Unit 3 Developmental Psychology Vocab

Developmental psychology

The scientific study of how and why human beings change over the course of their life.

Stability and change

The concept that some characteristics remain stable while others change throughout development.

Nature and nurture

The debate regarding the relative contributions of genetics and environment to human development.

Continuous and discontinuous stages of development

Theories that describe whether development occurs in gradual increments or distinct stages.

Prenatal development

The process of development that occurs during the nine months before birth.

Teratogens

Environmental agents that can cause harm during prenatal development.

Rooting reflex

A reflex that helps infants find food by turning their heads toward anything that touches their cheek.

Visual cliff

A laboratory device used to test depth perception in infants.

Critical learning periods

Specific times in development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned.

Imprinting

A form of rapid learning that occurs in a specific time frame, often seen in birds.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation during which a person becomes capable of reproduction.

Primary sex characteristics

The physical features directly involved in reproduction.

Secondary sex characteristics

The non-reproductive sexual traits that develop during puberty.

Menarche

The first occurrence of menstruation in females.

Spermarche

The first occurrence of ejaculation in males.

Menopause

The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop.

Sex

The biological distinction between male and female.

Gender

The social and cultural roles, behaviors, and expectations associated with being male or female.

Jean Piaget

A developmental psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development in children.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.

Accommodation

The process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information.

Sensorimotor stage

The first stage of Piaget's theory, where infants learn through sensory experiences and manipulating objects.

Object permanence

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

Preoperational stage

The second stage of Piaget's theory, characterized by the emergence of language and symbolic thought.

Conservation

The understanding that certain properties of objects remain the same despite changes in their form or arrangement.

Reversibility

The ability to recognize that actions can be reversed to return to the original state.

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects have feelings and intentions.

Egocentrism

The inability to differentiate between one's own perspective and that of others.

Theory of mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives different from one's own.

Concrete operational stage

The third stage of Piaget's theory, where children gain a better understanding of mental operations and can think logically about concrete events.

Formal operational stage

The final stage of Piaget's theory, characterized by the ability to think abstractly and logically.

Abstract thought

The ability to think about concepts and ideas that are not physically present.

Lev Vygotsky

A developmental psychologist known for his sociocultural theory of cognitive development.

Zone of proximal development

The difference between what a learner can do without help and what they can do with help.

Crystallized intelligence

The ability to use learned knowledge and experience.

Fluid intelligence

The capacity to think logically and solve problems in novel situations, independent of acquired knowledge.

Language

A system of symbols and rules used for communication.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Grammar

The set of rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Language developmental stages

The phases through which children learn to communicate verbally.

Cooing

The early stage of language development where infants produce vowel-like sounds.

Babbling

The stage of language development where infants produce repetitive consonant-vowel combinations.

One-word stage

The stage of language development where children use single words to convey whole ideas.

Telegraphic speech

The early form of speech that consists of simple two-word combinations.

Overgeneralization

The application of a grammatical rule too broadly, leading to incorrect forms.

Ecological systems theory

A theory that emphasizes the multiple levels of environmental influence on human development.

Microsystem

The immediate environment in which a person lives and interacts.

Mesosystem

The interconnections between different microsystems.

Exosystem

The broader social system that indirectly influences a person's development.

Macrosystem

The overarching cultural and societal influences on development.

Chronosystem

The dimension of time in relation to a person's environment.

Authoritarian parenting

A parenting style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness.

Authoritative parenting

A parenting style characterized by high demands and high responsiveness.

Permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by low demands and high responsiveness.

Secure attachment

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

Avoidant attachment

A type of insecure attachment where children avoid closeness with caregivers.

Anxious attachment

A type of insecure attachment characterized by anxiety and uncertainty in relationships.

Disorganized attachment

A type of insecure attachment marked by a lack of clear attachment behavior.

Temperament

The innate characteristics that influence how a person reacts to the world.

Separation anxiety

The distress experienced by children when separated from their primary caregiver.

Harry Harlow

A psychologist known for his research on attachment in rhesus monkeys.

Parallel play

A type of play where children play alongside each other without direct interaction.

Erik Erikson

A developmental psychologist known for his theory of psychosocial development.

Trust vs mistrust

The first stage of Erikson's theory, where infants learn to trust their caregivers.

Autonomy vs shame and doubt

The second stage of Erikson's theory, where toddlers learn to assert their independence.

Initiative vs guilt

The third stage of Erikson's theory, where preschoolers learn to initiate activities.

Industry vs inferiority

The fourth stage of Erikson's theory, where children learn to work and cooperate with others.

Identity vs role confusion

The fifth stage of Erikson's theory, where adolescents explore their identity.

Intimacy vs isolation

The sixth stage of Erikson's theory, where young adults form intimate relationships.

Generativity vs stagnation

The seventh stage of Erikson's theory, where middle-aged adults contribute to society.

Integrity vs despair

The eighth stage of Erikson's theory, where older adults reflect on their lives.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic events occurring before the age of 18 that can have lasting effects on health and well-being.

Identity achievement

The successful resolution of identity crisis, leading to a strong sense of self.

Diffusion of identity

A state where individuals have not yet made commitments to any particular identity.

Foreclosure of identity

A state where individuals have made commitments without exploring options.

Moratorium of identity

A state of active exploration of identity without making commitments.

Social constructs

Concepts or perceptions that are created and maintained by societal norms.

Behaviorism

A theory of learning based on the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning.

Classical conditioning

A learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired.

Acquisition

The initial stage of learning when a response is established.

Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)

A stimulus that naturally and automatically triggers a response.

Unconditioned Response (UCR)

The unlearned, naturally occurring response to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned Response (CR)

The learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Conditioned Stimulus (CS)

An originally irrelevant stimulus that, after association with an unconditioned stimulus, comes to trigger a conditioned response.

Extinction

The diminishing of a conditioned response when the unconditioned stimulus no longer follows the conditioned stimulus.

Spontaneous Recovery

The reappearance of a conditioned response after a pause.

Stimulus discrimination

The ability to distinguish between different stimuli.

Stimulus generalization

The tendency to respond to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus.

High-order conditioning

A procedure in which a neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus through association with an already established conditioned stimulus.

Counterconditioning

A behavioral therapy procedure that conditions new responses to stimuli that trigger unwanted behaviors.

Taste aversions

A learned avoidance of a particular food or taste.

One-trial learning

Learning that occurs after a single experience.

Biological preparedness

The idea that organisms are predisposed to learn certain associations.

Habituation

The process of becoming less responsive to a repeated stimulus.

Operant conditioning

A learning process through which the strength of a behavior is modified by reinforcement or punishment.

Law of Effect

The principle that behaviors followed by favorable consequences become more likely.

Positive Reinforcement

The addition of a rewarding stimulus following a desired behavior.