What are the three main types of aging?
Biological aging, psychological aging, and social aging.
What is biological aging?
The process involving how the body functions and changes over time.
What are the two metabolic processes involved in biological aging?
Anabolism and catabolism.
What is anabolism?
The process of body building to peak potential, occurring from birth to a variable age depending on the individual.
What is catabolism?
The body’s typically slow deterioration from its peak until death.
What is psychological aging?
One’s perception of personal age—how old or young a person feels regardless of their chronological age.
What is social aging?
How a person’s chronological age is viewed within a societal or cultural context, influenced by vocation and socioeconomic status.
How does the perception of aging differ between Eastern and Western cultures?
Eastern cultures often regard older individuals with more respect, while Western cultures may show less respect as people age.
How might vocation and socioeconomic status influence social aging?
Individuals of the same age may be perceived differently based on their profession or wealth—for example, a wealthy doctor vs. a retired blue-collar worker.
What are common categories of human development theories?
Learning, cognitive, psychoanalytic (psychodynamic), humanistic, ethological, language, physical, and moral development.
What three major contrasts are used to categorize developmental theories?
Nature vs. nurture, continuous vs. discontinuous development, and active vs. reactive theories.
What does ‘nature vs. nurture’ refer to?
The debate over the influence of genetics and heredity (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) on development.
How does intelligence demonstrate both nature and nurture influences?
Genetic predisposition sets a range of potential, but environmental factors (like nutrition and stimulation) determine where within that range a person falls.
What does it mean for a theory to be interactionist or epigenetic?
It recognizes the combined influence of both genetic (nature) and environmental (nurture) factors on development.
What is continuous development?
Development marked by small, gradual, and often hard-to-separate changes over time.
Which theory exemplifies continuous development?
Skinner’s operant conditioning.
What is discontinuous development?
Development marked by distinct, qualitatively different stages or leaps in abilities.
Which theories exemplify discontinuous development?
Stage theories like those of Piaget and Erikson.
What are active theories of development?
Theories that view individuals as actively shaping and regulating their own development.
What is an example of an active theory?
Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory.
What are reactive theories of development?
Theories that view individuals as passive and shaped by environmental stimuli.
What is an example of a reactive theory?
Skinner’s operant conditioning.
What is a strength of a Case Study?
Provides in-depth analysis and rich, meaningful data.
What is a limitation of a Case Study?
No systematic comparison is possible.