Human Growth & Development Exam #1 Vocabulary Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards generated directly from Human Growth & Development Exam #1 lecture notes covering definitions, key figures, genetics, prenatal development, brain anatomy, and infancy research.

Chronological age

Age based on date of birth. Example: 20 years old.

Social age

How society expects someone to behave based on age.

Psychological age

How a person functions mentally compared with others their age.

Biological age

How physically healthy/aged the body is.

Psychoanalysis/Psychodynamic

Behavior is influenced by unconscious thoughts and early experiences.

Behavior approach

Behavior is learned through conditioning and the environment.

Descriptive research

Describes behavior without determining cause.

Correlation research

Examines whether two variables are related.

Experimental research

Tests cause and effect by manipulating a variable.

Construct

An abstract idea being studied, such as intelligence.

Variable

Something that can change or be measured.

Independent variable

Variable the researcher changes.

Dependent variable

Variable being measured.

Confounding variable

An outside factor that affects the results.

Reflex

Automatic response to a stimulus. Example: sucking.

Positive correlation

Both variables increase or decrease together.

Negative correlation

One variable increases while the other decreases.

Palmar grasp

Infant closes fingers around an object placed in the palm.

Pincer grasp

Using thumb and index finger to pick up small objects.

Fine motor skills

Small muscle movements, such as writing.

Gross motor skills

Large muscle movements, such as walking.

Assimilation

Fitting new information into an existing schema.

Accommodation

Changing a schema to fit new information.

Substage 3

Secondary circular reactions—repeats actions that produce interesting results.

Substage 4

Coordinates actions to reach a goal.

Substage 5

Experiments with new actions and outcomes.

Substage 6

Uses mental representations; begins symbolic thought.

Object permanence

Understanding that objects exist even when unseen.

Critical period

Limited time when a certain ability must develop for normal development.

Temperament

An individual's typical emotional and behavioral style.

Basic emotions

Emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and surprise.

Self-conscious emotions

Emotions involving awareness of oneself, such as shame, guilt, and pride.

Sigmund Freud

Psychoanalytic theory; unconscious drives and early experiences.

Erik Erikson

Psychosocial stages across the lifespan.

Jean Piaget

Cognitive development and four stages.

Lev Vygotsky

Social and cultural influences on cognitive development.

Urie Bronfenbrenner

Ecological systems theory.

John Bowlby

Attachment theory.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture by your own culture's standards.

Cultural relativity

Understanding behavior within its cultural context.

Tabula rasa

"Blank slate"; people are shaped by experience.

Reciprocal determinism

Person, behavior, and environment influence one another.

Multidirectional

Development can involve gains and losses.

Multidimensional

Development involves many areas, such as physical, cognitive, and social.

Multidisciplinary

Development is studied by many different fields.

Normative age-graded

Events commonly associated with a particular age.

Normative history-graded

Events affecting people of the same generation.

Non-normative

Unusual events that affect an individual.

Socioeconomic status

Social and economic position based on factors like income and education.

Poverty

Lack of sufficient resources to meet basic needs.

Preformationist

Belief that a miniature human already exists in the sperm or egg.

Operational definition

Exact way a variable is measured.

Internal validity

How accurately a study establishes cause and effect.

External validity

How well results apply to other people/settings.

Reliability

Consistency of a measurement.

Deception

Misleading participants about part of a study.

Informed consent

Participants agree after being told about the study.

Debriefing

Explaining the true purpose of the study afterward.

Confidentiality

Keeping participants' information private.

Genotype

Genetic makeup.

Phenotype

Observable characteristics.

Homozygous

Two identical alleles.

Heterozygous

Two different alleles.

Dominant

Allele expressed when present.

Recessive

Allele expressed when two copies are present.

Incomplete dominance

Neither allele completely dominates; produces a blended trait.

Allele

Version of a gene.

Chromosomal abnormalities

Problems involving chromosome number or structure.

Down syndrome

Usually caused by an extra chromosome 21.

Turner syndrome

Female with one missing X chromosome (XO).

Klinefelter syndrome

Male with an extra X chromosome (XXY).

Evocative genotype-environment correlation

A person's traits cause others to respond in certain ways.

Germinal period

Conception to about 2 weeks.

Embryonic period

About weeks 3–8; major organs begin developing.

Fetal period

Week 9 to birth; growth and maturation.

Zygote

Fertilized egg.

Blastocyst

Rapidly dividing group of cells that implants in the uterus.

Embryonic disc

Cells that develop into the embryo.

Trophoblast

Outer cells that help form the placenta.

Embryo

Developing organism from about weeks 3–8.

Placenta

Provides nutrients/oxygen and removes waste.

Fetus

Developing organism from week 9 until birth.

Age of viability

Around 24 weeks; fetus has a possibility of surviving outside the womb with medical care.

Teratogens

Environmental substances that can harm prenatal development.

Fetal alcohol syndrome

Developmental problems caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.

Ectopic pregnancy

Pregnancy developing outside the uterus.

Placenta previa

Placenta covers or is near the cervix.

Placental abruption

Placenta separates from uterus too early.

Postpartum depression

Depression after childbirth.

Postpartum psychosis

Rare, severe mental disorder after childbirth involving loss of contact with reality.

Apgar

Quick newborn assessment of appearance, pulse, grimace, activity, and respiration.

Anoxia

Lack of oxygen.

Low birth weight

Less than 5.5 pounds (2,500 g).

Preterm

Born before 37 weeks.

SIDS

Sudden unexplained death of an infant during sleep.

Marasmus

Severe malnutrition caused by lack of calories.

Schema

Mental framework for understanding information.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget's stage from birth to about age 2; learning through senses and actions.

Infantile amnesia

Inability to remember most experiences from early infancy.

Babbling

Repeated sounds such as "ba-ba."