Midterm 1

Developmental Psychology

The study of how individuals grow, change, and develop throughout their lifespan.

Behavioral Regulation

The ability to control and regulate one's behavior.

Cognitive Regulation

The ability to control and regulate one's thoughts and cognitive processes.

Circadian Rhythm

The internal biological clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles and other bodily functions.

Child Labor Laws

Laws that regulate the employment of children to protect them from hazardous conditions and ensure their education.

Leading Questions

Questions that suggest a particular answer or influence the response of the person being questioned.

Tabula Rasa

The philosophical concept that individuals are born with a blank slate and acquire knowledge and experiences through their environment.

Nativists

The belief that infants and children have specific innate abilities and capabilities.

Empiricists

The belief that infants have general learning mechanisms and acquire knowledge through their experiences.

Diathesis Stress Model

A psychological model that suggests that the development of certain disorders is influenced by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors.

Nature vs

The debate about the relative importance of genetic factors (nature) and environmental factors (nurture) in shaping development.

Bidirectional Influences

The idea that development is influenced by interactions between the individual and their environment, with both parties influencing each other.

Continuity vs

The debate about whether development is a continuous process of gradual change or a series of distinct stages.

Quantitative Change

Changes that can be measured and observed continuously, such as physical growth.

Qualitative Change

Notable changes in an organism, such as the development of new structures or abilities.

Mechanisms of Change

The various processes and interactions that contribute to developmental change, including behavioral, neural, and genetic mechanisms.

Sociocultural Context

The social, cultural, economic, and historical influences that shape an individual's development.

Bronfenbrenner's Bioecological Model

A model that emphasizes the role of multiple environmental systems in influencing development, including the individual, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, and macrosystem.

Individual Differences

The ways in which children differ from each other in terms of their characteristics, experiences, and environments.

Research and Children's Welfare

The use of research to promote the well-being of children, such as informing social reforms, providing early identification and intervention, and improving educational practices.1. Scientific Method:The systematic approach used in research to answer empirical questions, involving formulating hypotheses, testing them through methods, and drawing conclusions based on data.

Empirical question

A question that can be answered through observation and data collection.

Hypothesis

A proposed explanation or prediction for a phenomenon that can be tested through research.

Methodology

The specific methods and procedures used in a research study.

Measures

The tools or instruments used to collect data in a research study.

Interrater reliability

The degree of agreement between different observers or raters in their assessments or measurements.

Test-retest reliability

The consistency of a test or measure over time when administered to the same individuals.

Internal validity

The extent to which a study accurately measures or tests what it intends to measure or test.

External validity

The extent to which the findings of a study can be generalized to other populations or settings.

Interviews and questionnaires

Methods of gathering data through structured or semi-structured questions.

Naturalistic observation

Observing and recording behavior in natural settings without intervention or manipulation.

Structured observation

Presenting a standardized situation to elicit specific behaviors for observation.

Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB)

A series of episodes designed to elicit specific behaviors thought to reflect temperamental differences in children.

Correlation

A statistical measure of the relationship between two variables.

Experimental group

The group of participants in a study that receives the experimental treatment or experience.

Control group

The group of participants in a study that does not receive the experimental treatment or experience.

Independent variable

The variable that is manipulated or changed by the researcher in an experiment.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured or observed to determine the effect of the independent variable.

Longitudinal research design

Studying the same individuals over a substantial period of time to examine stability and change.

Cross-sectional research design

Comparing individuals of different ages on a given behavior or characteristic over a short period of time.

Ethical issues in child research

Considerations related to participant well-being, informed consent, confidentiality, and responsible dissemination of findings.1. Prenatal Development:The process of development that occurs before birth.

Conception

The formation of a zygote through the fusion of gametes.

Zygote

The fertilized egg that develops into an embryo.

Embryo

The early stage of prenatal development, from the zygote to around 8 weeks.

Fetus

The later stage of prenatal development, from around 8 weeks until birth.

Meiosis

The cell division process that produces gametes.

Epigenesis

The process of development where cells differentiate and specialize in structure or function.

Apoptosis

Genetically programmed cell death that is necessary for the development of an effective organism.

Placenta

The support organ for the fetus during pregnancy, developed from the fertilized egg.

Neural Tube

The structure that forms the brain and spinal cord in the developing embryo.

Identical Twins

Twins that result from the splitting of a single zygote, sharing the same genetic makeup.

Fraternal Twins

Twins that result from the release of two eggs at the same time, having sibling-like genetics.

