Friendship – Adulthood,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Friendship – Adulthood, Brizel Trinidad, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Friendship in adulthood is difficult to precisely define. Adulthood brings many life experiences that require different levels of support and needs from friends. Experiences such as marriage, child-bearing, and divorce can attract different types of friendships. Adults who do not marry or are of differing sexual orientations face different experiences making friendships unique. Adulthood can also look very different for both males and females deepening the differences in types of friendships.
Infancy And Childhood Sexuality,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Infancy And Childhood Sexuality, Casey T. Tobin
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Sex differentiation occurs while a baby is still in the womb. Before week six of the pregnancy, all fetuses have the same basic structures resembling those of a female. Between 6 and 8 weeks, gonadal differentiation occurs, starting with the SRY gene, which is located on the Y chromosome of a male, therefore is absent in females. The SRY gene stimulates the fetus to begin transitioning from its current female-like anatomy to that of a male. Because the SRY gene is absent in the XX chromosomes of a female, no signal occurs and the anatomy remains female. By week 20 …
Édouard Claparède,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Édouard Claparède, Christopher N. Tirado, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Édouard Claparède was born on March 24, 1873, in Geneva, Switzerland. Claparède studied science and medicine while attending universities in Germany, and France. He later returned home and graduated from the University of Geneva with an M.D. in 1897. After completion of his medical degree, Claparède went to work at Salpetriere Hospital in Paris (“Claparède, Édouard,” 2018). There, Claparède spent a year doing research in neurology with Joseph Dejerine.
Developmental Disabilities,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Developmental Disabilities, Christopher N. Tirado, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden
Essays in Developmental Psychology
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “developmental disabilities are a group of conditions due to an impairment in physical, learning, language, or behavior areas.” The CDC estimates that approximately one in six children aged 3 through 17 in the United States have one or more developmental disabilities, as well as, other developmental delays (Boyle, et al., 2011). The term developmental disability is associated with the conditions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, hearing loss, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, vision impairment, and other associated developmental delays.
Psychological Development In Adulthood: Cognitions, Emotions, And Personality,
2025
University of California at Santa Cruz
Psychological Development In Adulthood: Cognitions, Emotions, And Personality, Grace Sumabat Estrada, Margarita Azmitia
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Since the beginning of time, people have searched for the secrets of living long, meaningful, and prosperous lives. Sometimes, this search involves looking younger; in the 16th century, Juan Ponce de León, for example, went to Florida to search for the fountain of youth. Other times, the quest is for healthy longevity—living to very old age without significant disease. Aubrey de Grey, a biomedical scientist who specializes in aging and divides his time between Cambridge University in the United Kingdom and a non-profit organization for fighting aging in Mountain View, California, has proposed that research shows that aging is a …
Senior Adult Sexuality,
2025
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Senior Adult Sexuality, Casey T. Tobin
Essays in Developmental Psychology
As the body ages, some physical changes may hinder a person’s ability to engage in sexual activity. Menopause can occur between the ages of 40 and 65 and a woman’s estrogen levels will decline because she is no longer experiencing menstruation. Her internal sexual organs may decrease in size or even be removed via hysterectomy. The woman’s vagina generally becomes shorter and narrower, and the vaginal walls thin and stiffen. Often less vaginal lubrication is produced making vaginal sex more difficult and possibly painful. There are no noticeable changes that occur to the clitoris, but decreased blood circulation due to …
Systematic Observation,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Systematic Observation, Brizel Trinidad, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Systematic observation is the process of explicitly defining desired target behaviors and observing them using a systematic set of guidelines. Systematic observation assists in reducing or eliminating bias in experimental designs. The reduction allows for increased reliability and validity therefore, an integral part in experimental designs. This process is widely used in school, home, and clinical settings. The process allows preset rules and guidelines to be to be followed prior to beginning the experiment. The rules and guidelines maintain the design within reasonable boundaries. All the preset rules are inferred prior to starting the experiment.
Studs Terkel's 1974 Alienation Study,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Studs Terkel's 1974 Alienation Study, Michelle E. Tully, Jonathan B. Santo
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Psychology studies have changed the world in many ways, but few have served as the basis for both a Broadway musical and a graphic novel. Studs Terkel’s nonfiction book, Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do, was an immediate bestseller when it was published in 1974. While not a psychology study in the strictest quantitative definition, ‘Working’ served as an ethnography on the working life of the American adult.
Jerome Bruner,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Jerome Bruner, Michelle E. Tully, Jonathan B. Santo
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Born October 1st, 1915 in New York City to Polish immigrants, Bruner spent the first years of his life blind from cataracts. At the age of three he underwent surgery, which repaired his sense of sight. When reflecting on his career in his later years, Bruner credited this experience as a catalyst for his belief in constructivism, wherein the mind gives structure and meaning to experiences rather than passively taking them in, as well as fostering a continuing interest in the new and unexplored.
