The life-span perspective takes into account all phases of life and all aspects of
development.
– Including the entirety of life led to the idea that human development is multi-
directional, multi-contextual, and multi-cultural and plastic
Multi-directional
Multiple changes characterize the life span
, Continuity: growth can be gradual
Discontinuity: change can occur rapidly and dramatically
● Critical period: a time when something must occur for normal development. If
it doesn’t then it cannot develop further
● Sensitive period: a time when a particular developmental growth occur more
easily, although may still happen later
○ Learning language is a sensitive period during childhood
○ Sensitive periods occur at many ages, not just childhood
Multi-contextual
Development takes place in many contexts, including physical surroundings and
family configurations. Each context influences development for either moments or
years.
Urie Bronfenbrenner recognized that context is crucial, recommends that
developmentalists take an ecological-systems approach
Ecological-systems approach: recognizes three nested levels that surround
individuals and affect them.
Bronfenbrenner’s four ecological systems:
● Microsystems: each person’s immediate surroundings such as family (basic)
● Ecosystems: local social setting such as school
● Macrosystems: larger social setting, including cultural values, economic
policies and politics
● Mesosystem: consisting of connections between and among the other
systems (employment (exo) and family (micro))
Each systems plays a big factor for an individual’s decision and development
Chronosystem (time system): encompasses historical conditions that affect each
person
– Believed biology affect the external contexts (bioecological)
Historical context
● Cohort: people born within the same historical period who therefore move
through life together, experiencing the same vents, new technologies, and
cultural shifts at the same ages
– Historical trends can influence individuals, such as first names
– Cohort influences attitudes and behavior
Socioeconomic context
SES (socioeconomic status): a person’s position in society as determined by
income, occupation, education, and residence
Low SES (poor, unsuccessful) ––> High SES (rich, successful)
SES brings opportunities and limitations
– US is among the most unequal w/ income gap
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