Human Development Across the Lifespan: Theories, Conditions, and Aging

A comprehensive vocabulary flashcard set covering developmental theories, genetic and prenatal conditions, childhood/adolescent disorders, adulthood pathologies, and theories of aging based on the lecture transcript.

Psychosexual Theory

Sigmund Freud's theory proposing that personality develops through a sequence of stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital), with early experiences and unconscious conflicts influencing later personality.

Psychosocial Theory

Erik Erikson's theory proposing that human development continues throughout life across eight psychosocial conflicts, where resolving each developmental task supports a psychosocial strength.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson's infancy stage focused on developing trust through dependable care.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's toddlerhood stage focused on developing independence and self-control.

Initiative vs. Guilt

Erikson's early childhood stage focused on initiating activities and taking responsibility.

Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson's school-age stage focused on building competence through learning and work.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's adolescence stage focused on developing a stable sense of identity.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's young adulthood stage focused on forming close, committed relationships.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's middle adulthood stage focused on contributing to others and future generations.

Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's late adulthood stage focused on reviewing life with acceptance or regret.

Cognitive-Developmental Theory

Jean Piaget's theory stating that children actively construct knowledge as cognitive development progresses through four distinct stages.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage (birth to $2$ years), characterized by learning through senses and actions, and during which object permanence develops.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage ($2$ to $7$ years), where symbolic thought and language develop, and egocentrism and difficulty with conservation are common.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third stage ($7$ to $11$ years), marked by logical thought about concrete events and the development of conservation, classification, and reversibility.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's fourth stage (about $11$ years onward), during which abstract, hypothetical, and systematic reasoning develops.

Sociocultural Theory

Lev Vygotsky's perspective proposing that cognitive development is shaped by social interaction, culture, language, and guidance from others.

Zone of Proximal Development

The range of tasks a learner can complete with guidance but cannot yet perform independently, as identified by Lev Vygotsky.

Scaffolding

Temporary support provided by a more experienced individual as a learner develops a skill.

Operant Conditioning

B. F. Skinner's learning theory stating that consequences shape behavior; reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior, while punishment decreases it.

Social Cognitive Theory

Albert Bandura's theory emphasizing that people learn through observation and modeling, reflecting interactions among person, behavior, and environment.

Classical Conditioning

A learning process in which a previously neutral stimulus becomes associated with another stimulus and begins to produce a learned response.

Ecological Theory

Urie Bronfenbrenner's model proposing that development is influenced by nested environmental systems: microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, and chronosystem.

Evolutionary Developmental Psychology

A perspective that applies principles of evolution by natural selection to understand human development and adaptive behavior.

Attachment Theory

John Bowlby's theory stating that early caregiver relationships provide a vital foundation for security and exploration.

Strange Situation

Mary Ainsworth's structured observational procedure designed to assess infant attachment patterns through caregiver separation and reunion episodes.

Temperament

Biologically based patterns in how an individual responds to and interacts with the environment that can remain relatively consistent over time.

Down Syndrome

A genetic condition usually caused by an extra chromosome, associated with characteristic physical features, cognitive delays, and an increased likelihood linked to maternal age.

Fragile X Syndrome

An inherited genetic condition involving the X chromosome that can cause developmental issues, learning disabilities, and cognitive impairment.

Cystic Fibrosis

A genetic disorder affecting the lungs, pancreas, and other organs where thick mucus obstructs airways, traps bacteria, and increases respiratory infection risk.

Sickle Cell Anemia

An inherited single-gene condition affecting red blood cells by changing their shape, which can lead to pain, infections, and other health issues.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)

An inherited metabolic condition that can cause intellectual disability if untreated, managed through early identification and dietary intervention.

Hemophilia

An inherited blood-clotting disorder characterized as an X-linked genetic disorder.

Muscular Dystrophy

A group of genetic, often X-linked conditions that cause progressive muscle weakening over time.

Autosomal Dominant Inheritance

A genetic transmission pattern where a condition may occur when one altered copy of a gene is inherited.

Autosomal Recessive Inheritance

A genetic pattern where a condition generally occurs only when altered gene copies are inherited from both parents.

