Chapter 1 Vocabulary--Developmental Psychology

Pattern of movement or change that starts at conception and continues through the human life span.

The perspective that development is lifelong multidimensional, multidirectional, plastic, multidisciplinary and contextual; involves growth, maintenance and regulation; and is constructed through biological, sociocultural, and individual factors working together.

The setting in which development occurs that is influenced by historical, economic, social and cultural factors.

Biological and environmental influences that are similar for individuals in a particular age group.

Biological and environmental influences that are associated with history. These influences are common to people of a particular generation.

Unusual occurrences that have a major impact on a person's life. The occurrence, pattern, and sequence of these events are not applicable to many individuals.

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

A range of characteristic rooted in cultural heritage, including nationality, race, religion, and language.

Refers to the conceptual grouping of people with similar occupational, educational and economic characteristics.

Changes in an individual's physical nature.

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

Changes in an individual's relationships with other people, emotions and personality.

The debate about the extent to which development is influenced by nature and by nurture. Nature refers to an organism's biological inheritance, nurture to its environmental experiences.

The debate about the degree to which early traits and characteristics persist through life or change.

The debate about the extent to which development involves gradual, cumulative change (continuity) or distinct stages (discontinuity).