Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Describe the domain of developmental psychology and offer a brief overview of the history of this area of psychology.
2. List and describe the important features of three research techniques unique to developmental psychology, mentioning their strengths and weaknesses.
3. Describe the stages and processes of prenatal development, mentioning some of the problems that may arise from genetic defects and teratogens.
4. Describe the important events and features of infant and child physical and perceptual development, mentioning the results of the classic study of the development of depth perception in infants.
5. Describe and explain Piaget's stage theory of cognitive development, describing the changes in cognitive abilities at each stage, and making reference to the concept of schema, and the processes of assimilation and accommodation. Briefly mention how culture may influence the timing of these cognitive changes.
6. Describe and explain Erikson's stage theory of psychosocial development, listing the important psychosocial crisis that characterizes each stage.
7. Define attachment and explain the contributions of Bowlby, Harlow, and Ainsworth to our understanding of this aspect of emotional development, describing how the Strange Situation is used to evaluate the attachment style of children.
8. Describe three parenting styles, and how they affect children's behavior and development.
9. Summarize what is presently known about the effects of day care, parental conflict, and peer relationships on children's development.
10. Explain what is meant by gender-role development, emphasizing the perspectives of social-learning and gender-schema theory.
11. Present an overview of Kohlberg's stage theory of moral development, describing the characteristics of each level, and then summarize the criticisms surrounding this theory, emphasizing the work of Gilligan.
12. Explain the concepts of both the social clock and adolescence and describe how cultural and historical factors can influence various cohorts.
13. Summarize the physical, cognitive, psychosocial, and social relationship changes that occur during adolescence in our culture.
14. Summarize the evidence concerning gender differences in cognitive abilities, personality, and social behavior.
15. Describe the two main sets of factors offered as explanations for gender differences.
16. Explain when adulthood begins in our culture and summarize the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial changes that are associated with adulthood in our culture, emphasizing the impact of the establishment and dissolution of intimate relationships, marital status, and single parenthood.
17. Describe the important developmental issues of middle adulthood, emphasizing the concept of generativity versus stagnation and evaluating the concept of the empty-nest syndrome.
18. Describe the important developmental issues of late adulthood, emphasizing the issues of integrity versus despair, coping with the death of a mate, and preparing for one's own death.