PSYC121 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Longitudinal Study, Empiricism, Palmar Grasp Reflex
Document Summary
Developmental norms - the mean age at which various behaviours and characteristics are displayed, (eg. 9 months is the benchmark for standing independently) Reflex - an inborn, simple, automatic reaction to a particular form of stimulation. It is a field of study devoted to describing, understanding, predicting and modifying the changes which occur in a person over time. Major areas of development: physical and motor development (the overt and obvious changes in us, perceptual, cognitive and language development , social and emotional development (how we interact with others and develop meaningful relationships) Major issues in developmental psychology: nature vs nurture, continuous vs discontinuous development. Other key issues include: do individuals play an active role in their own development, does o(cid:374)e"s sociocultural background play a role in development, how do different aspects of development interact, nature vs nurture. Nature vs nurture is the argument surrounding whether development is primarily influenced by genetically programmed maturation (nature), or learning and experiences (nurture).
