Chapter 5 Psch 100

Developmental psychology

The study of physical, cognitive, and social changes across the lifespan.

Adolescence

The transition period between childhood and adulthood.

Preoperational stage

Piaget's stage when children use language and symbols but do not yet think logically about concrete events.

Sensitivities vary

The idea that people differ in how strongly experiences affect their development.

Maturation

Natural biological growth and development.

Authoritative parenting

A parenting style that combines clear rules with warmth and support.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation when the body becomes capable of reproduction.

Cross-sectional studies

Studies comparing people of different ages at the same time.

Theory of mind

The ability to understand that other people have their own thoughts, beliefs, and feelings.

Neurocognitive disorders

Conditions involving significant declines in memory, thinking, or other mental abilities.

Combinations differ

The idea that risk and protective factors affect people differently depending on their combination.

Insecure attachment

An attachment style where a child does not consistently feel safe or secure with a caregiver.

Cognition

Mental processes such as thinking, memory, language, and problem solving.

Basic trust

A sense that the world and caregivers are reliable and safe.

Longitudinal studies

Studies that follow the same people over a long period of time.

Schema

A mental framework used to organize and understand information.

Identity

A person's sense of who they are.

Stranger anxiety

Fear or discomfort around unfamiliar people, especially in infants.

Social clock

Cultural expectations about when major life events should happen.

Authoritarian parenting

A strict parenting style with many rules and little warmth.

Risks and protections interact

The idea that negative and positive factors work together to influence development.

Schemas

Mental frameworks used to organize knowledge and experiences.

Zygote

The fertilized egg formed when sperm and egg join.

Assimilation

Understanding new information using an existing schema.

Scaffold

Temporary help given to a learner until they can complete a task independently.

Conservation

The understanding that quantity stays the same even when appearance changes.

Social identity

The part of identity based on the social groups a person belongs to.

Attachment

A strong emotional bond between a child and caregiver.

Embryo

The developing organism from about 2 weeks to 8 weeks after fertilization.

Alzheimer's disease

A progressive brain disorder that causes memory and thinking problems.

Imprinting

A rapid form of attachment that occurs during a critical early period in some animals.

Effects lag and cascade

The idea that an experience may have effects later and may trigger other developmental changes.

Intimacy

The ability to form close and meaningful relationships.

Permissive parenting

A parenting style that is warm but has few rules or limits.

Accommodation

Changing an existing schema to fit new information.

Fetus

The developing organism from about 9 weeks after fertilization until birth.

Neglectful parenting

A parenting style with little warmth, attention, or control.

Teratogens

Harmful substances or conditions that can affect prenatal development.

Context matters

The idea that development is influenced by a person's environment and situation.

Egocentrism

Difficulty seeing a situation from another person's point of view.

Emerging adulthood

The transition from adolescence to full adulthood, often from the late teens through the twenties.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget's first stage when infants learn through senses and physical actions.

Menopause

The natural end of menstrual cycles and reproductive ability.

Fetal alcohol syndrome

A condition caused by alcohol exposure before birth that can affect physical and brain development.

Habituation

Decreased response to a repeated stimulus.

Object permanence

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

Moral action

Behavior that follows a person's moral beliefs or values.

How do teratogens impact development during the prenatal stage?

Teratogens can disrupt normal development and cause physical, cognitive, or behavioral problems depending on the substance, dose, and timing.

How do cross-sectional and longitudinal studies address the same questions differently?

Cross-sectional studies compare different age groups at one time, while longitudinal studies follow the same people over time.

How do researchers study the mental activities of newborns?

They measure behaviors such as looking time, sucking, attention, and habituation.

How does moral reasoning develop?

It usually develops from focusing on punishment and rewards toward understanding rules, relationships, and broader moral principles.

How do we change cognitively during middle and late adulthood?

Some abilities such as processing speed and memory may decline, while knowledge and experience can remain stable or improve.

How does well-being change across the lifespan?

Well-being can change with life circumstances, but many adults maintain or even increase emotional stability as they age.

How does exposure to childhood adversity affect development?

It can increase the risk of emotional, behavioral, and health problems, but supportive relationships can reduce these effects.

Explain Piaget's theory of development and modern modifications of his theory.

Piaget said children move through stages of cognitive development. Modern research suggests development may be more gradual and children may gain some abilities earlier than Piaget believed.

Explain Vygotsky's theory of development and how it differed from Piaget's.

Vygotsky emphasized social interaction, culture, and guidance from others, while Piaget focused more on children discovering knowledge independently.

What do psychologists mean by self-concept and how do self-concepts develop?

Self-concept is how people understand and describe themselves. It develops through experiences, relationships, feedback, and social comparisons.

What are the main parenting styles and what are the outcomes for each style?

Authoritative parenting is warm with clear rules and is often linked to positive outcomes; authoritarian is strict with less warmth; permissive is warm with few limits; neglectful provides little warmth or control.

What physical changes are associated with adolescence?

Puberty causes growth spurts, sexual maturation, hormonal changes, and development of adult physical characteristics.

How do we change physically during middle and late adulthood?

People may experience slower reaction time, reduced muscle and bone strength, changes in vision and hearing, and other gradual aging changes.

What are the social issues experienced by adolescents?

Adolescents often deal with identity, independence, friendships, peer pressure, relationships, and fitting in.

Which impacts adolescents more: parents or peers?

Both matter. Parents strongly influence values and long-term decisions, while peers strongly influence social behavior, interests, and everyday choices.