Ap Psychology Notes- Human Development
Human Development
Identical twins: show remarkable similarities, but only in characteristics your would expect: intelligence, temperament, gestures, posture and pace of speech.
-however, environment plays a big role too -increase in age=greater difference
problems w/ twin studies:
-expectancy biases has proven to be a big challenge for these studies
developmental psychology: psychology of growth, change and consistency through the lifespan -> looks at how thinking, feeling and behaviour change throughout a person's life
nature vs. nurture issue:
-developmental psychology seeks to answer 2 big questions about heredity and environment: 1) how much weight does each wield? 2) how do they interact?
-nature refers to the effects of heredity and nurture to the influence of environment
How to study the Nature-Nurture Interaction:
-there are 2 easy ways to study nature-nurture -twin studies: identical twins have same genotype and fraternal twins have an average of 50% of their genes in common
-adoption studies: similarities with the biological family support nature, while similarities with the adoptive family support nurture
Gradual vs. Abrupt Change
-think about how children become adults. is there a predictable pattern they follow regarding thought and language and social development?
-do children go through gradual changes or are they abrupt changes?
Continuity View:
-says that change is gradual
-children become more skillful in thinking, talking or acting much the same way as they get taller
Discontinuity View:
-sees development as more abrupt- a succession of changes that produce different behaviours in different age-specific life periods called stages
-this is evident in beginning readers who suddenly discover the connection between the letters and sounds
-we often hear ppl talking about children going through "stages" in life (i.e. terrible twos)
-there are called developmental stages: periods of life
Identical twins: show remarkable similarities, but only in characteristics your would expect: intelligence, temperament, gestures, posture and pace of speech.
-however, environment plays a big role too -increase in age=greater difference
problems w/ twin studies:
-expectancy biases has proven to be a big challenge for these studies
developmental psychology: psychology of growth, change and consistency through the lifespan -> looks at how thinking, feeling and behaviour change throughout a person's life
nature vs. nurture issue:
-developmental psychology seeks to answer 2 big questions about heredity and environment: 1) how much weight does each wield? 2) how do they interact?
-nature refers to the effects of heredity and nurture to the influence of environment
How to study the Nature-Nurture Interaction:
-there are 2 easy ways to study nature-nurture -twin studies: identical twins have same genotype and fraternal twins have an average of 50% of their genes in common
-adoption studies: similarities with the biological family support nature, while similarities with the adoptive family support nurture
Gradual vs. Abrupt Change
-think about how children become adults. is there a predictable pattern they follow regarding thought and language and social development?
-do children go through gradual changes or are they abrupt changes?
Continuity View:
-says that change is gradual
-children become more skillful in thinking, talking or acting much the same way as they get taller
Discontinuity View:
-sees development as more abrupt- a succession of changes that produce different behaviours in different age-specific life periods called stages
-this is evident in beginning readers who suddenly discover the connection between the letters and sounds
-we often hear ppl talking about children going through "stages" in life (i.e. terrible twos)
-there are called developmental stages: periods of life