Human Development

Psychology Chapter 9

Accommodation

Adjusting existing cognitive schemas to incorporate new information.

Assimilation

Integrating new experiences into existing cognitive schemas without changing them.

Attachment

Emotional bond between a child and caregiver influencing social and emotional development.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's stage (7-11 years) where children develop logical thinking about concrete events.

Conventional Level

Kohlberg's moral development stage focusing on social rules and approval.

Developmental Psychology

Study of how people grow and change physically, cognitively, and socially over their lifespan.

Dynamic Systems Theory

Framework viewing development as a complex, ongoing interaction of multiple factors.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's stage (12+ years) where abstract and hypothetical thinking develops.

Gender Identity

One's personal sense of being male, female, or another gender.

Gender Role

Societal expectations about behaviors and traits appropriate for men and women.

Habituation Technique

Research method measuring decreased response to repeated stimuli to study learning.

Inequity Aversion

Preference for fairness and resistance to unequal outcomes.

Infantile Amnesia

Inability to recall memories from early childhood.

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.

Postconventional Level

Kohlberg's moral stage where principles and ethics guide decisions beyond laws.

Preconventional Level

Kohlberg's moral stage where behavior is driven by avoiding punishment or seeking rewards.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's stage (2-7 years) characterized by symbolic thinking but limited logical reasoning.

Puberty

Biological process marking sexual maturation and physical growth.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's stage (birth-2 years) where infants learn through sensory experiences and actions.

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

Theory that as people age, they prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and relationships.

Synaptic Pruning

Brain process of eliminating weaker neural connections to strengthen others.

Teratogens

Substances or factors causing birth defects during prenatal development.

Theory of Mind

Ability to understand others have thoughts, feelings, and perspectives different from one's own.