Developmental Psychology (First Half)

Developmental Psychology

Study of physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development throughout lifespan

Nature vs. Nurture

Debate on the influence of genes and experience on development

Continuity & Stages

Debate on whether development occurs continuously or in separate stages

Stability & Change

Debate on whether certain traits persist throughout life or change over time

cross-sectional studies

a research method in which people of different ages are compared with one another

longitudinal studies

A research method that studies the same participants multiple times over a period of time

Teratogens

Harmful agents that can damage the child

Factors that affect Prenatal Development

1. maternal illness

2. genetic mutations

3. hormonal factors

4. environmental factors

Reflexes

Innate responses that do not have to be learned

Rooting reflex

A baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch and open mouth

Maturation

The orderly sequence of biological growth process that is genetically designed. Its sequence is universal and practice does not have much influence.

Gross motor development

development of large muscles for mobility and posture

Fine motor development

development of small muscle groups for precise movements, especially in hands and fingers

Visual Cliff

A laboratory apparatus used to assess infant responses like depth perception

Critical period

Limited window of time during which certain skills must be acquired, or they may never develop properly

Sensitive period

Optimal time frame when brain is very receptive to specific types of learning; learning can still occur later, but with more difficulty

Adolescence

Transition period from childhood to adulthood, from puberty to independence

Growth spurt

rapid & sudden increase in height & weight

Puberty

time of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

Primary sex characteristics

Body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

Spermarche

The first ejaculation that marks the beginning of puberty for boys

Menarche

The first menstrual period that marks the beginning of puberty for girls

Secondary sex characteristics

Nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

Menopause

Natural end of menstruation & fertility

Sex

Biological properties that determine male or female

Gender

The socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

group of disorders with onset occurring during the developmental period; includes ADHD & ASD

inattention, impulsivity, hyperactivity

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms (3)

social communication deficits, restricted & repetitive behavior, sensory sensitivities

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Symptoms (3)

biological, environmental - know any one cause under EACH category

Neurodevelopmental Disorder Causes

Cognition

All mental processes that help one function, including problem-solving, understanding, and using language

Jean Piaget

Psychologist who studied cognitive development in children and coined the idea of schemas

Schemas

Mental containers (file folders) into which information is organized

Assimilation

Included new information into one of existing schemas

Accommodation

Change existing schema or create new one to include new information

Sensorimotor Stage

Stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where infants explore the world through their senses & movement

Object permanence

Awareness that objects continue to exist even when no longer visible (peekaboo)

Preoperational Stage

Stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where children use mental symbols & pretend play

Conservation

Principle that quantity stays the same even though its arrangement changes

Reversibility

Principle that some actions can be reversed to original state

Egocentrism

Difficulty perceiving things from another person's point of view

Theory of mind

Understanding that others have their own thoughts & perspectives

Animism

Belief that inanimate objects are capable of action and have feelings

Concrete Operational Stage

Stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where children think logically about concrete events

Formal Operational Stage

Stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, where people think abstractly & hypothetically; Piaget believed that not everyone could achieve this level

Lev Vygotsky

Psychologist who believed that children learned through social interactions with people who are more knowledgeable than they are

Scaffolding

temporary support that helps the learner perform a task they cannot yet do on their own

Zone of proximal development

Range between what a learner can do independently & what they can do with guidance

Crystallized intelligence

accumulated knowledge that tends to increase with age

Fluid intelligence

ability to reason speedily and abstractly that tends to decrease with age

Dementia

Symptoms include decrease in memory, reasoning, language, & other cognitive abilities; interferes with daily functioning