Psychology 4th Edition By Robert Weis
What is the purpose of Developmental Psych? - ANSWER:to seek and to understand
how people change and remain the same over time using empirical data
the study of humans across the life span
Describe the important features of the 3 basic issues covered in class. Illustrate with
examples. - ANSWER:1- Nature vs Nurture:
nature = genes
nuture = environment
2- Stability vs Change:
-stability = characteristics emerge early due to heredity and early experience. gap
maintains itself
-change = altering characteristics is possible and lik
3- Continuous vs Discotinuous
-continuous = viewing development as CUMULATIVE process of adding more of the
same types of skills (s curve)
-Discontinuous = development taking place in stages (steps)
What is the history of studying children? Think major events/ people and what the
perspective was - ANSWER:Medieval= kids not treated with care/ high mortality rate
1700/Enlightenment = theorists argued NATURE. (Everything is PREDETERMINED).
-Locke= "Tabula Rasa" = blank slate => kids can be shaped
-Rousseau= "noble savages"
18th Century= Darwin = "survival of the fittest", natural selection, survival value
passed on
19th Century= Industrial Age(factories)/ child labor laws begin
1920-1960's = modern behaviorists argue NURTURE. (everything can be
MANIPULATED)
Now= not one or the other, but rather HOW MUCH of each
Be able to use your understanding of the basic issues to apply to these theoretical
perspectives (e.g., are J.B. Watson's ideas more nature or nurture?). - ANSWER:1.
BEHAVIORAL THEORIES:
-focus on *external*
, I- Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) = involuntary learning, pair stimuli together (ex-
baby, animal, noise)
II- Environmental Bias: the environment matters more than genetics (monkey see,
monkey do)
-environment = choice, genetic = no control
III- Operant Conditioning: (BF Skinner)- REINFORCEMENT increases likelihood of
behavior, positive reinforcement
-(ex- chocolate/Big Bang Theory, *potty training)
IV. Learning Perspectives: (Bandura) = Social Learning theory = kids imitate behavior
to learn
-(ex: Big Daddy)
2. COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE:
-emphasis on *internal* systems of growth
I- (Piaget) = "schema" -> what is a "dog"?
-stimulus + _____________ = response
II- (Vygotsky) = child is an apprentice to becoming an adult
***learning occurs within zone of proximal development
3. PSYCHOANALYTIC APPROACH:
-focus on how personalities and unconscious life drive behavior
I- Psychosexual Theory: (Freud) behavior motivated by unconscious drives/instincts
-ex: fast music -> fast driving
-iceberg model (top to bottom)= ego, superego, id
-ego: awareness of actions
-superego: moral compass (devil/angel on shoulders)
-id: internal desire/drive
***oral fixation (in kids)--> FREUD= need to have something in mouth vs PIAGET=
kids learning "schemas"
******if stages are skipped, it will affect other areas of development and in life
II- Psychosocial Approach/Theory (Erickson)
-though the lifespan deal with personality through social environment
4. EPIGENETIC PERSPECTIVE:
-explore everything as interaction of biology and environment
I- Ethological Theory: (Darwin) s
-elective adaption: trait increases or decreases depending on its contribution to
survival
-Species-Specific Behavior: humans recognize facial expressions --> Why? Key to
survival
-Critical (animals)/ Sensitive (h