Teratogens

Potentially harmful agents that can negatively impact prenatal development.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

A range of physical and cognitive disabilities caused by maternal alcohol use during pregnancy.

Environmental Pollutants

Harmful substances such as toxic metals, synthetic hormones, and pesticides that can affect prenatal development.

Maternal Stress

Increased maternal stress levels can have negative effects on the developing child's behavior.

Maternal Age

Both teenage mothers and older women in their 30s and 40s have elevated risks for infant mortality.

Maternal Malnutrition

Malnutrition in the mother can affect fetal brain development and lead to cognitive impairments.

Spina Bifida

A neural tube defect where the neural tube fails to close properly, resulting in various physical and cognitive challenges.

Cesarean Section (C-Section)

A surgical delivery method used when birth complications arise.

Newborn Sleep

Newborns sleep for an average of 16 hours a day, with sleep time declining throughout childhood.

Colic

Excessive and inconsolable crying in young infants, affecting 1 in 10 US infants.

Infant Mortality

The number of infant deaths per 1000 births.

Birth Weight

The weight of a newborn baby, with low birth weight and very low birth weight having potential medical complications and deficits.

Premature (Preterm) Birth

Birth that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation, often associated with small size for gestational age.

Kangaroo Care

A technique where the baby is held skin-to-skin with the parent, providing warmth and comfort.

Sudden Infant1

A campaign aimed at promoting safe sleeping practices for infants.

Genome

The complete set of genes or genetic material present in an organism.

Gene synthesis

The artificial creation of genes using laboratory techniques.

Genotype

The genetic makeup or combination of genes present in an individual.

Phenotype

The observable physical or behavioral characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction between their genotype and the environment.

Environment Development

The combined influence of genetic and environmental factors on an individual's development.

Parents' Genotype - Child's Genotype

The genetic contribution of parents to the genetic makeup of their child.

Child's Genotype - Child's Phenotype

The relationship between an individual's genetic makeup and their observable physical or behavioral characteristics.

Child's Environment - Child's Phenotype

The influence of the environment on an individual's observable physical or behavioral characteristics.

Child's Phenotype - Child's Environment

The reciprocal relationship between an individual's observable characteristics and their environment.

Child's Environment - Child's Genotype

The influence of the environment on an individual's genetic makeup.

Endophenotype

Physiological expressions of an individual's genetic makeup that mediate between genes and behavior.

Behavioral genetics

The study of how genes and the environment interact to influence behavior.

Heritable vs

The distinction between traits or disorders that are primarily influenced by genetic factors versus those influenced by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Quantitative genetics research designs

Research designs used to study the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to traits or disorders, including family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies.

ADHD

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a multifactorial diagnosis influenced by both genetic and environmental factors.

Individual differences in genetically transmitted developmental disorders

Variability in the expression and severity of developmental disorders that are influenced by genetic factors.

Shared vs

The distinction between environmental factors that are experienced by all individuals in a family or shared by siblings versus those that are unique to each individual.

Impact of non-shared increases with age

The increasing influence of unique or non-shared environmental factors on development as individuals grow older.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)

A genetic disorder characterized by mutations in the NF1 gene, leading to increased tumor risk and various physiological and cognitive difficulties.

Myelination

The process of forming a myelin sheath around axons, which helps to increase the speed of information transmission in the brain.

Cortex

The outer layer of the brain responsible for higher cognitive1. Jean Piaget:Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development

Sensorimotor stage

The first stage of cognitive development, from birth to 2 years, where infants learn through their senses and motor skills

Preoperational stage

The second stage of cognitive development, from 2 to 7 years, where children begin to use symbolic representation

Concrete operational stage

The third stage of cognitive development, from 7 to 12 years, where children can reason logically about concrete features of the world

Formal operational stage

The fourth stage of cognitive development, from 12 years and beyond, where children can think abstractly and reason hypothetically

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information into existing knowledge

Accommodation

The process of improving understanding based on new experiences

Equilibration

The balance between assimilation and accommodation over time

Constructivist approach

The belief that children construct knowledge for themselves in response to experiences

Centration

The tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation and ignore others

Egocentrism

The inability to understand that others may have different thoughts or perspectives

Conservation

The understanding of space, time, and mass

Child-centered approach

An educational approach that considers the stages of development to determine when and how to teach certain information

Information-processing theories

Theories that focus on the structure of cognitive systems, mental activities, and memory