psych human development

Developmental Psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

Zygote

a fertilized egg

Fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth, bones harden, rapid growth

Embryo

stage in prenatal development from 2 to 8 weeks, cell specialiazation

teratogens

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Attachment

The strong bond (social-emotional) a child forms with his or her primary caregiver.

Maturation

the internally programmed growth of a child

Assimilation

the process of fitting in new ideas into an existing cognitive structure

Accommodation

in the theories of Jean Piaget: the modification of internal representations or creating new schemas in a changing knowledge of reality

Sensorimotor Stage

the first stage in Piaget's theory, during which the child relies heavily on innate motor responses to stimuli

Object Permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Preoperational Stage

the second stage in Piaget's theory, marked by well-developed mental representation and the use of language

Egocentrism

In Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view.

Concrete Operational Stage

the third of Piaget's stages, when a child understands conversation but still is incapable of abstract thought

Conservation

the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

Temperament

individuals characteritc manner of behavior or reaction assumed to have a strong genetic basis

Adolescence

the time period between the beginning of puberty and adulthood

Puberty

the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

Primary Sex Characteristics

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Physical features that are associated with gender but that are not directly involved in reproduction.

Formal Operational Stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

Mary Ainsworth

developmental psychology; compared effects of maternal separation, devised patterns of attachment; "The Strange Situation": observation of parent/child attachment

Erik Erikson

8 psychosocial stages of development: theory shows how people evolve through the life span. Each stage is marked by a psychological crisis that involves confronting "Who am I?"

Harry Harlow

development, contact/creature comfort, attachment; experimented with baby rhesus monkeys and presented them with cloth or wire "mothers;" showed that the monkeys became attached to the cloth mothers because of contact comfort

Konrad Lorenz

researcher who focused on critical attachment periods in baby birds, a concept he called imprinting; Lorenz' Geese

Jean Piaget

Four stage theory of cognitive development: 1. sensorimotor, 2. preoperational, 3. concrete operational, and 4. formal operational. He said that the two basic processes work in tandem to achieve cognitive growth-assimilation and accomodation

Fetal alcohol syndrome

a medical condition in which body deformation or facial development or mental ability of a fetus is impaired because the mother drank alcohol while pregnant

Schema

In observational learning, a generalized idea that captures the important components, but not every exact detail. Pertaining to memory and person perception, a generalized idea about objects, people, and events that are encountered frequently.

Basic Trust

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

intimacy

a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship

emerging adulthood

For some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to early twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

menopause

the time in a woman's life in which the menstrual cycle ends

crystallized intelligence

one's accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age

fluid intelligence

one's ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood

alzheimers disease

an irreversible, progressive brain disorder, characterized by the deterioration of memory, language, and eventually, physical functioning

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

Studied and came up with the 5 stages of death and dying (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance)

Lawrence Kohlberg

Famous for his theory of moral development in children; made use of moral dilemmas in assessment

preconventional level

earliest level of moral development; at this level, self-interest and event outcomes determine what is moral

conventional level

middle stage of moral development; at this level, strict adherence to societal rules and the approval of others determine what is moral

postconventional level

highest stage of moral development; at this level, decisions about morality depend on abstract principles and the value of all life

germinal stage

The first phase of prenatal development, conception, implantation, formation of placenta