PSY 302 Chapter 4: PSY 302 Week 5 Readings
14 Feb 2017
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Document Summary
Developmental theories raise crucial questions about human nature: theories and experiments are developed as a result of the questions we have about human nature. When they acquire a new capability, they apply it as often as possible. They reflect on the lessons of their experience, because they want to understand themselves and everything around them. Central developmental issues: nature and nurture. Adaptation: the tendency to respond to the demands of the environment in ways that meet one"s goals. Organization: the tendency to integrate particular observations into coherent knowledge: sources of continuity. Assimilation: the process by which people translate incoming information into a form that fits concepts they already understand. Accommodation: the process by which people adapt current knowledge structures in response to new experiences. Equilibration: the process by which children (or other people) balance assimilation and accommodation to create stable understanding.
