Chapter 1

Key Concepts in Development

• Traits inherited from one's parents are referred to as nature.
• Nurture pertains to the environmental influences affecting development, including upbringing, culture, and personal experiences.

Developmental Psychology Perspectives

• Developmental psychologists reject the notion that behavior is determined solely by either nature or nurture; they view it as a complex interplay between both.
• The nature-nurture issue encompasses the debate on the extent to which genetics and environment influence individual development.

Maturation and Psychosexual Stages

• Maturation refers to the biological growth processes that occur with aging, influenced by genetic factors.
• During the genital stage of psychosexual development, adolescents develop mature sexual interests and seek emotional relationships.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages

• In Erikson's stage of generativity versus stagnation, a positive outcome relates to the ability to contribute to society and support future generations.
• The positive outcome of ego integrity versus despair involves achieving a sense of fulfillment and acceptance of one's life experiences.
• Generativity versus stagnation typically occurs during middle adulthood, around the ages of 40 to 65.

Freud's and Vygotsky's Theories

• Freud associates the reemergence of sexual interests during adolescence with the focus on relationships and intimacy.
• According to Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, children's understanding of the world is acquired through social interactions and cultural tools.
• Sociocultural theory emphasizes the significant impact of social context and culture on development.

Critiques of Theories

• Some critics argue that Vygotsky's theory overlooks the individual's cognitive processes in favor of social factors.
• The evolutionary perspective explains lifespan development by considering how evolutionary processes influence behaviors and traits over time.

Correlational Research Insights

• Sociocultural theory highlights the importance of transactions or interactions among individuals in promoting development.
• Correlational research is intended to identify relationships between variables, but it does not imply causation.
• It's crucial to note that correlations do not prove causality as they fail to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship.

Understanding Correlational Coefficients

• A correlational coefficient of -0.8 signifies a strong negative relationship, indicating that as one variable increases, the other decreases.
• Correlation means that two factors are related in some way; however, correlation does not imply direct influence or causation.
• Researchers should be cautious about assuming causation when finding a correlation between two variables, considering other possible explanations.

Media Aggression and Behavior

• Possible explanations for the correlation between media aggression and children's aggression include: imitation of observed behaviors, desensitization to violence, and increased tolerance for aggressive behavior.
• A positive correlation indicates that as one variable increases, the other also tends to increase, suggesting a consistent relationship between the two.