Lifespan

Temperament

Patterns of behavior that are biologically based, including traits like activity level and emotional reactivity.

Easy temperament

A category of temperament where children are generally happy, adaptable, and have regular routines.

Difficult temperament

A category of temperament characterized by high emotional reactivity and resistance to change.

Slow to warm up temperament

A category of temperament where children are initially withdrawn or shy but become more sociable with time.

Rothbart's temperament theory

Expands Chess and Thomas's categories into dimensions like activity level, emotional reactivity, and self-regulation.

Genetic influence on temperament

Genetic factors can determine baseline emotional responses in children.

Passive correlation

Occurs when a child's genetic traits align with the environment provided by their parents.

Evocative correlation

Occurs when a child's temperament influences how others act toward them.

Authoritative parenting

A parenting style characterized by warmth and structure, promoting independence and emotional security.

Authoritarian parenting

A parenting style characterized by high control and low warmth, often leading to mistrust and shame.

Permissive parenting

A parenting style that is warm but lacks boundaries, resulting in impulsive behavior in children.

Uninvolved parenting

A parenting style with little emotional support or control, which can lead to emotional challenges in children.

Attachment theory

Ainsworth's theory that highlights the importance of secure attachments for emotional and social development.

Emotional development

The process through which children learn to understand and regulate their emotions.

Self-awareness

The ability to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals.

Interactive development

Development characterized by engaging meaningfully with peers and adults.

Intentional behavior

Actions taken with a specific goal in mind.

Adaptive growth

The ability to adjust behaviors to fit different situations.

Organized development

The improvement of emotional regulation and management of thoughts and feelings.

Effortful behavior

The exertion of effort to self-regulate and follow social norms.

Object permanence

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when not visible.

Centration

Focusing on one aspect of a situation while ignoring others, observed in young children.

Perceptual narrowing

The phenomenon where infants gradually lose sensitivity to faces of unfamiliar racial groups or animals.

Synaptic pruning

The process of eliminating unused synaptic connections to improve neural efficiency.

Myelination

The process in which nerve fibers are coated with myelin to speed up signal transmission.

Memory encoding

The process of transforming sensory input into a format suitable for storage in the brain.

Implicit memory

A type of memory that is automatic and does not require conscious thought.

Explicit memory

Memory of facts and experiences that requires conscious thought to be retrieved.

Dual representation

The ability to understand that a smaller model can represent something larger.

Violations of expectation

A method used to study infants’ awareness of object permanence by presenting them with surprising scenarios.

Self-regulation

The ability to manage one's emotions and behavior in accordance with social norms.

Social dynamics

The interactions and relationships among individuals in a social setting.

Neural connections

The links formed between neurons through synaptic activity.

Social bonding

The emotional connection formed between a caregiver and child.

Emotional reactivity

The intensity of emotional responses to stimuli, which can be influenced by temperament.

Facial imitation

The ability of infants to mimic facial expressions, indicating an early desire for connection and learning.

Developmental milestones

Key abilities or behaviors that are expected at certain ages in a child's development.

Amodal sensory properties

The ability to process different sensory experiences together, such as sound and sight.

Cognitive development

The progression of thinking, problem-solving, and language skills as a child matures.

Harlow's monkey studies

Research demonstrating the importance of emotional comfort and attachment in development.

Tiffany Field's touch research

Research showing that physical touch can significantly benefit the development of preterm infants.

Three Mountain Task

A task used by Piaget to assess children's understanding of perspective-taking.

Conservation Task

A task used by Piaget to determine if children understand that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement.

Class Inclusion Task

A task assessing children's ability to understand hierarchical relationships between categories.

Memory strategies

Techniques to enhance memory retention, such as categorization or rehearsal.