development and learning week 1

developmental psychology

branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

cross-sectional studies

comparing people of different ages at one time

longitudinal studies

following people across time

continuity and stages

what parts of development are gradual vs. abrupt/separate

stability and change

what traits persist and how do we change with age

stage theories

propose age-linked developmental stages that life proceeds through

end of history illusion

people recognize they’ve changed but presumedthey will change little in the future

zygotes

fertilized eggs

teratogens

agents such as viruses/drugs that can damage an embryo/fetus

fetal alcohol syndrome

most serious form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, marked by lifelong physical/mental abnormalities

habituation

decreased responding with repeated simulation

maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

critical period

optimal period early in the life of an organism where exposure to certain stimuli/experiences produces normal development

fine motor skills

skills involving small muscles

gross motor skills

skills involving large muscles/whole body

infantile amnesia

can’t recall much of early life

adolescence

years spent morphing from childhood to adulthood (puberty —> independence)

puberty

where we mature sexually

menopause

natural cessation of menstruation where fertility also decreases

death-deferral phenomenon

in 15 years 2000-3000 americans died 2 days after xmas than before

gender

attitudes, feelings, behaviors, a given culture associated with a biological sex

sex

biologically influenced characteristics which people define male, female, or intersex

aggression

any physical/verbal behavior intended to hurt someone physically/emotionally

relational aggression

act of aggression intended to harm a person’s relationship/social standing

primary sex characteristics

reproductive organs and external genetalia

secondary sex characteristics

nonreproductive sexual traits