1/52
Name | Mastery | Learn | Test | Matching | Spaced |
---|
No study sessions yet.
developmental psychology
branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
zygote
fertilized egg; enters a period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
embryo
developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
fetus
developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
teratogens
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking; can cause noticeable facial misproportions in severe cases
habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; interest in visual stimuli wanes
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by behavior
cognition
mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
schema
concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms or our existing schemas
accommodation
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
sensorimotor stage
stage (birth-2yrs) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
object permanence
awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
preoperational stage
stage (2-6/7yrs) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
conservation
the principle (believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties, such as mass, volume, and number, remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
egocentrism
preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
theory of mind
people’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states (feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict)
concrete operational stage
stage of cognitive development (6/7-11 yrs) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
formal operational stage
stage of cognitive development (12+yrs) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
autism
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants often display beginning by about 8mo
attachment
emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
critical period
an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
imprinting
the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
temperament
a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
basic trust
sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers (Erik Erikson)
self-concept
our understanding and evaluation of who we are
gender
biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male, female, and other identities
aggression
physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone
X chromosome
sex chromosome found in both men and women
Y chromosome
sex chromosome found only in males
testosterone
most important male sex hormone; the additional amounts males have stimulates the growth of male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty
role
set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
gender role
set of expected behaviors for males or females
gender identity
sense of being male, female, or another gender
gender typing
acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role
social learning theory
theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
adolescence
transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
puberty
period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
primary sex characteristics
body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
secondary sex characteristics
non-reproductive characteristics (breasts, hips, voice, body hair)
menarche
the first menstrual period
identity
our sense of self; the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles (Erikson)
social identity
“we” aspect of our self-concept; “who am I?” answer that comes from our group memberships
intimacy
ability to form close, loving relationships; primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
emerging adulthood
a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence (responsible adulthood)
menopause
time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
cross-sectional study
study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
longitudinal study
research in which the same people are restudied and retested over time
crystallized intelligence
accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; increases with age
fluid intelligence
ability to reason quickly and abstractly; decreases during late adulthood
social clock
culturally preferred timing of social events