Nature, according to Kathleen (2017)

Nature, according to Kathleen (2017)

The first term I learned in the book that has a significant impact on my understanding of psychology is nature. Nature, according to Kathleen (2017), is a significant aspect of a human being’s development and refers to the traits, strengths, and weaknesses that an individual genetically inherits from their parents at the point of conception. The second term that I have earned, and that also relates to nature is nurture. Nurture, development entails the environmental factors that affect the person after conception. Nurture encompasses factors such as nutrition and socio-economic factors. According to Kathleen (2017), both nurture and nature can adversely affect the development of an individual contrary to the popular belief that it’s only one of them that influences the growth and development of an individual.

The third term I have learned is epigenetics, which can be defined as the science of how environmental factors influence the expression of an individual’s genes. The fourth term I learned is differential susceptibility, and it refers to the varying sensitivity of people towards various experiences. It is through differential susceptibility that people are affected differently, either positively or negatively, by life experiences or events. The fifth term I have learned is critical period. The critical period can be described as a specific time during an individual’s growth or development when a particular aspect of growth is supposed to occur for the growth to be considered normal or natural (Berger, 2017). The critical period also refers to the crucial time when particular harm, for example, a toxic substance, can occur.

The sixth term is a sensitive period, and it can be defined as a certain time or period when a particular development when the chances of a particular type of development to occur is high. Unlike in the crucial time where the type of development has to occur, in a sensitive time, the type of development may or may not occur. The last term I learned from the textbook that significantly impacts my understanding of psychology is plasticity. Plasticity can be defined as the concept that an individual’s characteristics and personality is not constant but rather changes from time to time. Each of the concepts I selected above is centered on the growth and development of an individual from the time of conception (Berger, 2017). The concepts above help me understand how people behave in various stages of their lives, including their exposures and risks.

One of the concepts that will play a significant role in impacting my future is the dynamic systems approach. The dynamic systems approach is a view of life as a continuous, ever-changing interaction of various influences in the individual’s environment. This concept helps me understand the essence of life and how people change through development (Berger, 2017). The knowledge of life as a dynamic rather than a static process will significantly help me in my roles in the future as a parent.

The second term I have learned is temperament. Temperament can be defined as the innate differences between two individuals in aspects such as emotions and self-regulation that are measured by the evaluation of the individual’s responses to their environment. The knowledge of temperaments will significantly influence my social interactions in the future, and I will be able to understand people through their temperaments. The third term is intrinsic motivation, which, according to Kathleen (2017), is a persistent drive within an individual to pursue a given goal. Through a deep understanding of the concept behind intrinsic motivation, I will be able to understand myself better and also develop a sense of direction in my life.

The fourth term is extrinsic motivation, which, unlike intrinsic motivation, can be described as the drive or inspiration that comes from outside, for example, rewards that an individual obtains from their achievement of given goals. Through my understanding of extrinsic motivation, I will be able to understand myself well and why I do the things I do every day. The fifth term is neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is the concept that people with special needs are characterized by diverse brain structures, each with strengths and weaknesses that should be appreciated (Berger, 2017). The concept of neurodiversity will positively impact my future since I will be able to appreciate disability and positively impact them in my community.

The sixth term is resilience, and it can be described as the ability to adapt efficiently to significant diversity and overcome various forms of stress. Through the practice of being resilient, I will be able to go through difficult moments in life and overcome the factors in my external environment that may have adverse implications on my mental health (Berger, 2017). The last term is a personal fable, which can be defined as an aspect of adolescent egocentrism that is characterized by the individual’s belief that their thoughts are more important than that of others. Through my knowledge of this concept I will be able to understand the adolescents around me and not condemn them.