Uta Frith,
2025
University of Cincinnati
Uta Frith, Morgan Uberti, Heidi Kloos
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Uta Frith (born Aurnhammer on May 25, 1941) is a German psychologist best known for her work on autism. After graduating in experimental psychology from the University of Saarland, she pursued her PhD at the Institute of Psychiatry at the King’s College London, UK. It was during a course in abnormal psychology when she first encountered children diagnosed with autism. Experimental studies by Neil O’Connor and Beate Hermelin intrigued her, especially for applying an experimental perspective to the study of developmental disorders. Based on these experiences, Frith designed experiments that sought to shed light on atypical cognitive processes. Upon obtaining …
Lifelong Learning,
2025
University of California, Riverside
Lifelong Learning, Rachel Wu
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Lifelong learning is regarded as an important component in maintaining cognitive functioning in older age and has been at the center of many educational policies and psychological interventions. However, since this concept is broad and multi-faceted, some researchers argue that lifelong learning cannot be attributed a single, all-encompassing definition, but instead can hold different meanings in various contexts. For instance, some researchers perceive it as a process that inherently occurs throughout the course of one’s life. This type of learning is said to be unique to each individual, because it is dependent on several factors, such as personal interests, environmental …
Lifespan Development,
2025
University of California, Riverside
Lifespan Development, Rachel Wu
Essays in Developmental Psychology
The human lifespan consists of several sequential stages: infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, middle-age, and older adulthood. Because salient changes typically occur at each stage, many researchers have tended to specialize in one area, such as child development or gerontology. However, it is also important to study development across the lifespan, not just within lifespan stages. Some researchers utilize a lifespan developmental approach by studying how early childhood experiences, such as exposure to toxins or good schooling, might lead to positive or negative effects in aging adulthood. Other researchers investigate early signs of later-diagnosed disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder …
Parten's Play Experiment,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Parten's Play Experiment, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Mildred Parten (1902-1970) observed 34 children playing in a preschool setting (Parten, 1933). The children's ages ranged from 2 to 4.5 years old. Parten observed the children for one minute each day to develop a greater understanding of play behaviors. The observations focused on type of group, activity, and play. The types of play were solitary, onlooker, parallel, associative, and cooperative.
Physiological Changes In Old Age,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Physiological Changes In Old Age, Rachel Zachar, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Beginning in the third and fourth decades of life, subtle physiological changes start to occur with progressive decline as age increases. Some changes are visible such as wrinkling of the skin or whitening of hair, but the majority of physiological changes due to aging are internal. Many changes occur within the cardiovascular system. Boss and Seegmiller (1981) explain that with aging, cardiac output decreases as diastolic and systolic myocardial stiffness increases. These changes have been associated with increased blood pressure in older adults, leading to hypertension. This age-related change can be safely managed by antihypertensive therapy that is monitored regularly. …
Self-Concept From A Developmental Perspective,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Self-Concept From A Developmental Perspective, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Self-concept refers to individuals' perceptions of who they are (Marsh & Shavelson, 1985). Conceptually distinct from self-esteem, self-concept addresses how individuals describe themselves in specific areas whereas self-esteem addresses how individuals generally feel (positively or negatively) about themselves. Self-concept is multifaceted and consists of individuals' beliefs about themselves academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Self-concept refers to both how people think about themselves in general and in specific areas (Swann et al., 2007).
Stephen J. Ceci,
2025
Nova Southeastern University
Stephen J. Ceci, Rachel Zachar, Lisa K. Lashley, Charles J. Golden
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Stephen J. Ceci was born on March 22, 1950, and while not much information is available on his early years, his life’s work has focused on studies surrounding the validity of children’s courtroom testimony, gender studies, and intelligence. Ceci received his bachelor’s degree in general psychology from the University of Delaware in 1973, earning his master’s degree in developmental psychology two years later in 1975 from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his doctoral degree in developmental psychology in 1978 at the University of Exeter in England.
Brain Plasticity,
2025
University of California, Riverside
Brain Plasticity, Rachel Wu
Essays in Developmental Psychology
For decades, it was assumed that people are born with a certain number of neurons in the brain, and these neurons slowly died off with age. However, scientific studies have shown that the infant brain goes through very dramatic changes in the first few months and years of life (including adding additional neurons), and the brain can recover (although perhaps not fully) after a traumatic brain injury or stroke. Very recently, it has even been shown that new neurons can grow in the healthy adult brain. Brain plasticity involves long-lasting changes due to generation of new neurons, as well as …
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory,
2025
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory, C. Nathalie Yuen, Jonathan B. Santo
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Erik Erikson's psychosocial theory is comprised of eight stages, ranging from birth through adulthood (Berk, 2014). Central to each stage is a crisis where individuals work toward a positive or negative resolution. Although a negative resolution of a stage does not guarantee negative resolutions for future stages, a negative resolution could influence the outcome of future stages. Erikson is considered a neo-Freudian and used Freud's theory of personality as a foundation for his own. However, Erikson's theory is termed a psychosocial theory because the focus is on individuals' relationships with others.
Learning Disabilities Summary,
2025
Northern Arizona University
Learning Disabilities Summary, Michael L. Woodward, Lisa L. Persinger
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Learning Disabilities are the most prevalent category of special education within the United States. Recent U.S. Department of Education statistics indicate over 2.3 million school-aged (ages 6-21) students are currently eligible for special education services under the category of a Specific Learning Disability. These students encompass 3.5% of the U.S. school-aged population, and nearly 40% of all students eligible for special education services.
Leisure Activities,
2025
University of California, Riverside
Leisure Activities, Rachel Wu
Essays in Developmental Psychology
Many studies in the past few decades have examined how participation in leisure activities, such as playing a musical instrument, gardening, and reading the newspaper, can positively influence the aging process. For instance, studies have found an association between leisure activities and a reduced risk of amnestic mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and/or Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to positive cognitive outcomes, leisure activities also have been associated with a variety of other benefits, such as improved quality of life, mental health, life satisfaction, self-reports of happiness, and overall well-being. This entry provides a brief overview of the definition of leisure activities, …