Sex-Linked Inheritance

A pattern of inheritance where a genetic trait is associated with a gene located on the X or Y chromosome.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

A range of conditions caused by prenatal alcohol exposure, resulting in central nervous system problems, growth delays, facial differences, and cognitive challenges.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome

A group of withdrawal symptoms in a newborn following prenatal exposure to opioids or certain other drugs, including excessive crying, seizures, and feeding problems.

Preterm Birth

Birth occurring before $37$ completed weeks of pregnancy.

Low Birthweight

A birthweight of less than $2{,}500\,\text{grams}$.

Stillbirth

The delivery of a deceased baby after $20$ weeks of gestation.

Teratogens

Agents, including environmental toxins, that can negatively affect embryo or fetal development.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

The unexplained death of an infant, usually occurring during the first year of life.

Cerebral Palsy

A movement and muscle disorder caused by early brain development disruptions, presenting with motor patterns such as spasticity, dyskinesia, and ataxia.

Deafness

A hearing impairment that causes difficulty processing linguistic information, with or without hearing amplification.

Orthopedic Impairment

An impairment involving the skeleton, bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, or nerves, caused by factors such as congenital anomalies, amputations, or fractures.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

A group of neurodevelopmental conditions marked by difficulties with communication and social interaction, language differences, and repetitive behaviors.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges involving concentration, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

Developmental Coordination Disorder

A developmental condition characterized by significant difficulty in coordinating motor actions.

Conduct Disorder

A sustained pattern of antisocial behavior characterized by aggression, bullying, intimidation, property destruction, rule-breaking, and limited empathy or remorse.

Schizophrenia

A serious mental disorder affecting thought and perception that may develop during adolescence.

Bullying

Repeated aggressive behavior directed toward another person involving an observed or perceived power imbalance.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

An age-related eye disease that causes the loss of central vision.

Cataracts

A condition characterized by the clouding of the eye's natural lens, leading to impaired vision.

Glaucoma

An eye disease involving progressive damage to the optic nerve, distinct from disorders affecting only central vision.

Presbyopia

Age-related difficulty in focusing the eyes on nearby objects.

Senile Lentigo

Irregular, patchy pigmentation of aging skin associated with an uneven distribution of melanocytes.

Atherosclerosis

A cardiovascular disease process characterized by progressive plaque buildup within arterial walls.

Osteoarthritis

A chronic joint disease common in older adulthood that causes joint pain, stiffness, aching, and limited range of motion.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

A chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease that affects connective tissues and joints, distinct from osteoarthritis.

Sarcopenia

The age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength.

Dementia

A progressive decline in cognitive abilities that interferes with everyday functioning, which is not an inevitable outcome of normal aging.

Alzheimer Disease

A progressive neurodegenerative disease and the most common cause of dementia, characterized by worsening memory and cognitive skills.

Delirium

An acute change in attention and awareness often triggered by an underlying medical cause or illness, distinguishing it from dementia.

Dysphagia

Difficulty or discomfort in swallowing, recognized as a special health concern in older adults.

Presbycusis

Age-related, gradual hearing loss occurring in older adulthood.

Bereavement

The objective state of having experienced the death of a significant person.

Mourning

The outward, socially or culturally shaped expression and behavioral response to grief.

Hospice Care

Specialized care focused entirely on comfort and quality of life for individuals nearing the end of life.

Palliative Care

Care focused on relieving the symptoms, stress, and suffering associated with serious illnesses.

Activity Theory

An aging theory proposing that continued participation in activities and social roles is directly associated with adjustment and life satisfaction in older adulthood.

Disengagement Theory

A historical aging theory suggesting that older adults and society undergo a mutual, gradual withdrawal from one another.

Continuity Theory

An aging theory proposing that older adults tend to maintain familiar personal patterns, preferences, and coping strategies as they adapt to aging.

Wear-and-Tear Theory

A biological theory suggesting that cumulative cellular and tissue damage over time causes aging.

Free-Radical Theory

A biological theory asserting that cumulative cellular damage from free radicals contributes significantly to aging.