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Life-Span Development – John W. Santrock – Chapters 1–8 – Comprehensive Study Notes

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This document summarizes key concepts from Chapters 1–8 of Life-Span Development by John W. Santrock, covering developmental theories, genetic influences, prenatal development, brain development, and early cognitive and motor milestones. It includes major frameworks such as Erikson’s psychosocial theory, Piaget’s cognitive development theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory.

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Institution
Life-Span Developmen
Course
Life-Span Developmen

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"Life-span Development" by John W. Santrock (chapters 1-8)


1. Development The pattern of change that begins at conception and continues through the life
span. Involves growth, although it also includes decline brought on by aging and
dying.

2. Culture The behavior patterns, beliefs, and all other products of a group that are passed on from
generation to generation.

3. Gender The characteristics of people as males or females.

4. Biological Changes in an individual's physical nature.
processes

5. Cognitive Changes in an individual's thought, intelligence, and language.
processes

6. Socioemotional Changes in an individual's relationships with other people, emotions, and per- sonality.
processes
Debate about whether development is primarily influenced by nature or nurture. Nature refers
7. Nature-nurture to an organism's biological inheritance, nurture to its environmental experiences.
issue
Theories that describe development as primarily unconscious and heavily colored by emotion.
Behavior is merely a surface characteristic, and the symbolic workings of the mind have to be
8. Psychoanalytic analyzed to understand behavior. Early experiences with parents are emphasized.
theories

9. Erikson's theory A theory made up of eight stages of human development. Each stage consists of a unique
developmental task that confronts individuals with a crisis that must be resolved.

10. Erikson's theory's Trust versus mistrust - infancy (first year).
first stage






, "Life-span Development" by John W. Santrock (chapters 1-8)

11. Erikson's theory's Autonomy versus shame and doubt - infancy (1 to 3 years).
second stage

12. Erikson's theory's Initiative versus guilt - early childhood (preschool years, 3 to 5 years).
third stage

13. Erikson's theory's Industry versus inferiority - middle and late childhood (elementary school years,
fourth stage 6 years to puberty).

14. Erikson's theory's Identity versus identity confusion - (10 to 20 years).
fifth stage

15. Erikson's theory's Intimacy versus isolation - early adulthood (20s, 30s).
sixth stage

16. Erikson's theory's Generativity versus stagnation - middle adulthood (40s, 50s).
seventh stage

17. Erikson's theory's Integrity versus despair - late adulthood (60s onward).
eighth stage

18. Piaget's theory Theory stating that children actively construct their understanding of the world
and go through four stages of cognitive development.

19. Piaget's 1. The Sensorimotor stage
Cogni- tive 2. The preoperational stage
Develop- ment 3. The concrete operational stage
Theory Stages 4. The formal operational stage
(4).
A sociocultural cognitive theory that emphasizes how culture and social interaction guide cognitive
20. Vygotsky's development.
theo- ry
Emphasizes that individuals manipulate information, monitor it, and strategize about it. Central
21. Information-pro- to this theory are the processes of memory and thinking.
cessing theory



, 22. Social cognitive The view of psychologists who emphasize behavior, environment, and cognition as the key
theory factors in development.

23. Ethology Stresses that behavior is strongly influenced by biology, is tied to evolution, and is
characterized by critical or sensitive periods.

24. Bronfenbren- An environmental systems theory that focuses on five environmental systems: microsystem,
ner's mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.
ecological
theory
An orientation that does not follw any one theoretical approach but rather selects from each
25. Eclectic theoreti- theory whatever is considered the best in it.
cal orientation
A research strategy in which individuals of different ages are compared at one time.
26. Cross-sectional
approach A research strategy in which the same individuals are studied over a period of time, usually
several years or more.
27. Longitudinal ap-
proach

28. Chromosomes Threadlike structurs that come in 23 pairs, with one member of each pair coming from each
parent. They contain the genetic substance DNA.

29. Meiosis A specialized form of cell division that occurs to form eggs and sperm (also known as
gametes).

30. Fertilization A stage in reproduction when an egg and a sperm fuse to create a single cell,
called a zygote.

31. Zygote A single cell formed through fertilization.

32. Down syndrome A chromosomally transmitted form of mental retardation caused by the presence of an extra
copy of chromosome 21.

33.

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Institution
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Course
Life-Span Developmen

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