unit 3 part 2

Developmental Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social-emotional change throughout the lifespan.

Language

Our agreed-upon systems of spoken, written, or signed words, and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning.

Phonemes

The smallest distinctive sound units in language.

Morphemes

The smallest language units that carry meaning.

Grammar

A system of rules in a language that enables us to communicate with and understand others.

Syntax

The subset of grammatical rules for combining words into sentences, such as rules about word order.

Semantics

The language’s set of rules for deriving meaning from words.

Cooing Stage

Infants begin to vocalize and experiment with their vocal cords by producing soft, elongated vowel-like sounds.

Babbling Stage

Infant spontaneously vocalizes various sounds involving consonants.

One Word Stage

Child speaks mostly in single words, also referred to as holophrases.

Two Word Stage

Child speaks mostly two- or three-word statements.

Critical / Sensitive Period

An optimal period early in the life of an organism when certain stimuli or experiences produce normal development.

Teratogens

Agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

A birth defect that occurs when a pregnant person consumes alcohol.

Genetic Mutations

Changes to the structure of a gene.

Infancy

The period from birth until about 18 months of age.

Maturation

An orderly, sequential biological growth pattern primarily determined by genetics.

Reflex

An involuntary physical response to a stimulus.

Gross Motor Skills

Involve large muscles and whole-body movement.

Fine Motor Skills

Involve the coordination of small muscles of the body.

Adolescence

The transition period from childhood to adulthood, from puberty to independent adult status.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.

Primary Sex Characteristics

The body structures that make sexual reproduction possible.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Nonreproductive sexual traits, such as breasts and body hair.

Growth Spurt

A rapid period of physical growth triggered by hormones.

Cognitive Development

The process of intellectual growth a child undergoes, including information-processing abilities.

Sensorimotor Stage

Stage involving sensory and motor control exploration, development of object permanence, age 0 -2 years

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when hidden.

Preoperational Stage

Symbolic and egocentric thinking without logical reasoning, age 2-7 years

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects have feelings and humanlike qualities.

Egocentrism

Seeing the world only from one's own perspective.

Pretend Play

Activities where children create imaginary scenarios.

Theory of Mind

Understanding that other people may see the world from a different perspective.

Conservation

The principle that the shape of an object does not change its mass.

Concrete Operational

Ability to think logically about concrete objects and perform simple math, age 7-11

Reversibility

The idea that actions can be reversed to return to their original state.

Formal Operational

Emergence of abstract and hypothetical thinking, age 11-12

Abstract Thinking

Understanding non-tangible concepts like virtue and honesty.

Hypothetical Thinking

Planning potential solutions for long-term problems.

Scaffold

A framework that provides temporary supports for children's thinking.

Zone of Proximal Development

The difference between what a child can do independently and with help.

Adolescent Egocentrism

Belief that one's experiences are unique and misunderstood by others.

Imaginary Audience

Cognitive tendency to believe that others are watching and evaluating them.

Personal Fable

Belief that one is special and that their problems are unique.

Dementia

Cognitive deficits resulting from neurocognitive disorders.

Ecological Systems Model

Theory explaining how the social environment shapes human development.

Erikson's Stage Theory of Psychosocial Development

Theory proposing eight distinct stages from infancy to late adulthood, each with a conflict to resolve.

Temperament

A person's typical level of emotional reactivity and intensity.

Attachment

An emotional tie with another person.

Harlow's Contact Comfort Experiment

Research indicating the importance of contact comfort in mother/infant bonding.

Harlow's Attachment Deprivation Experiment

Study showing the effects of isolation on social behavior in monkeys.

Imprinting

A strong attachment formed between one animal and another.

Strange Situation Experiments

Procedure to study child-caregiver attachment through observed reactions in an unfamiliar environment.

Stranger Anxiety

Fear of strangers that infants typically display around 8 months of age.

Separation Anxiety

Fear or distress about being away from caregiver.

Attachment Styles

Identified types of infant attachment based on strange situation research.

Secure Attachment

Comfortable exploration in the caregiver's presence and temporary distress when apart.

Insecure Attachment

Types including anxious, avoidant, and disorganized attachment, correlated with maladaptive outcomes.

Authoritarian Parenting

Coercive parenting style imposing rules with expected obedience.

Permissive Parenting

Unrestrained parenting style with few demands and high warmth.

Neglectful Parenting

Uninvolved parenting style that is careless and inattentive.

Authoritative Parenting

Demanding and responsive parenting that encourages open discussion.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)

Potentially traumatic events occurring during childhood.

Parallel Play

Children playing alongside each other without direct interaction.

Pretend Play

Children creating imaginary scenarios incorporating props.

Self Concept

Thoughts and feelings about oneself in answer to "Who am I?".

Stages of Adolescent Identity Development

Stages proposed by researchers, including diffusion, foreclosure, moratorium, and achievement.

Sex

Biologically-influenced characteristics that define male and female.

Gender

Socially-influenced characteristics defining constructs such as boy, girl.

Gender Roles

Social expectations guiding the behavior of men and women.

Gender Identity

An individual's internalized sense of being male, female, or another gender.

Gender Dysphoria

Psychological disorder characterized by distress from the mismatch between assigned sex and gender identity.

Sexual Orientation

Enduring sexual attraction experienced in interests, thoughts, and fantasies.