psych unit 3.1-3.4

cross sectional research

data from a population from a specific point in time from different age ranges

longitudinal research

collects data from the same group over and over and over again

nature vs nurture

geneticts vs environment

continuous vs discontinuous

smoothy and gradually vs in stages

teratogens

any harmful agent that can negatively affect the development of a fetus

prenatal development

time between conception and birth

rooting

automatic head turning & mouth opening response when cheek or mouth is touched

visual cliff apparatus

used to measure baby’s depth perception, motor skills, reaction to ‘danger’

synaptogenesis

connections between neurons are formed for thinking learning and memory

myelination

glial cells wrap axons with a fatty myelin sheeth

gross motor coordination

large body movements

fine motor coordination

small muscle movements

puberty

physical changes that enable reproduction

primary sex characteristic

directly related to reproduction (ovaries and testies)

secondary sex characteristics

not related to reproduction (hair growth, voices changes)

menarche

start of first menstrual cycle

spermarche

beginning of sperm production

menopause

menstruation stops and estrogen drops

adolescence

10-19 y/o

adulthood

20-65 y/o

milestones

walking, crawling, rolling, talking

depth perception

the ability to see objects in 3D and judge their distance

auditory sensory acuity

the ear's ability to distinguish subtle differences in sounds

Vision sensory acuity

the eye's ability to distinguish fine details and resolve images

maternal illness

health conditions (of the mother) that negatively affect fetal prenatal development, leading to potential birth defects

synaptic pruning

when your brain gets rid of all unnecessary neuron connections

genetic mutations

a permanent change in the DNA sequence

hormonal factors

the significant ways hormones influence behavior, mood, development

environmental factors

all external influences that shape how someone is

critical period

A short period during growth when the brain is especially open to learning certain things from the environment.

imprinting

animal form strong attachments during an early life critical period

adolecent growth period

childhood to adulthood (10-19)

Jean Piaget

roposed that children progress through four distinct stages of cognitive development

Schemas

“filing cabinets” in the brain

Assimilation

interpreting new experiences without changing the schema itself.

Accommodation

modifying existing schemas or creating new ones to incorporate new information

Sensorimotor stage

first stage, 0 to 2, (senses and motor activities)

Object Permanence

that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible

Preoperational stage

second stage, 2 to 7, where children develop symbolic thought and language but still lack logical mental operations.

Pretend play

when children use objects to represent other things (preoperational stage)

Concrete operational stage

third stage, 7 to 11 where children develop the ability to think logically about concrete events.

Formal operational stage

final stage, 11+, to think abstractly and utilize systematic, hypothetical reasoning.

Conservation

The understanding that the quantity of a substance remains the same even if its appearance changes.

Reversibility

thoughts can be reversed to return to an original state or starting point.

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects possess lifelike qualities, feelings, and intentions.

Egocentrism

The inability to differentiate between self and other

Theory of mind

The developmental milestone of understanding that others have their own unique mind

Abstract hypothetical thinking

The ability to reason about 'what if' scenarios and non-physical concepts

Lev Vygotsky

A psychologist known for his sociocultural theory, which emphasizes that social interaction and culture are fundamental to cognitive development.

Zone of proximal development (ZPD)

The range of tasks that a child cannot yet perform alone but can accomplish with the guidance and encouragement of a more skilled person.

Scaffolding

The process of providing temporary support to a learner

Sociocultural context

The social and cultural environment that shapes how a child thinks

Crystallized intelligence

The accumulation of knowledge, skills, and vocabulary that tends to increase or remain stable across the lifespan.

Fluid intelligence

The ability to reason quickly, think abstractly, and solve new problems independently of prior knowledge

Dementia

An umbrella term for a range of symptoms characterized by a significant decline in cognitive function that interferes with daily life and independence.