science of human development - Answers science that seeks to understand how and why people of all
ages and circumstances change or remain the same over time
scientific method - Answers a way to answer questions that require empirical research and data-based
conclusions.
hypothesis - Answers a specific prediction that can be tested.
empirical evidence - Answers evidence based on data from scientific observation or experiments; not
theoretical
replication - Answers repetition of a study using different participants
nature - Answers a general term for the traits, capacities, and limitations that each individual inherits
genetically from his or her parents at the moment of conception
nurture - Answers general term for all the environmental influences that affect development after an
individual is conceived
SIDS - sudden infant death syndrome - Answers the term used to describe an infant's unexpected death;
when a seemingly healthy baby, usually between 2 and 6 months, suddenly stops breathing and dies
unexpectantly while asleep.
o can be prevented when babies are put to sleep on their back.
life-span perspective - Answers an approach to the study of human development that takes into account
all phases of life, not just childhood or adulthood.
critical period - Answers a time when a particular type of developmental growth (in body or behaviour)
must happen if it is ever going to happen.
sensitive period - Answers a time when a certain type of development is most likely to happen or
happens most easily, although it may still happen later more difficulty.
Ex. early childhood is considered a sensitive period for language learning.
ecological - systems approach - Answers the view that in the study of human development, the person
should be considered in all the context and interactions that constitute a life.
cohort - Answers a group defined by the shared age of its members, who, because they were born at
about the same time, move through life together, experiencing the same historical events and cultural
shifts.
socioeconomic status (SES) - Answers a person's position in society as determined by income, wealth,
occupation, education and place of residence.
, culture - Answers a system of shared beliefs, norms, behaviours, and expectations that persist over time
and prescribe social behaviour and assumptions
social construction - Answers an idea that is based on shared perceptions, not on objective reality. many
age-related terms, such as childhood, adolescence, yuppie, and senior citizen, are social constructions.
difference-equals-deficit error - Answers the mistaken belief that a deviation from some norm is
necessarily inferior to behaviour or characteristics that meet the standard.
acculturation - Answers the process of cultural and psychological change that occurs when individuals
come into contact with a new culture
ethnic group - Answers people whose ancestors were born in the same region and who often share a
language, culture, and religion.
race - Answers a group of people regarded as distinct from other groups on the basis of appearance,
typically skin colour. social scientists think race is a misleading concept, as biological differences are not
signified by outward appearance.
epigenetic - Answers referring to the effects of environmental forces on the expression of an
individual's, or a species', genetic inheritance
dynamic-systems approach - Answers a view of human development as an ongoing, ever-changing
interaction between a person's physical and emotional being and between the person and every aspect
of his or her environment, including the family and society.
differential sensitivity - Answers the idea that some people are more vulnerable than others are to
certain experiences, usually because of genetic differences.
developmental theory - Answers a group of ideas, assumptions, and generalizations that interpret and
illuminate the thousands of observations that have been made about human growth. a developmental
theory provides a framework for explaining the patterns and problems of development.
psychoanalytic theory - Answers a theory of human development that holds that irrational, unconscious
drives and motives, often originating in childhood, underlie human behaviour.
learning theory - Answers a theory of human development that describes the laws and processes by
which observable behaviour is learned.
behaviourism - Answers a learning theory based on the idea that behaviours can be trained and changed
in response to stimuli in the environment.
conditioning - Answers according to behaviourism, the processes by which response become linked to
particular stimuli and learning takes place. the word "conditioning" is used to emphasize the important
of repeated practice, as when an athlete conditions his or her body to perform well by training for a long
time.