Psychology: Developmental Stages Overview

Language and Linguistics

• Phonemes: Smallest units of sound in a language.

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

• Infancy (0-1.5 years): Trust vs. Mistrust; Focus on meeting basic needs.
• Toddlerhood (1.5-3 years): Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt; Development of independence.
• Early Childhood (3-6 years): Initiative vs. Guilt; Discovering purpose.
• Middle/Late Childhood (6-12 years): Industry vs. Inferiority; Focus on competence.
• Adolescence: Identity vs. Role Confusion; Exploration of self and identity.
• Young Adulthood: Intimacy vs. Isolation; Building relationships.
• Middle Adulthood: Generativity vs. Stagnation; Contributing to society and relationships.
• Late Adulthood: Ego Integrity vs. Despair; Reflecting on life and accomplishments.

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

• Sensorimotor (0-2 years): Learning through actions, object permanence.
• Preoperational (2-7 years): Symbolic thought, prelogical thinking, egocentrism, lack of conservation.
• Concrete Operational (7-11 years): Logical thought about concrete objects, problem-solving.
• Formal Operational (adolescence-adulthood): Abstract and hypothetical thinking.

The Brain

• Forebrain: Largest region; includes the limbic system and cortex.
• Corpus Callosum: Connects hemispheres of the cerebral cortex.
• Cerebral Cortex: Center for sophisticated brain functions.
• Limbic System: Emotion, motivation, memory, learning.
  • Hypothalamus: Hunger, thirst, sleep, pituitary gland.
  • Thalamus: Sensory information (except smell) to the cerebral cortex.
  • Amygdala: Memory, emotions, fear, aggression.
  • Hippocampus: Forming new memories.
• Hindbrain: Connects the brain to the spinal cord.
  • Pons: Connects medulla to cerebellum, coordinates movement.
  • Cerebellum: Movement, balance, posture coordination.
  • Reticular Formation: Regulates attention, alertness
  • Medulla: Breathing, heartbeat, vital functions.
• Midbrain: Relay station for auditory and visual information, reflexes.
• Neurons: Basic units of the nervous system
  • Axon: Transmits signals away from the neuron.
  • Dendrites: Receive signals from other neurons.
  • Myelin Sheath: Fatty tissue speeding up signal transmission.
  • Axon terminal buds: Release neurotransmitters into the synapse.
• Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers across synapses.
  • Dopamine, serotonin
  • Epinephrine and norepinephrine: Arousal.
• Agonists: Mimic neurotransmitter activity.
• Antagonists: Block neurotransmitter activity.
• Synapse: Gap between neurons.
• Central Nervous System (CNS): Brain and spinal cord.
• Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Sensory and motor neurons connecting to CNS.
  • Somatic NS: Voluntary functions.
  • Autonomic NS: Involuntary functions.
    • Sympathetic NS: "Fight or flight."
    • Parasympathetic NS: "Rest and digest."
• Action Potential: Nerve impulse.
  • Resting Potential: Neuron not firing

Infant Development

• Infant Sensory Development: Touch, taste, smell, hearing, sight.
• Infant Brain Development: Infant brains double in size by the first year; same number of neurons as adults.

Research Methods

• Cross-Sectional: Examining different individuals at one point in time.
• Longitudinal: Observing the same group over a period of time.
• Surveys: Questionnaires to gather opinions.
• Achievement Tests: Measuring accomplishments.
• Aptitude Tests: Assessing learning potential.

Learning Theories

• B.F. Skinner (Operant Conditioning): Changing behavior through consequences.
• Ivan Pavlov (Classical Conditioning): Associating a neutral stimulus with a response.

Behavioral Therapies

• Aversion Therapy: Pairing undesirable behavior with a negative stimulus.
• Exposure Therapy: Facing fears in a controlled environment.
• Client-Centered Therapy: Non-directive approach.

Treatments for Mental Health Concerns

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): Electrical stimulation to induce seizures.
• Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS): Magnetic pulses to stimulate brain areas.
• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs): Increase serotonin levels.

Stress

• General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS): Three-stage response to stress.
  • Alarm: Initial reaction.
  • Resistance: Adaptation to stress.
  • Exhaustion: Depletion of resources.
• Endocrine Glands: Involved in stress response.

Mental Health Stigma

• Public Stigma: Societal views.
• Individual Stigma: Internalization of societal views.
• Institutional Stigma: Systemic policies.

Memory

• Atkinson and Shiffrin's Stage Model of Memory: Stages of memory processing.

Motivation

• Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Hierarchy of human needs.

Explore the key concepts of Erikson's psychosocial stages, Piaget's cognitive development stages, and the linguistic elements like phonemes. This quiz offers insights into human growth from infancy to late adulthood and important linguistic principles. Test your understanding of these fundamental psychological theories.