UNIT 3A: Development - Stability and Change

Vocabulary flashcards that cover key concepts related to development, stability, and change.

Nature vs. Nurture

The debate over the relative contributions of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) to human development.

Teratogens

Substances that can cause malformations or abnormalities during embryonic or fetal development.

Rooting

A reflex action in infants that involves turning the head and opening the mouth in response to a touch on the cheek.

Critical periods

Specific times during development when particular skills or abilities are most easily learned.

Imprinting

A form of rapid learning within a critical period that occurs in some animals, often involving attachment to a caregiver.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation during which individuals become capable of reproduction and develop secondary sexual characteristics.

Menarche

The first occurrence of menstruation in females.

Spermarche

The first occurrence of ejaculation in males.

Menopause

The time in a woman's life when her menstrual periods permanently stop, marking the end of reproductive fertility.

Gender

The social and cultural roles, behaviors, and expectations associated with being male or female.

Jean Piaget

A Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development in children.

Schema

A mental framework or structure that helps organize and interpret information.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.

Accommodation

The process of altering existing schemas to fit new information.

Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory, where infants learn through interaction with the environment.

Object permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

Preoperational Stage

The second stage of Piaget's cognitive development theory, characterized by symbolic thinking and egocentrism.

Conservation

The understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or appearance.

Theory of Mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts and perspectives different from one's own.

Concrete Operational Stage

The third stage of Piaget's theory, where children begin to think logically about concrete events.

Lev Vygotsky

A Russian psychologist who emphasized the role of social interaction and cultural context in development.

Scaffold

A teaching method that involves providing support to students as they learn new concepts, which is gradually removed as they become more proficient.

Zone of Proximal Development

The range of abilities that a child can perform with guidance but not yet independently.

Dementia

A decline in cognitive function that affects memory, thinking, and social abilities severely enough to interfere with daily life.