Developmental Psychology Study Guide
A standard undergraduate developmental psychology course: research methods in development, prenatal development and birth, infancy (physical, cognitive, social-emotional), early and middle childhood, adolescence, emerging and early adulthood, middle and late adulthood, death and dying, with coverage of major theories (Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, Bowlby, Kohlberg, Bronfenbrenner).
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12 Topics Covered
Research Methods in Developmental Psychology
Cross-sectional, longitudinal, and sequential designs; ethical considerations in studying children; correlational vs experimental approaches.
Major Theoretical Perspectives
Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, Bronfenbrenner, and information processing theories providing frameworks for understanding development across the lifespan.
Prenatal Development and Birth
Germinal, embryonic, and fetal stages; teratogens; prenatal testing; labor, delivery, and newborn assessment methods.
Infancy: Physical and Cognitive Development
Brain development, motor milestones, object permanence, A-not-B error, and early language from babbling to telegraphic speech.
Infancy: Social-Emotional Development and Attachment
Bowlby and Ainsworth's attachment theory; secure, avoidant, anxious-ambivalent, disorganized patterns; temperament and emotional regulation.
Early Childhood Development
Preoperational thought, theory of mind, play types, Baumrind's parenting styles, gender development, and peer relationships.
Middle Childhood Development
Concrete operations, metacognition, academic skills development, self-concept, peer groups, bullying, and family transitions.
Adolescent Development
Puberty, formal operations, Marcia's identity statuses, Kohlberg's moral reasoning, risk-taking behavior, and romantic relationships.
Emerging and Early Adulthood
Arnett's theory, postformal thought, career development, intimate relationships, marriage, cohabitation, and identity consolidation.
Middle Adulthood
Physical and cognitive changes, crystallized vs fluid intelligence, generativity vs stagnation, midlife transitions, sandwich generation.
Late Adulthood and Aging
Biological and psychosocial aging theories, cognitive changes, wisdom, retirement adjustment, social connections, and successful aging.
Death, Dying, and Bereavement
Kübler-Ross stages, cultural perspectives on death, grief processes, palliative care, and advance directives considerations.
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