Developing Through the Life Span Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering developmental psychology research methods, prenatal stages, cognitive development, moral reasoning, and psychosocial stages.

Human Development

The scientific study of changes in people from conception until death.

Longitudinal Study

A research design in which one group of participants is studied repeatedly over a long period of time to measure changes across development.

Cross-Sectional Study

A research design in which several different age groups of participants are studied at one single point in time.

Nature Versus Nurture

The debate concerning the relative influence of inherited genetics versus environmental experiences on development, with most developmental psychologists agreeing that development is a product of an interaction between both.

Conception

The process in which a single sperm cell penetrates the outer coating of the egg and fuses with it to form one fertilized cell.

Germinal Period

The first period of prenatal development where a zygote undergoes rapid cell division and becomes increasingly diverse before turning into an embryo at about 14 days.

Fetal Period

The stage of prenatal development starting at 9 weeks after conception, during which the developing organism is called a fetus, lasting until birth.

Teratogen

Any substance or factor, such as drugs, chemicals, or viruses, that can cause a birth defect or negatively alter prenatal development.

Sensitive Periods in Pregnancy

Specific timeframes during prenatal development when a fetus or embryo is particularly susceptible to major structural or functional defects from teratogens.

Infant Survival Reflexes

Unlearned, involuntary motor responses present at birth essential for survival, including stepping, grasping, Moro (startle), sucking, and rooting reflexes.

Newborn Visual Acuity

Visual clarity at birth, which is about 20/400 with achromatic vision (rods developing in the last 3 to 4 months of gestation) before cones mature around 3 months after birth.

Enriched Environment Effect

The phenomenon shown in brain development studies where exposure to an enriched environment results in more complex dendritic branching in brain cells compared to an impoverished environment.

Habituation

A decrease in responsiveness to a stimulus after repeated exposure, used by researchers to study infant cognitive capabilities and preferences.

Schema

In Piaget's theory, a mental concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

Assimilation

In Piaget's theory, the process of interpreting new experiences in terms of existing schemas.

Accommodation

In Piaget's theory, the process of adjusting or altering existing schemas to fit new information and experiences.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development (birth to 2 years) where infants learn about the world through their senses and motor activities.

Object Permanence

The cognitive understanding, developed during the sensorimotor stage, that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or perceived.

A-not-B Error

A mistake made by infants in the sensorimotor stage where they search for a hidden object in its former hiding place (A) rather than in a new location (B) where they saw it hidden.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage of cognitive development (2 to 7 years) characterized by egocentrism, lack of conservation, centration, and irreversibility.

Egocentrism

In Piaget's theory, the inability of a preoperational child to take another person's perspective or point of view.

Centration

In Piaget's theory, the tendency of a preoperational child to focus on only one feature of an object while ignoring all other features.

Irreversibility

In Piaget's theory, the inability of a preoperational child to mentally reverse an action or process.

Conservation

The understanding that altering the appearance of an object or substance does not change its basic quantitative properties such as mass, volume, or number.

Concrete Operations Stage

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development (7 to 12 years) characterized by concrete logic, decentration, reversibility, and classification abilities.

Formal Operations Stage

Piaget's fourth stage of cognitive development (12 years to adulthood) characterized by abstract thinking, analogies, and systematic hypothesis testing.

Temperament

An individual's enduring behavioral and emotional characteristics established at birth, typically categorized as easy, difficult, or slow to warm up.

Attachment

The strong emotional bond formed between an infant and their primary caregiver, often evaluated using Mary Ainsworth's Strange Situation.

Preconventional Morality

Kohlberg's first level of moral reasoning (before age 9) where moral decisions are based on self-interest, obeying rules to avoid punishment, or gaining concrete rewards.

Conventional Morality

Kohlberg's second level of moral reasoning (early adolescence) where moral decisions are based on upholding laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order.

Postconventional Morality

Kohlberg's third level of moral reasoning (adolescence and beyond) where moral decisions reflect belief in basic human rights and self-defined ethical principles.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage (adolescence) where individuals face the challenge of exploring values and making choices to develop a consistent sense of self.

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's sixth psychosocial stage (early adulthood) focused on finding a mate and forming a close, committed relationship without losing one's personal identity.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's seventh psychosocial stage (middle adulthood) focused on creativity, productivity, and contributing to the development of the next generation.

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's eighth psychosocial stage (late adulthood) focused on reflecting on life with wisdom, tranquility, and a feeling of completeness and acceptance.