Unit 7: Developmental Psychology - Vocabulary

developmental psychology

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

zygote (germinal)

the first stage of prenatal development; 0-2 weeks; the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

embryo

the second stage of prenatal development; 3-8 weeks; the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month; attached to the mother’s uterine wall, the placenta begins absorbing nutrients; heart begins to beat

fetus

the third stage of prenatal development; 9 weeks-birth; the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth; the longest period of prenatal development marks more important changes in the brain

teratogens

“monster maker”; agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

maturation

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

cognition

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

assimilation

a way to use and adjust schemas; interpreting our new experiences in terms or our existing schemas

accommodation

a way to use and adjust schemas; adapting our current understanding (schemas) to incorporate new information

sensorimotor stage

the first stage of cognitive development; from birth to about 2 years of age; infants now view the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

object permanence

a part of the sensorimotor stage; the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

preoperational stage

the second stage of cognitive development; from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

conservation

a part of the preoperational stage; the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

egocentrism

a part of the preoperational stage; a child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

theory of mind

a part of the preoperational stage; people’s ideas about their own and other’s mental stages - about their feelings, perceptions, thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interest and repetitive behaviors

concrete operational stage

the third stage of cognitive development; from about 6 or 7 to 11 years old; children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operational stage

the fourth stage of cognitive development; normally beginning about age 12; people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning about 8 months of age

attachment

an emotional tie with another person

critical period

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

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early -life

secure attachment

in their mother’s presence, they play comfortably, happily exploring their environment

insecure attachment

marked either by anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships

temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

self-concept

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “who am I?”

authoritarian

a type of parenting style; parents impose rules and expect obedience

permissive

a type of parenting style; parents submit to their children’s desires; make few demands and use little punishment

authoritative

a type of parenting style; parents are both demanding and responsive; exert control by setting rules and enforcing them, but also explain reasons for rules; encourage open discussion when making the rules and allow exceptions

gender

the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female

gender role

a set of expected behaviors for males or females

role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

gender identity

our sense of being male or female

social learning theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

gender typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

sexual orientation

direction of one’s sexual attraction

adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

puberty

the time when we mature sexually

moral reasoning

the thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong

preconventional morality

the first level of Kohlberg’s levels of moral thinking; before age 9; self interest - obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards

conventional morality

the second level of Kohlberg’s levels of moral thinking; early adolescence; uphold laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order

postconventional morality

the third level of Kohlberg’s levels of moral thinking; adolescence and beyond; actions reflect belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles

moral intuitions

quick gut feelings, or affectively laden institutions

identity

our sense of self; the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles

social identity

the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “who am I?” that comes from our group memberships

trust vs. mistrust

Erikson’s first stage of psycholosocial development; during infancy (to 1 year old); if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust

autonomy vs. shame and doubt

Erikson’s second stage of psycholosocial development; during toddlerhood (1 to 3 years old); toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities

initiative vs. guilt

Erikson’s third stage of psycholosocial development; during preschool (3 to 6 years old); preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent

competence vs. inferiority

Erikson’s fourth stage of psycholosocial development; during elementary school (6 years old to puberty); children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior

identity vs. role confusion

Erikson’s fifth stage of psycholosocial development; during adolescence (teen years to into 20s); teenagers work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are

intimacy vs. isolation

Erikson’s sixth stage of psycholosocial development; during young adulthood (20s to early 40s); young adults struggle to form close relationships and gain the capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated

generativity vs. stagnation

Erikson’s seventh stage of psycholosocial development; during middle adulthood (40s to 60s); in middle age, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel a lack of purpose

integrity vs. despair

Erikson’s eighth stage of psycholosocial development; during late adulthood (late 60s and up); reflecting on his or her life, an older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure

intimacy

the ability to form close, loving relationships a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

emerging adulthood

for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

moral intuitions

quick gut feelings, or affectively laden institutions

scaffolding

the process that enables a child or novice to solve a problem, carry out a task or achieve a goal which would be beyond his unassisted efforts

zone of proximal development

the space between what a learner can do without assistance and what a learner can do with adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers

babinski reflex

when the sole of the foot has been firmly stroked, the big toes moves upward or toward the top surface of foot (other toes fan out)