chapter 11

accommodation, 420

involves changing existing mental structures to explain new experiences.

animism, 421

the belief that all things are living,

assimilation, 420

involves inter- preting new experiences in terms of existing mental structures without changing them.

attachment, 414

refers to the close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their caregivers.

centration, 421

is the tendency to focus on just one feature of a problem, neglecting other important aspects.

cognitive development, 419

refers to transitions in youngsters’ patterns of thinking, including rea- soning, remembering, and problem solving

cohort effect, 413

occur when differences between age groups are due to the groups growing up in different time periods.

conservation, 421

is Piaget’s term for the awareness that physical quantities remain constant in spite of changes in their shape or appearance.

cross-sectional design, 413

nvestigators compare groups of participants of differing age at a singlepoint in time.

dementia, 439

isanabnormalconditionmarkedbymultiplecog- nitive deficits that include memory impairment.

development, 406

is the sequence of age-related changes that occur as a person pro- gresses from conception to death.

developmental norms, 412

Indicate the median age at which individuals display various behaviours and abilities.

dishabituation, 424

occurs if a new stim- ulus elicits an increase in the strength of a habitu- ated response.

egocentrism, 421

in thinking is characterized by a limited ability to share another person’s viewpoint.

embryonic stage, 408

is the second stage of prenatal development, lasting from two weeks until the end of the second month.

fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), 409

is a collection of con- genital (inborn) problems associated with exces- sive alcohol use during pregnancy.

fetal stage, 408

is the third stage of prenatal develop- ment, lasting from two months through birth

gender, 446

are actual disparities between the sexes in typical behaviour or average ability.

gender differences, 446

are actual disparities between the sexes in typical behaviour or average ability.

gender roles, 448

are expectations about what is appropriate behaviour for each sex.

germinal stage, 407

s the first phase of prenatal development, encompassing the first two weeks after conception.

habituation, 424

is a gradual reduction in the strength of a response when a stimulus event is presented repeatedly.

hypothetico-deductive reasoning, 422

reasoning in which they can think abstractly and test out their hypotheses;

irreversibility, 421

is the inability to envision reversing an action.

longitudinal design, 413

investigators observe one group of par- ticipants repeatedly over a period of time.

maturation, 411

is development that reflects the gradual unfolding of one’s genetic blueprint.

menarche, 429

the first occurrence of menstruation,

motor development, 411

refers to the progression of muscular coordination required for physical activities.

object permanence, 420

develops when a child recognizes that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible.

placenta, 407

is a structure that allows oxygen and nutrients to pass into the fetus from the mother’s bloodstream, and bodily wastes to pass out to the mother.

prenatal period, 407

extends from conception to birth, usually encompassing nine months of pregnancy

primary sex characteristics, 429

the structures necessary for reproduction

puberty, 428

the stage during which sexual functions reach maturity, which marks the beginning of adolescence

scaffolding, 424

occurs when the assistance provided to a child is adjusted as learning progresses.

secondary sex characteristics, 428

physical features that distinguish one sex from the other but that are not essential for reproduction

separation anxiety, 414

emotional distress seen in many infants when they are separated from people with whom they have formed an attachment.

sex, 446

usually refers to the biologically based categories of female and male. In contrast,

socialization, 448

is the acquisition of the norms and behaviours expected of people inaparticularsociety

spermarche, 429

the first occurrence of ejaculation

stage, 417

is a devel- opmental period during which characteristic patterns of behaviour are exhibited and certain capacities become established.

strange situation procedure, 415

in which infants are exposed to a series of eight sepa- ration and reunion episodes to assess the quality of their attachment.

temperament, 413

refers to characteristic mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity

teratogen, 409

are any external agents, such as drugs or viruses, that can harm an embryo or fetus.

zone of proximal development (ZPD), 424

is the gap between what a learner can accomplish alone and what they can achieve with guidance from more skilled partners.