Psychology 2e Chapter 9

physical development

growth of the body and brain, sensory capacities, motor skills, and health and wellness

cognitive development

learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity

psychosocial development

emotions, personality and social relationships

normative approach

study of development using norms, or average ages, when most children reach specific developmental milestones

developmental milestones

crawling, walking, writing, dressing, naming colors, speaking in sentences, and starting puberty

continuous development

cumulative process, gradually improving on existing skills

discontinuous development

development takes place at unique stages

nature

biology and genetics

nurture

environment or culture

psychosexual development

process proposed by Freud in which pleasure-seeking urges focus on different erogenous zones of the body as humans move through five stages of life

psychosocial development

Erikson's theory, which emphasizes the importance of social relationships and conscious choice throughout eight stages of development, motivated by the need to achieve competence in certain areas

schemata

concepts (mental models) that are used to help us categorize and interpret information

assimilation

take in information similar to what they already know

accommodation

change schemata based on new information

sensorimotor

describes Piaget's stage in which the child explores the world through interaction of his mouth and hands with the environment, object permanence, stranger anxiety

preoperational

Piaget's second stage of cognitive development, pretend play, ecocentrism, language development

concrete operational

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operational

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

conservation

the principle (which Piaget 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

ecocentrism

cannot see the perspective of others

reversibility

objects can be changed and then returned back to their original form or condition

Stages of Moral Reasoning

process proposed by Kohlberg; humans move through three stages of moral development

conception

Sperm and ovum unite; also known as fertilization

zygote

fertilized egg

mitosis

cell division

embryo

the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

placenta

A structure that allows an embryo to be nourished with the mother's blood supply

prenatal care

the steps that a pregnant female can take to provide for her own health and the health of her baby

teratogen

any factor that can cause a birth defect

fine motor skills

physical abilities involving small body movements, especially of the hands and fingers, such as drawing and picking up a coin

gross motor

The action involving the large muscles of the body

attachment

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

secure base

refers to the idea that the presence of a trusted caregiver provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environment

secure attachment

toddler prefers parents over strangers

avoidant attachment

characterized by child's unresponsiveness to parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not care if parent leaves

resistant attachment

relationship in which, after a brief separation, infants want to be held but are difficult to console

disorganized attachment

children with this show no clear pattern of behavior in response to a caregiver's absence or presence, instead show a mix of dif behaviors (avoidance, seeming dazed, frozen, confused, rocking)
- may be a red flag for abuse

authoritative style

reasonable demands, consistent limits, emotional support, explain rules

authoritarian style

a parenting style where parents are highly demanding and controlling, with little or no affection

permissive style

a parenting style in which parents provide high levels of support but an inconsistent enforcement of rules

uninvolved style

parenting that is neither supportive nor demanding because parents are indifferent

temperament

innate traits that influence how one thinks, behaves, and reacts with the environment

adolescence

the time period between the beginning of puberty and emerging adulthood

primary sexual characteristics

organs specifically needed for reproduction

secondary sexual characteristics

Bodily structures that change with sexual maturity but are not directly related to reproduction.

menarche

the first menstrual period

spermarche

first ejaculation

cognitive empathy

ability to take the perspective of others and to feel concern for others

emerging adulthood

the transitional period from adolescence to adulthood, spanning approximately 18 to 25 years of age, focused on work and love

socioemotional selectivity theory

social support/friendships dwindle in number, but remain as close, if not more close than in earlier years

hospice

a home providing care for the sick, especially the terminally ill.