Developmental Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Zygote
the fertilized egg that begins rapid cell division
Embryo
attached to the mother’s uterine wall, the placenta begins absorbing nutrients. Heart begin to beat.
stage in prenatal development from 2 to 8 weeks
Fetus
The longest period of prenatal develop marks more important changes in the brain.
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
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 assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure
Accommodation
in the theories of Jean Piaget: the modification of internal representations in order to accommodate a changing knowledge of reality
Sensorimotor Stage
the first stage in Piaget's theory, during which the child relies heavily on innate motor responses and SENSORY impressions to stimuli
From birth to about 2 years of age
LACK OF OBJECT PERMANENCE HERE
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
From 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age
LACK OF CONSERVATION HERE
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. logical thinking about CONCRETE events
From about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age
Conservation
the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
Theory of Mind
an awareness that other people's behavior may be influenced by beliefs, desires, and emotions that differ from one's own
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 that make sexual reproduction possible
e.g. ovaries, testes, and external genitalia
Secondary Sex Characteristics
physical features that are associated with gender but that are not directly involved in reproduction.
e.g. facial hair, enlarged breasts, pubic hair, and deeper voices
Formal Operational Stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts (things not in front of them)
Beginning about age 12
Ainsworth
developmental psychology; compared effects of maternal separation, devised patterns of attachment; "The Strange Situation": observation of parent/child attachment
Bandura
pioneer in observational learning (AKA social learning), stated that people profit from the mistakes/successes of others; Studies: Bobo Dolls-adults demonstrated 'appropriate' play with dolls, children mimicked play
Erikson
neo-Freudian, humanistic; 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?"
Gilligan
moral development studies to follow up Kohlberg.
discovered that males put an emphasis on rules and laws (they are pushed to be independent) whereas females put an emphasis on social relationships (they are more interdependent and socially oriented)
Haidt
theorist who proposed that moral thoughts were not necessarily logical, because they are prompted by moral feelings, which are the equivalent of gut feelings.
we defend why we feel something is right or wrong only after feeling it/reacting to it
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
Kohlberg
moral development; presented boys moral dilemmas and studied their responses and reasoning processes in making moral decisions. Most famous moral dilemma is "Heinz" who has an ill wife and cannot afford the medication. Should he steal the medication and why?
Lorenz
researcher who focused on critical attachment periods in baby birds, a concept he called imprinting
Piaget
four stage theory of cognitive development
he said that the two basic processes work in tandem to achieve cognitive growth-assimilation and accommodation
emphasized how the child’s mind grows through interaction with the PHYSICAL environment
Vygotsky
child development; investigated how culture & interpersonal communication guide development; zone of proximal development; play research
emphasized how the child’s mind grows through interaction with the SOCIAL environment
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
Habituation
a general accommodation to unchanging environmental conditions
Cognition
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
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.
Autism
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind
Stranger Anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
Critical Period
an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
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
Gender Typing
the process of developing the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions associated with a particular gender.
Social Learning theory
the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
(“Nicole, you’re such a good mommy to your dolls” or “Big boys don’t cry, Alex”)
Gender
in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female.
Role
the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group
Gender Identity
your identity as it is experienced with regard to your individuality as male or female
Identity
the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognized or known
Social Identity
the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "who am I?" that comes from our group memberships
Intimacy
the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early childhood
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
Cross-Sectional Study
a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
Longitudinal Study
Research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
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
Gender Role
a set of expected behaviors for males or for females
Nature vs. Nurture
how does our genetic inheritance (Nature) interact with our experiences (our nurture) to influence our development
Continuity and Stages
what parts of development are gradual and continuous, like riding an escalator and what parts change abruptly in separate stages, like climbing rungs on a ladder?
Continuity
is experience (Continuity or Stages pick one)
Stages
is biological (Continuity or Stages pick one)
Stability and Change
which of our traits persist through life and how do we change as we age?
