Infancy and childhood

Developmental psychology

The study of how humans mature and why they develop how they do.

Grasping reflex

Babies grasp objects when their palm is touched.

Rooting reflex

When touched around the mouth, babies turn toward the touch.

Premature baby

A baby born before week 37.

Behavioral cues

Measures infant’s abilities through behaviors.

Maturation

Complex growth in humans.

Language acquisition

Babies learn language through imitation.

Telegraphic speech

Simple phrases that still show meaning.

Grammar

A system unique to humans for understanding language.

Cognitive development

The growth of thought processes.

Piaget

Studied how thinking develops in children.

Schema

Mental representations of the world.

Assimilation

Fitting new objects into existing schemas.

Accommodation

Changing schemas to fit new objects.

Object permanence

Realizing an object still exists even if it’s hidden.

Representational thought

The ability to picture things in the mind.

Conservation

A given quantity remains the same despite changes in appearance.

Egocentric

Only seeing things from one’s own perspective.

Piaget’s sensorimotor stage

Covers ages 0-2 years, learning through senses and actions.

Piaget’s pre-operational stage

Covers ages 2-7 years, use of symbols and egocentric view.

Piaget’s concrete operational stage

Covers ages 7-11 years, logical thought with concrete objects.

Piaget’s formal operational stage

Covers ages 11+ years, abstract thought and problem-solving.

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development

Children learn best from the help of others.

Scaffolding

Support of others for help in learning.

Imprinting

The tendency in some animals to follow the first moving object they see.

Types of attachment styles

Secure, Avoidant, Resistant, Disorganized.

Secure attachment

Leads to the best social and emotional development.

Authoritarian parenting

Strict parents expecting obedience without explanation.

Democratic parenting

Involves children in decision making and provides explanations.

Permissive parenting

Children make most decisions with few rules set by parents.

Uninvolved parenting

Parents are distant and uncommitted.

Socialization

Learning acceptable behaviors in a culture.

Freud’s Psychosexual development

Theory where children are born with strong sexual urges.

Phallic stage

Stage where children become aware of sexual differences.

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development

Emphasizes social approval and interaction throughout life.

Kohlberg’s Stage 1

Obedience and Punishment - moral decisions based on avoiding punishment.

Kohlberg’s Stage 2

Self-interest - focused on personal gain and rewards.

Kohlberg’s Stage 3

Social approval - decisions based on what others think.

Kohlberg’s Stage 4

Law + Order - laws are moral rules that must be followed.

Kohlberg’s Stage 5

Laws are fair and not absolute; benefit society as a whole.

Kohlberg’s Stage 6

Accept universal ethical rules; ethical principles more important than laws.