Developmental Psychology

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts in developmental psychology, including definitions and fundamental theories.

Developmental Psychology

The study of physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.

Cross-sectional study

Research comparing people of different ages at the same time.

Longitudinal study

Research following the same individuals over a long period of time.

Teratogens

Harmful agents that can damage a developing embryo or fetus.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

Condition caused by prenatal alcohol exposure resulting in growth deficiencies and brain abnormalities.

Habituation

Decreasing responsiveness to repeated stimulation.

Maturation

Biologically driven growth processes that produce orderly changes in behavior.

Critical period

A time when certain experiences are essential for normal development.

Adolescence

Transition period from childhood to adulthood beginning with puberty.

Puberty

Period of sexual maturation when reproduction becomes possible.

Menopause

Natural cessation of menstruation and reproductive capability.

Sex

Biological characteristics that define male or female.

Gender

Socially constructed roles and expectations related to sex.

Aggression

Physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone.

Relational aggression

Harm through manipulation of relationships or social standing.

X chromosome

Sex chromosome found in both males and females.

Y chromosome

Sex chromosome that triggers male development.

Testosterone

Principal male sex hormone influencing development and behavior.

Estrogens

Primary female sex hormones.

Primary sex characteristics

Body structures directly involved in reproduction.

Secondary sex characteristics

Traits distinguishing sexes but not directly involved in reproduction.

Spermarche

First ejaculation in males.

Menarche

First menstrual period in females.

Role

Set of expectations for a social position.

Gender role

Expected behaviors associated with one’s gender.

Sexual aggression

Sexual behavior occurring without consent.

Gender identity

One’s internal sense of gender.

Social learning theory

Theory that behavior is learned through observation and imitation.

Gender typing

Learning gender roles based on cultural norms.

Androgyny

Displaying both masculine and feminine traits.

Sexuality

Sexual orientation, behavior, and identity.

Asexual

Experiencing little or no sexual attraction.

Social script

Culturally expected sequence of behaviors in a situation.

Cognition

Mental processes such as thinking, reasoning, and remembering.

Schema

Mental framework for organizing information.

Assimilation

Interpreting new information using existing schemas.

Accommodation

Modifying schemas to fit new information.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget stage (birth–2) learning through senses and actions.

Object permanence

Awareness that objects continue to exist when unseen.

Preoperational stage

Piaget stage (2–7) marked by symbolic thinking but not logic.

Concrete operational stage

Piaget stage (7–11) involving logical thinking about concrete events.

Scaffold

Temporary support to help a child learn.

Theory of mind

Awareness that others have different thoughts and feelings.

Language

System of symbols used to communicate meaning.

Phoneme

Smallest unit of sound in a language.

Morpheme

Smallest unit of meaning in a language.

Grammar

Rules for combining words into sentences.

Babbling stage

Early speech stage with nonspecific sounds.

One-word stage

Speech stage using single words.

Telegraphic speech

Early speech using mostly nouns and verbs.

Aphasia

Language impairment due to brain damage.

Overgeneralization

Applying grammar rules too broadly.

Ecological systems theory

Development influenced by interacting environmental systems.

Stranger anxiety

Fear of unfamiliar people beginning around 8 months.

Attachment

Emotional bond between infant and caregiver.

Imprinting

Attachment formed during a critical period in animals.

Strange Situation

Procedure measuring attachment styles.

Secure attachment

Attachment with comfort and trust in caregiver.

Insecure attachment

Attachment marked by anxiety or avoidance.

Temperament

Characteristic emotional reactivity.

Erikson’s 8 Stages

Psychosocial stages involving life-span crises.

Basic trust

Belief that the world is predictable and safe.

Self-concept

Understanding of who one is.

Identity

One’s sense of self and values.

Social identity

Identity based on group membership.

Emerging adulthood

Period of identity exploration from late teens to mid-20s.

Social clock

Cultural expectations for life milestones.

Learning

Relatively permanent behavior change from experience.

Associative learning

Learning connections between events.

Stimulus

Any event that triggers a response.

Respondent behavior

Automatic response to a stimulus.

Operant behavior

Behavior that produces consequences.

Cognitive learning

Learning through mental processes.

Classical conditioning

Learning by associating two stimuli.

Behaviorism

Psychology focused on observable behavior.

Neutral stimulus (NS)

Stimulus producing no response before conditioning.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Stimulus that naturally triggers a response.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

Natural response to a UCS.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Learned stimulus triggering a response.

Conditioned response (CR)

Learned response to a CS.

Acquisition

Initial learning phase of conditioning.

Higher-order conditioning

Conditioning using an already learned CS.

Extinction

Weakening of a learned response.

Spontaneous recovery

Reappearance of a response after a pause.

Generalization

Responding similarly to similar stimuli.

Discrimination

Ability to distinguish between stimuli.

Preparedness

Biological predisposition to learn certain associations.

Operant conditioning

Learning through consequences.

Law of Effect

Responses followed by rewards are repeated.

Operant chamber

Controlled environment for studying learning.

Reinforcement

Any event that strengthens behavior.

Shaping

Reinforcing steps toward a desired behavior.

Discriminative stimulus

Signal that reinforcement is available.

Positive reinforcement

Adding a desirable stimulus.

Negative reinforcement

Removing an unpleasant stimulus.

Primary reinforcer

Naturally reinforcing stimulus.

Conditioned reinforcer

Learned reinforcer.

Reinforcement schedule

Pattern of reinforcement delivery.

Continuous reinforcement

Reinforcing every response.

Partial reinforcement

Reinforcing some responses.