9 Lifespan Themes and Developmental Contexts Free Online FlashCards

What does lifespan development study?

Lifespan development is the study of how people grow, change, and remain relatively stable from conception through old age.

What does it mean that development is multidimensional?

Development is multidimensional: physical, cognitive, emotional, and social processes develop together and influence one another.

How do continuity and stage theories describe change differently?

Continuity describes gradual change, while stage theories emphasize qualitative shifts. Both can describe different parts of development.

What is plasticity in human development?

Plasticity is the capacity for change. Its limits are shaped by factors such as age, biology, prior experience, and available resources.

Why is development not simply a steady climb?

Development can include gains and losses at the same time; people adapt by drawing on strengths, setting priorities, and using tools or support.

How do nature and nurture shape development?

Genes, bodily processes, relationships, learning, and wider environments interact; neither heredity nor experience alone explains most outcomes.

What does Piaget's cognitive-developmental theory emphasize?

Piaget's theory describes how children actively construct knowledge and develop increasingly complex ways of thinking.

How can responsive caregiver interaction support infants?

Responsive back-and-forth interaction with caregivers helps build emotional security and supports early language and social learning.

What is resilience, and what can support it?

Resilience is the process of adapting in the face of significant challenge. Relationships, practical resources, skills, and supportive conditions can help people cope and recover.

What is scaffolding in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory?

Vygotsky emphasized learning through language, culture, and interaction. Scaffolding is guidance that helps learners do tasks they cannot yet manage independently.

What kind of challenges does Erikson's theory describe?

Erikson proposed recurring social and emotional challenges across life, such as building trust early in life and exploring identity in adolescence.

What does Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems approach examine?

Bronfenbrenner's approach explains development through connected settings, from close relationships and everyday environments to institutions, cultural values, and historical time.