Barrons Developmental Psych Chapter READING

Developmental Psychology

The study of how our behaviors and thoughts change over the course of our entire lives, from birth to death.

Nature versus Nurture

A basic controversy in developmental psychology regarding the influences of genetic factors (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) on development.

Cross-sectional Research

A research method that compares participants of different ages to see how certain variables may change over the lifespan.

Longitudinal Research

A research method that studies the same group of participants over a long period of time to examine developmental changes.

Teratogens

Substances that can cause harm to a developing fetus if ingested or contracted by the mother.

Reflexes

Specific, inborn, automatic responses to certain stimuli that newborns exhibit.

Object Permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or sensed.

Zone of Proximal Development

The distance between what a child can do independently and what they can do with assistance from a teacher or parent.

Secure Attachment

A strong emotional bond between a child and caregiver characterized by comfort, trust, and support.

Cognitive Development

The ways in which adults and children acquire, understand, and process information.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaningful sound that can be words or parts of words.

Holophrastic Stage

The stage of language acquisition when toddlers use single words to communicate whole ideas.

Telegraphic Speech

The early form of speech used by toddlers, consisting of two-word phrases that communicate meaning clearly but lack grammatical syntax.

Overgeneralization

A language acquisition phenomenon where children apply grammatical rules too broadly, often leading to incorrect forms.

Authoritative Parenting

A parenting style characterized by high responsiveness and reasonable demands, resulting in children who are socially capable and perform well academically.

Critical Period

A developmental stage during which an individual must learn a skill or feature or face potential long-term deficits.

Egocentric Thinking

A characteristic of preoperational children, showing an inability to see things from another person's perspective.

Personal Fable

A belief held by adolescents that they are unique and their experiences are different from those of others.

Metacognition

The awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Ainsworth's Secure Attachment

Infants with secure attachments confidently explore their environment and seek comfort from caregivers when distressed.