Unit 1: Human Lifespan and Development - Vocabulary Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards generated from the BTEC AAQ Extended Certificate in Health & Social Care Unit 1 lecture notes.

Gross Motor Skills

Large movements, like running or jumping, that involve bigger muscles.

Fine Motor Skills

Small movements, like writing or buttoning clothes, that require hand-eye coordination.

Attachment

The way in which a child attaches to a parent or primary caregiver that responds to their needs.

Maternal deprivation

The lack of consistent, nurturing care during the critical period (the first 2.5 years of life).

Separation anxiety

Fear or worry about being apart from home or an attachment figure.

Stranger anxiety

Distress or fear when approached by or encountering unfamiliar people.

Secure attachment

Attachment type characterized by being wary of strangers, experiencing some anxiety, and being comforted by an attachment figure.

Insecure Anxious/Avoidant attachment

Attachment type characterized by showing no anxiety, avoiding comfort, and appearing independent.

Insecure Ambivalent/Resistant attachment

Attachment type characterized by being clingy, showing extreme anxiety, and being hard to comfort.

Primary socialisation

Learning norms and behaviours from family.

Secondary socialisation

Learning norms and behaviours from outside the agency of family, such as from school.

Emotional regulation

The ability developed in children to manage their emotions, control impulses, and cope with stress.

Puberty

A hormone-initiated process that results in sexual maturity.

Primary sexual characteristics

Internal and external genitalia present from birth that are necessary for reproduction and mature during puberty to become functional.

Secondary sexual characteristics

Physical traits that develop during puberty and are not directly involved in reproduction.

Synaptic pruning

The process of eliminating unnecessary connections between neurones, making the brain more efficient.

Myelination

The process of coating nerve fibres with a fatty substance called myelin, which speeds up signal transmission.

Perimenopause

Transitional phase leading to menopause, with onset approximately 10 years prior to menopause.

Menopause

Cessation of menstrual periods (end of reproductive capability), with an average age in the UK of 51 years.

Crystalised intelligence

Knowledge, skills, and vocabulary acquired through learning and experience and the ability to apply that knowledge to solve problems and make decisions.

Empty Nest Syndrome

Sense of emptiness or sadness as children grow up and leave the family home.

Cognitive super-agers

An individual who maintains cognitive abilities and physical health comparable to those decades younger.

Disengagement theory

Suggests that as people age, they naturally withdraw from social roles and relationships.

Activity theory

Argues that older adults maintain better health and wellbeing by staying socially and physically active.

Genetic predisposition

When an individual carries specific genes or genetic variations that make them more susceptible to certain diseases, though they may not necessarily develop the condition.

Genetic disorders

Diseases caused directly by abnormalities in an individual's DNA e.g. a gene mutation or chromosomal change.

Cystic fibrosis (CF)

Inherited disorder that causes mucus in the body to become thick and sticky.

Huntington's disease

Inherited disorder that causes nerve cells (neurones) in parts of the brain to gradually break down and die.

Sickle cell anaemia

Inherited disorder that causes red blood cells to be an unusual shape which means they do not live as long as healthy RBCs and can block blood vessels.

Health inequalities

Unfair and avoidable differences in health across the population, and between different groups within society.