PSYC-208: Lifespan Development Mid-Term Examination Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts from Chapters 1 through 6 of the Lifespan Development Mid-Term Study Guide.

applied research

Research designed to provide practical solutions to immediate problems.

bioecological approach

The perspective suggesting that different levels of the environment simultaneously influence individuals, involving five systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.

cohort

A group of people born around the same time and in the same place.

continuous change

Gradual development in which achievements at one level build on those of previous levels.

discontinuous change

Development that occurs in distinct steps or stages, with each stage bringing about behavior that is qualitatively different from behavior at earlier stages.

longitudinal research

Research in which the behavior of one or more participants in a study is measured as they age.

maturation

The predetermined unfolding of genetic information.

sensitive period

A specific time when organisms are particularly susceptible to certain kinds of stimuli in their environments, but the absence of those stimuli does not always produce irreversible consequences.

amniocentesis

The process of identifying genetic defects by examining a small sample of fetal cells drawn by a needle inserted into the amniotic fluid surrounding the unborn fetus.

chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

A test used to find genetic defects that involves taking samples of hairlike projections that surround the embryo.

dizygotic twins

Twins who are produced when two separate ova are fertilized by two separate sperm at roughly the same time; also known as fraternal twins.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

The substance that genes are composed of and that determines the nature of every cell in the body and how it will function.

monozygotic twins

Twins who are genetically identical.

phenotype

An observable trait; the trait that is actually seen.

teratogen

An environmental agent, such as a drug, chemical, virus, or other factor, that produces a birth defect.

Zygote

The new cell formed by the process of fertilization.

Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)

A measure designed to determine infants' neurological and behavioral responses to their environment.

lateralization

The process in which certain cognitive functions are located more in one hemisphere of the brain than in the other.

menarche

The onset of menstruation.

myelin

A fatty substance that helps insulate neurons and speeds the transmission of nerve impulses.

plasticity

The degree to which a developing structure or behavior is modifiable due to experience.

senescence

The natural physical decline brought about by aging.

synaptic pruning

The elimination of neurons as the result of nonuse or lack of stimulation.

Alzheimer’s disease

A progressive brain disorder that produces loss of memory and confusion.

anorexia nervosa

A severe eating disorder in which individuals refuse to eat, while denying that their behavior and appearance are out of the ordinary.

menopause

The cessation of menstruation.

psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)

The study of the relationship among the brain, the immune system, and psychological factors.

sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

A disorder in which seemingly healthy infants die in their sleep.

Type A behavior pattern

Characterized by competitiveness, impatience, and a tendency toward frustration and hostility.

accommodation

Changes in existing ways of thinking that occur in response to encounters with new stimuli or events.

assimilation

The process in which people understand an experience in terms of their current stage of cognitive development and way of thinking.

object permanence

The realization that people and objects exist even when they cannot be seen.

scaffolding

The support for learning and problem solving that encourages independence and growth.

zone of proximal development

The level at which a child can almost, but not quite, perform a task independently, but can do so with the assistance of someone more competent.

infantile amnesia

The lack of memory for experiences that occurred prior to three years of age.

metamemory

An understanding about the processes that underlie memory, which emerges and improves during middle childhood.

working memory

A set of temporary memory stores that actively manipulate and rehearse information.