lecture 1

Question 1

Explain Paul Baltes’ key principles of lifespan development

Answer 1

1. history and context
   - cultural and circumstantial influence
2. plasticity
   - ability to improve functioning at any age
3. multiple causality
   - biological, psychological, sociocultural and life cycle factors
4. multi-directionality
   - enhancement, stability
   - selective optimization with compensation

Question 2

What is the philosophical approach to development?

Answer 2

• born evil, we have to correct the behavior
• born a blank slate (john locke) and we have to shape the behaviour
• born good (Rousseau) and we have to maintain and nurture behaviour

Question 3

what are the scientific approach to development?

Answer 3

• Charles Darwin
• G. Stanley Hall: identified norms, or the average ages at which milestones happen
• Arnold Gesell: maturation - genetically programmed sequential pattern of change
• Jean Piaget

Question 4

describe the domains of development

Answer 4

1. cognitive
   - intellectual skills
2. physical
   - body changing
3. social personality
   - relationship with others, understanding social cues

Question 5

define continuity and discontinuity

Answer 5

continuity: quantitative - weight and height
discontinuity: qualitative- stages, butterfly stages

Question 6

describe the type of changes in development

Answer 6

1. universal- puberty, social clock
2. group-specific - cultural and cohort groups
3. individual- atypical, sensitive, critical

Question 7

describe the interactionist model

Answer 7

• nature vs nurture
  ex. vulnerability and resilience
• the vulnerabilities and protective factors a child is born with interacts with their environment, same environment can differ from child to child
• high vulnerability and poor environment = most negative outcome

Question 8

what are the different types of measuring developmental change

• describe the confound variable and how to bypass it

Answer 8

• cross-sectional studies: measuring people of different ages at same point in time,
  confound: cohort
• longitudinal: measuring the same group of people throughout multiple points in time, selective attrition
  confound: time of measurement

Question 9

what are some of the ethnical standards? (5 of them)

Answer 9

• protection from harm
• informed consent
• confidentiality
• knowledge of results
• deception, if used, must be explained fully