Physical and cognitive development

Cross sectional studies

Compare groups of participants of different ages at a single time to provide a picture of age differences.

Longitudinal Studies

studies track the same group of participants over time to observe changes and development.

Sequential Studies

minimise cohort effects by studying multiple cohorts longitudinally.

Sensorimotor

the stage in which thought and action are effectively one concept, as the infant explores the world with its senses and behaviours; child is egocentric.

Preoperational

symbolic thought develops; object permanence is firmly established; the child cannot coordinate different physical attributes of objects or consider different perspectives.

Concrete Operational

the child is able to perform reversible mental operations on representations of objects; understanding of conservation develops; the child can apply logic to concrete situations.

Formal Operational

the adolescent (or adult) can apply logic more abstractly; hypothetical thinking develops.

Developmental Psychology

studies the way humans develop and change over time.

Maturation

Biologically based changes that follow an orderly sequence

Critical Periods

The theory that certain periods of development are critical to specific types of learning that modify future development

Sensitive Periods

The theory that certain periods of development are ones in which we are much more likely to be impacted by our environment regarding certain behaviours. However than are not completely definitive in the shaping that behaviour.

Developmental Stages

The theory that development occurs in relatively discrete steps through which everyone progresses in the same sequence.

Continous Development

The theory that development is a steady and gradual change throughout our life.

Teratogens

harmful environmental agents that damage the embryo or fetus. (Most often drugs)

Fetal Alchohol Syndrome (FAS)

The terms the the primary disability caused by maternal drinking.

Intermodal Processing

The ability to associate sensations of an object from different senses or to match ones own actions to behaviours observed visually