Glossary
Change
Refers to the growth, maturation, and adaptation that occur in an individual's cognitive abilities, social skills, and physical capabilities as they age.
Example:
A teenager's increasing independence from parents and greater reliance on peer influence illustrates significant change in social development.
Chronological Development
This approach to developmental psychology focuses on the specific timing and sequence of changes that occur as individuals age.
Example:
A study tracking the average age at which children first say their first words or take their first steps is an example of chronological development.
Continuous Development
Views development as a gradual, incremental process where abilities and characteristics build up steadily over time without distinct stages.
Example:
A child's vocabulary slowly expanding day by day, adding new words and phrases, is an example of continuous development.
Cross-Sectional Designs
A research method that compares individuals of different ages at a single point in time to observe age-related differences.
Example:
To study how memory changes with age, a researcher might test the recall abilities of 20-year-olds, 40-year-olds, and 60-year-olds all in the same week using a cross-sectional design.
Discontinuous Development
Proposes that development occurs in distinct, qualitatively different stages, where each stage represents a new way of thinking or behaving.
Example:
Piaget's theory, which suggests children move through specific stages like the preoperational or concrete operational stage, exemplifies discontinuous development.
Interaction (Nature and Nurture)
This concept highlights how genetic predispositions (nature) and environmental influences (nurture) constantly work together to shape an individual's development.
Example:
A child might have a genetic predisposition for athleticism (nature), but their athletic potential is fully realized only through consistent training and access to sports facilities (nurture).
Longitudinal Designs
A research method that tracks the same individuals repeatedly over an extended period to observe developmental changes within those individuals.
Example:
Following a group of students from kindergarten through high school, assessing their academic performance every year, is an example of a longitudinal design.
Nature
Encompasses the influence of an individual's genes and biological predispositions on their development.
Example:
A person's inherited eye color or a genetic predisposition to a certain talent, like musical ability, are examples of the influence of nature.
Nurture
Refers to the impact of an individual's environment, experiences, and learning on their development.
Example:
The language a child learns, the parenting style they experience, or the cultural norms they grow up with are all aspects of nurture.
Stability
Refers to the traits, characteristics, or patterns of behavior that remain consistent in an individual over time.
Example:
If a child is consistently shy throughout their school years and into adulthood, this demonstrates stability in their temperament.
Thematic Development
This perspective examines overarching issues and patterns that appear across different life stages, such as the ongoing debates of stability vs. change or nature vs. nurture.
Example:
Analyzing how an individual's core personality traits, like introversion, persist or shift from childhood through adulthood explores thematic development.