Chapter 3 - Vocabulary Flashcards: Human Development

Vocabulary terms and concise definitions drawn from the lecture notes on human development, covering concepts from growth and maturation to aging and psychosocial development.

Development

Pattern of progressive, orderly, and predictable changes from conception to death; involves growth and decline across biological, cognitive, and socio-emotional domains; integrated across the life span.

Life-Span Perspective

Development is lifelong, with gains and losses; processes (biological, cognitive, socio-emotional) are interwoven and dynamic, and shaped by historical conditions.

Multidirectional

Development can proceed in multiple directions: abilities may improve in some areas while decline occurs in others as age increases.

Plasticity

Modifiability of development within a person; skills and abilities can be improved or developed throughout the life span, though plasticity varies among individuals.

Growth

Increase in the size of body parts or the organism; measurable (e.g., height, weight).

Maturation

Changes that follow an orderly sequence largely guided by genetic blueprint; example: sitting, standing, and walking timelines.

Evolution

Species-specific changes through natural selection; slow pace; human evolution from great apes occurred over millions of years.

Genotype

An individual’s genetic material or hereditary makeup—the actual genes inherited.

Phenotype

Observable characteristics resulting from the interaction of genotype and environment.

Environment

The context in which development occurs, including inherited traits, physical surroundings, social and cultural factors; interacts with genes to shape development.

Gene–Environment Interaction

Environment provided by parents and others is partly influenced by their own genes; development results from ongoing interplay between heredity and environment.

Bronfenbrenner – Microsystem

Immediate environment where the individual lives and directly interacts (family, peers, teachers, neighborhood).

Bronfenbrenner – Mesosystem

Connections between microsystems (e.g., relations between parents and teachers) that influence development.

Bronfenbrenner – Exosystem

Settings that affect the child indirectly (e.g., a parent’s workplace) and thus influence the child’s experience.

Bronfenbrenner – Macrosystem

The broader cultural and societal context in which the individual lives.

Bronfenbrenner – Chronosystem

Time-related dimensions: life events and socio-historical circumstances that influence development.

Sinha’s Ecology of the Child

Two-layer model: visible upper layer (home, school, peers) and surrounding layers that interact and influence development; influences may be subtle or not immediately visible.

Prenatal Period

From conception to birth (about 40 weeks); influenced by genetic and environmental factors including maternal characteristics.

Teratogens

Environmental agents that can cause deviations in normal development, leading to abnormalities or death (e.g., drugs, radiation, chemicals, pollutants).

Maternal Factors

Mother’s age, nutrition, and emotional state; maternal disease or infection can affect prenatal development.

Infancy

Brain develops rapidly; newborns show early auditory and social capabilities, and begin motor and sensory development.

Reflexes

Automatic, built-in responses that are the building blocks of motor development; some persist throughout life (e.g., coughing, blinking, yawning).

Motor Development

Progression from reflexive to voluntary movement as muscles and the nervous system mature.

Sensory Abilities

Newborns can recognize mothers’ voices, prefer certain stimuli (e.g., faces); vision develops from below 20/ towards 20/20 by around age one; hearing, touch, smell, and taste are present early.

Piaget

Cognitive development theory: children actively construct knowledge through interaction with the environment; intelligence evolves through distinct stages.

Sensorimotor Stage

Infancy (birth to ~2 years) where knowledge of the world is built through senses and motor actions; object permanence develops during this period.

Object Permanence

Awareness that objects continue to exist even when not perceived; foundational to later symbolic thought.

Preoperational Thought

Second stage (roughly ages 2–7) marked by symbolic thinking, egocentrism, animism, centration, and intuitive reasoning; lacks logical operations.

Egocentrism

Difficulty taking others’ perspectives; characteristic of the preoperational stage.

Animism

Belief that inanimate objects have life or feelings.

Concrete Operational

Stage (roughly ages 7–11) where thinking becomes logical with respect to concrete objects; concepts like reversibility and decentering emerge; egocentrism declines.

Formal Operational

Stage (approx. 11+ years) marked by abstract and hypothetical-deductive reasoning; systematic problem solving and flexible moral reasoning.

Erikson – Trust vs Mistrust

First year of life; trust develops when caregivers meet basic needs with consistency; mistrust arises from inconsistent care.

Attachment

Emotional bond between infant and caregiver; secure attachment supports exploration and security; insecure attachment may cause anxiety.

Secure Attachment

Infant feels confident to explore when caregiver is present and is comforted by caregiver after separation.

Insecure Attachment

Anxious or avoidant responses; distress upon separation; inconsistent caregiving can contribute.

Developmental Tasks

Key accomplishments expected at a stage that facilitate progression to the next stage; socially prescribed goals.

Cephalocaudal Principle

Development proceeds from head downward: control over the head develops before the torso and legs.

Proximodistal Principle

Development proceeds from the center of the body outward: trunk control precedes limb control.

Gross Motor Skills

Large muscle movements (arms, legs, whole body) used for activities like walking and running.

Fine Motor Skills

Small, precise movements (hands, fingers) needed for writing, drawing, and manipulating small objects.