Studied by 4 people
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developmental psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Zygotes
the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
embryo
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
Teratogens
(literally, "monster maker") agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
fetal alcohol syndrome
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking
Habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.
Maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
pruning process
shuts down excess connections and strengthens others
infantile amnesia
the inability to remember events from early childhood
Jean Piaget (1896-1980)
"If we examine the intellectual development of the individual or of the whole of humanity, we shall find that the human spirit goes through a certain number of stages, each different from the other"
Schemas
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
assimilate
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
accommodate
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
sensorimotor stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
object permanence
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
preperational stage
The second stage in Piaget's theory of cognitive development; during this stage, children think symbolically about objects, but they reason based on intuition and superficial appearances rather than logic.
conservation
the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
egocentric
in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view
theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors
concrete operational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
formal operational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
zone of proximal development
phase of learning during which children can benefit from instruction
Lev Zygotsky
russian psychologist who studies how children think and learn
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
attachment (Harlow's Monkeys)
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on seperation
critical period
an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
Imprinting
the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
Mary Ainsworth
developmental psychology; compared effects of maternal separation, devised patterns of attachment; "The Strange Situation": observation of parent/child attachment
secure attachment
a relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his or her caregiver
insecure attachment
the attachment style for a minority of infants; the infant may exhibit insecure attachment through various behaviors, such as avoiding contact with the caregiver, or by alternating between approach and avoidance behaviors
temperament
a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
self-concept
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?"
Authoritarian
An extremely strict parenting style. It places high expectations on children with little responsiveness - focus more on obedience, discipline, control rather than nurturing your child.
permissive
describes a parenting style that is characterized by the parent making few demands on the child
authoritative
The parents are nurturing, responsive, and supportive, yet set firm limits for their children. They attempt to control children's behavior by explaining rules, discussing, and reasoning. They listen to a child's viewpoint but don't always accept it.
adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
Lawrence Kohlberg
moral development; presented boys moral dilemmas and studied their responses and reasoning processes in making moral decisions. Most famous moral dilemma is "Heinz" who has an ill wife and cannot afford the medication. Should he steal the medication and why?
moral reasoning
the thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong
preconventional morality
first level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development in which the child's behavior is governed by the consequences of the behavior
conventional morality
second level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development in which the child's behavior is governed by conforming to the society's norms of behavior
postconventional morality
third level of Kohlberg's stages of moral development in which the person's behavior is governed by moral principles that have been decided on by the individual and that may be in disagreement with accepted social norms
Erik Erikson
neo-Freudian, humanistic; 8 psychosocial stages of development: theory shows how people evolve through the life span. Each stage is marked by a psychological crisis that involves confronting "Who am I?"
identity
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
social identity
the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships
intimacy
in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
emerging adulthood
for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood
Gender
the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female
aggression
any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy
Carol Gilligan
moral development studies to follow up Kohlberg. She studied girls and women and found that they did not score as high on his six stage scale because they focused more on relationships rather than laws and principles. Their reasoning was merely different, not better or worse
gender roles
sets of behavioral norms assumed to accompany one's status as male or female
role
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
gender identity
our sense of being male or female
social learning theory
the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
gender typing
the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role
Transgender
an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex
puberty
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
menarche
the first menstrual period
primary sex characteristics
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
secondary sex characteristics
nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair
sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)
menopause
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
neurocognitive disorders
category of conditions that include dementia, delirium, and amnesia. The main deficit in NCDs is within the cognitive functioning of the brain.
cross-sectional study
a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
longitudinal study
research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
Generativity
According to Erik Erikson's theory of adolescent development, people at certain ages have the impulse to become more productive and do things more "worthwhile" in their lives. For example, a young adult may feel that it is time to get married, have a family, and raise children; they may feel the need to start doing work that is more fulfilling and creative, etc.
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