Babinski Reflex of infants
projection of big toe and fanning of other toes when the sole of the foot is touched
can be tested by tickling infants to see if their toes move
Criticism of Jean Piaget
babies are learning most of what he claimed they learn a lot earlier than he predicted
Vygotsky
is Continuity (Vygotsky or Piaget pick one)
Piaget
is Stages (Vygotsky or Piaget pick one)
Scaffold
giving infants some support for a little bit, but taking it away when it’s no longer necessary
Zone of Proximal Development
the zone where a child cannot do anything unless you help them to understand it
Contact-Comfort
is essential to attachment
things that feel soft are things you get more attached to
Parent-Infant Attachment Bonds
attachment bond between parent and infant that forms because parent (usually mother) provides and cares for infant
Secure Base
something that parents give to their offspring so that they have a “safe base” to explore off of without endangering themselves
Imprinting
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period
Sensitive Period
period of time where human children get attached
Scarr
studied day cares and the effect they have on children
Age 12
age by which most children have developed a self-concept
Self-Concept
all of one’s thoughts or feelings about oneself, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”
is more broadly defined, it’s ALL the thoughts and feelings
Self-Esteem
how one feels about who they are
15 to 18 months
age by which children begin to gain self-awareness
Authoritarian Parenting Style
parents impose rules and expect obedience: “Don’t interrupt.” “Keep your room clean.” “Don’t stay out late or you’ll be grounded,” “Why? Because I said so.”
Permissive Parenting Style
parents submit to their children’s desires. They make few demands and use little punishment
Authoritative Parenting Style
parents are both demanding and response. They exert control by setting rules and enforcing them, but they also explain the reasons for rules. And, especially with older children, they encourage open discussion when making the rules and allow exceptions
Negligent Parenting Style
parents are uninvolved in their child’s life, lack of responsiveness to a child’s needs
Authoritative Parents
parenting style that leads to children with the highest self-esteem, self-reliance and social competence
Authoritarian Parents
parenting style that leads to children with less social skill and self-esteem
Permissive Parents
parenting style that leads to children who are more aggressive and immature
Negligent Parents
parenting style that leads to children that do not handle independence well, show poor self-control, and are less competent socially
Albert Bandura’s Bobo Doll Experiment
children often mimic what they see other adults do (children saw adult beating up a doll (wtf) and so they mimicked it later on when left alone)
Observational and Social Learning occurs
Sexual orientation
our enduring patterns of sexual attraction (who we are attracted to)
Father
Determines the biological sex of a child
Rozenwig
discovered that rats raised an enriching environment (playground) usually developed a heavier and thicker brain cortex as opposed to those raised in solitary confinement
discovered that during early childhood, children can most easily master such skills as the grammar and accent of another language and also other skills such as visual experience
Parental Influence
more important when it comes to education, discipline, responsibility, orderliness, charitableness, and ways of interacting with authority figures.
also values, political beliefs, and manners.
Peer Influence
more important when it comes to learning cooperation, finding the road to popularity, and inventing styles of interaction among other peers.
also influence slang, food, and fashion. (culture)
During adolescence
when does a pruning/removal of unused neurons and connections occurs, what we don’t use, we lose occur
Frontal lobes, Myelin, and Limbic System
what grows as teens mature
Moral Thinking Theory
constructed by Lawrence Kohlberg, states that moral thinking develops through three stages: Preconventional, Conventional, and Postconventional morality
Preconventional Morality
focuses on self-interest (obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards) like “if you save your wife, you’ll be a hero” (Do something for a reward)
Conventional Morality
focuses on upholding laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order like “if you steal the drug, everyone will think you’re a criminal (Do something because society thinks it’s right)
Postconventional Morality
focuses on how actions reflect belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles like “people have a right to live” (Do something because I think it’s right)
Studied only white, upper class men in his experiment
issue with Kohlberg’s experiment
Identity vs. Role
confusion stems from Erikson’s belief that each stage of life has its own psychosocial task, a crisis that needs resolution, talking about how adolescents develop their self-concept during this moment of their life/stage
Infancy (birth to 1 year)
issue: trust vs. mistrust
if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust
Toddlerhood (1 to 3 years)
issue: autonomy vs. shame and doubt
people learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves ,or they doubt their abilities
Preschool (3 to 6 years)
issue: autonomy vs. shame and doubt
people learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent