Recording-2025-02-14T15_00_44.983Z

Developmental Psychology

The study of how people change over the lifespan, from conception to death.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate regarding the relative contributions of genetic inheritance (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) to human development.

Zygote

A fertilized ovum that is a single cell formed by the union of sperm and egg.

Embryo

The developing human organism from approximately two weeks after fertilization until about two months.

Fetal Stage

The final stage of prenatal development, lasting from the ninth week of pregnancy until birth, where major organ systems develop.

Teratogen

Any substance that can cause abnormal development or damage to a developing fetus.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen, a concept developed in infancy.

Scaffolding

A process in which teachers and others provide successive levels of temporary support that help children achieve higher levels of understanding and skill.

Piaget's Stages of Development

Jean Piaget's theory that includes four stages: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational.

Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development

A theory that describes how people develop moral reasoning through three levels: preconventional, conventional, and postconventional.

Erikson's Psychosocial Development

A theory that outlines eight stages of psychosocial development from infancy to adulthood, each characterized by a central conflict.

Critical Period

A specific time in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned.

Synaptic Pruning

The process where extra neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated to increase the efficiency of neuronal transmissions.

Autonomous Reflexes

Automatic responses that support survival, such as suckling and grasping.

Agency

The capacity of individuals to act independently and make their own choices.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

A condition resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy, leading to physical and cognitive defects.

Maternal Mortality

The death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or within six weeks of delivery, due to complications.

Neuronal Growth Spurts

Periods of rapid brain development characterized by increased neuronal connections.

Attachment Theory

A psychological framework that explains how the relationships formed in early childhood impact social and emotional development throughout life.

Cognitive Development

The process by which a child learns to think, reason, and understand the world around them.

Visual Preference

The tendency of infants to prefer looking at faces or face-like patterns over other stimuli.

Childhood Temperament

The innate characteristics of a child that influence their behaviors, moods, and emotional reactions.

Maturation

The process of development in which an individual reaches physical and psychological growth.

Parenting Styles

The varying strategies that parents use in raising their children, which can influence a child's development and behavior.

Experiential Learning

A learning process through which individuals develop and refine skills through experiences and interaction with their environment.