Psych chapter 9

What is lifespan development?

The study of how people change and grow from conception to death across physical, cognitive, and psychosocial domains.

Who studies lifespan development?

Developmental psychologists.

Developmental Psychology

The study of how thoughts and behaviors change and remain stable across the lifespan.

What is the nature vs. nurture debate?

Whether development is influenced more by genetics (nature) or environment (nurture)

Tabula Rasa

John Locke’s idea that children are born as a blank slate; everything is learned from the environment.

Inherited Traits

Jacques Rousseau’s idea that children are born with innate qualities determined by genes.

What is maturation?

Developmental changes that occur in a fixed sequence regardless of the environment.

Name the three prenatal stages of development.

Germinal (0–2 weeks), Embryonic (2–8 weeks), Fetal (8 weeks–birth)

Germinal Stage

The first 0–2 weeks of prenatal development when the zygote forms and begins dividing.

Embryonic Stage

Weeks 2–8; embryo forms, organs and body parts develop, neural tube forms

Fetal Stage

Week 8–birth; bones develop, organs begin functioning, movements and senses emerge.

What are teratogens?

Substances that can cause birth defects, such as alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, viruses, or stress.

Name three newborn reflexes.

Rooting, sucking, grasping, stepping, Moro reflex.

What is Piaget’s sensorimotor stage?

Birth–2 years; infants use senses and motor skills; develop object permanence.

What is object permanence?

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

What is Piaget’s preoperational stage?

Ages 2–5; use symbols and words, egocentrism, animism; develop conservation.

Egocentrism

A child’s tendency to see the world only from their own perspective.

Animism

Belief that inanimate objects are alive.

What is Piaget’s concrete operational stage?

Ages 6–11; children can reason about concrete objects and sort them into classes.

What is Piaget’s formal operational stage?

12+ years; think hypothetically, reason abstractly, imagine possibilities beyond present.

What is temperament?

A person’s basic disposition and characteristic way of responding to the world.

What is attachment?

A deep, emotional bond with a primary caregiver.

Why is attachment important according to John Bowlby?

It keeps infants safe and ensures survival.

What did Harry Harlow discover about attachment?

Attachment is influenced by comfort and physical contact, not just feeding.

Secure Attachment

Infant balances contact and exploration, is happy when caregiver returns, easily comforted.

Avoidant Attachment

Infant ignores or avoids caregiver after separation; appears unbothered.

Resistant Attachment

Infant is upset when caregiver leaves and may reject comfort upon return.

Disorganized Attachment

Infant shows inconsistent or confused behavior toward caregiver.

Difference between physical sex and gender roles?

Physical sex = biological; gender roles = culturally defined behaviors for males and females.

What are gender schemas?

Personal generalizations about what behaviors are appropriate for boys and girls.

What is the importance of prenatal care?

Reduces health risks to both mother and developing baby.

At what age can a fetus respond to sound?

Around the 6th month of fetal development.

What cognitive changes occur during infancy?

Brain connections develop and prune; infants build schemas from experiences.

What is assimilation in Piaget’s theory?

Fitting new information into existing schemas.

What is accommodation in Piaget’s theory?

Modifying existing schemas when new information doesn’t fit.