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Developmental Psychology
The branch of psychology that studies the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional changes across the lifespan, from conception to death.
Conception
The process of fertilization, when a sperm cell from a male unites with an egg cell from a female to form a zygote, marking the start of pregnancy.
Zygote
The fertilized egg cell that results from the union of sperm and egg; the first stage of prenatal development.
Embryo
The stage of prenatal development from approximately 2 weeks to 8 weeks after conception, during which the organism’s major organs and structures begin to form.
Fetus
The later stage of prenatal development, from 9 weeks after conception until birth, when the organism grows and develops more complex features.
Prenatal
Refers to the period before birth, encompassing all stages of development from conception to delivery.
Teratogens
Harmful agents or substances (like drugs, alcohol, or infections) that can interfere with prenatal development and cause birth defects.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)
A condition resulting from maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, leading to developmental delays, facial abnormalities, and cognitive deficits in the child.
Habituation
The process by which an individual’s response to a repeated stimulus decreases over time as they become familiar with it.
Infant Gaze
The way infants focus on and look at objects or people, often used in research to study visual attention and cognitive development.
Maturation
The biological process of development that unfolds in a fixed sequence, regardless of environmental influences, such as physical growth or changes in motor skills.
Infantile Amnesia
The inability to recall memories from early childhood, usually occurring before the age of 3 or 4 years.
Schemas
Cognitive frameworks or mental structures that help us organize and interpret information about the world.
Assimilate
The process of integrating new experiences into existing schemas without changing the schema.
Accommodate
The process of modifying existing schemas or creating new ones to incorporate new information or experiences.
Sensorimotor Stage
The first stage of Piaget’s cognitive development theory (from birth to about 2 years), where infants learn about the world through sensory experiences and motor actions.
Object Permanence
The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not directly observed, a milestone in cognitive development during the sensorimotor stage.
Preoperational Stage
The second stage of Piaget’s theory (from about 2 to 7 years), where children begin using language and symbols but lack logical thinking and struggle with perspective-taking (egocentrism).
Conservation
The understanding that certain properties of objects (like mass, volume, or number) remain the same despite changes in their form or appearance, developing during the concrete operational stage.
Egocentrism
The tendency of young children in the preoperational stage to view the world only from their own perspective, making it difficult to understand others’ viewpoints.
Theory of Mind
The ability to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, and perspectives that differ from one’s own, typically developing around age 4 or 5.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
A developmental disorder characterized by challenges with social interaction, communication, and restricted or repetitive behaviors and interests.
Concrete Operational Stage
Piaget’s third stage of cognitive development (approximately ages 7-11), during which children develop logical thinking about concrete objects and understand conservation.
Formal Operational Stage
Piaget’s fourth stage of cognitive development (beginning around age 12), during which individuals can think logically about abstract concepts, hypothetical situations, and problem-solving.
Scaffold
Support and guidance provided by a more knowledgeable individual (e.g., teacher, caregiver) to help a learner accomplish tasks that are beyond their ability to do alone.
Zone of Proximal Development
The range of tasks a learner can perform with help, but cannot accomplish independently, as proposed by Vygotsky.
Stranger Anxiety
The distress infants feel when encountering unfamiliar people, typically around 8 to 12 months.
Attachment
A deep emotional bond that forms between a child and caregiver, influencing the child’s development and future relationships.
Critical Period
A crucial window of time during development in which certain experiences or stimuli are necessary for normal development (e.g., language acquisition).
Imprinting
A form of rapid learning, observed in some animals (like birds), where they form strong attachments to the first moving object they encounter, typically their caregiver.
Secure Attachment
A healthy attachment style in which children feel safe to explore their environment, knowing that they can rely on their caregiver for comfort when needed.
Insecure Attachment
An attachment style where children may feel anxious or avoidant, leading to less healthy emotional development.
Temperament
The characteristic patterns of emotional reactivity and self-regulation that are present from birth and contribute to an individual's personality.
Basic Trust
The belief that the world is generally trustworthy and reliable, developed in infancy through positive caregiver interactions (Erikson’s theory).
Resilient
The ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, or stress.
Self-Concept
The understanding of oneself, including one’s identity, abilities, and personal characteristics.
Authoritarian
A parenting style characterized by strict rules and high demands, with low responsiveness or warmth.
Permissive
A parenting style characterized by high warmth and responsiveness but few rules or demands.
Authoritative
A parenting style characterized by high warmth, responsiveness, and reasonable expectations or rules, often linked with positive developmental outcomes.
Gender
The social, cultural, and psychological characteristics associated with being male, female, or non-binary, which may differ from biological sex.
Aggression
Behavior intended to cause harm or assert dominance over another individual.
Gender Roles
The societal expectations about how males and females should behave, including roles, activities, and behaviors deemed appropriate for each gender.
Role
A set of behaviors, responsibilities, and expectations associated with a particular social position, such as being a parent, friend, or student.
Gender Identity
An individual’s personal sense of their own gender, which may or may not align with the sex they were assigned at birth.
Social Learning Theory
The theory that people learn behaviors (including gender roles) through observation, imitation, and reinforcement in their social environment.
Gender Typing
The process by which children learn the behaviors, traits, and roles that society associates with their gender.
Transgender
A term used to describe individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.
Selection Effect
A bias in research that occurs when participants or subjects are selected in such a way that it distorts the results, typically because of self-selection or pre-existing differences.
