Human Behavior Life-Span Development
Developmental Psychology The study of the changes that occur in people from birth through old age. Thinking Language Intelligence Emotions Social behavior Only study the changes in the above, as people age
Development Individual characteristics versus shared human traits Stability versus change Heredity versus environment
Cross-Sectional Study A method of studying developmental changes by comparing people of different ages at about the same time Testing logical thought by studying a group of 6 year olds, 9 year olds, and 12 year olds at the same time
Cohort A group of people born during the same period in historical time Study differences in cohort members Differences in cohorts in general Cohorts are also used in schools My cohort at the U of I for example Help to work together and graduate
Longitudinal Studies A method of studying developmental changes by evaluating the same people at different points in their lives Test the same people two or three times as they get older At age 6, 9, and 12 Help to see individual changes Can take 50+ years
Biographical Study A method of studying developmental changes by reconstructing a person’s past through interviews and inferring the effects of past events on current behaviors Could start with 70 year olds and work backwards through their lives Less trustworthy then longitudinal or cross-section studies
Prenatal Development Development from conception to birth From embryo to fetus Studying the process of becoming a “human being” Arms, eyes, lungs, brain and so on
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Condition characterized by facial deformities, heart defects, stunted growth, and cognitive impairments Use of alcohol while pregnant Smoking can cause issues as well 100,000 miscarriages per year could be from smoking Restricted oxygen flow to the fetus
Critical Period A time when certain internal and external influences have a major effect on development; at other periods, the same influences will have little or no effect Genie Story from old book