Developmental Psychology, Sensation, Perception, and Neuroscience Study Guide

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering developmental psychology, sensation and perception, and the nervous system, brain structures, and endocrine system.

Physical Development

The dimension of development involving changes in the body, brain, movement, and health.

Cognitive Development

The dimension of development involving changes in thinking, learning, memory, and problem-solving.

Socioemotional Development

The dimension of development involving changes in emotions, personality, and relationships.

Germinal Stage

The prenatal stage lasting from fertilization through week 2, during which the zygote divides and implants in the uterus.

Embryonic Stage

The prenatal stage from weeks 3 to 8 after fertilization, during which major organs and body structures begin forming; especially sensitive to many teratogens.

Fetal Stage

The prenatal stage from week 9 after fertilization to birth, characterized by rapid growth, organ maturation, and further brain development.

Teratogens

Substances or environmental exposures that can interfere with prenatal development and may cause birth defects or developmental difficulties.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development (birth to age 2), where infants learn through senses and actions and develop object permanence.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage of cognitive development (ages 2 to 7), characterized by symbolic thought, egocentrism, centration, and typically a lack of conservation.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development (ages 7 to 11), characterized by logical thinking about concrete situations and an understanding of conservation and classification.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget's fourth stage of cognitive development (ages 12 and up), characterized by abstract, hypothetical, and systematic reasoning.

Object Permanence

The understanding that an object continues to exist even when it is hidden or out of sight.

Conservation

The understanding that physical properties of an object or substance (such as volume or mass) remain the same despite changes in outward appearance or container shape.

Telegraphic Speech

A form of early speech common around 18 to 24 months in which young children use short phrases containing essential words while leaving out smaller grammatical words.

Overregularization

A language development error in which a child applies a regular grammatical rule to an irregular word (e.g., saying 'goed' or 'foots').

Attachment

The emotional bond between an infant and caregiver, often examined by researchers through the Strange Situation.

Secure Attachment

An attachment pattern where an infant may become distressed when the caregiver leaves, but seeks and accepts comfort upon their return.

Insecure-Avoidant Attachment

An attachment pattern where an infant may show limited visible distress during separation and avoids or ignores the caregiver upon return.

Insecure-Resistant / Ambivalent Attachment

An attachment pattern where an infant is often highly distressed by separation and seeks contact upon return, but also resists comfort and stays upset.

Disorganized Attachment

An attachment pattern characterized by contradictory, disoriented, or apprehensive behaviors during separation and reunion.

Puberty

The biological process of hormonal and physical maturation, including sexual maturity.

Adolescence

The broader developmental transition from childhood toward adulthood, encompassing physical, cognitive, and socioemotional changes.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson's first psychosocial stage (infancy) focused on the central challenge: 'Can I trust caregivers?'

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's second psychosocial stage (ages 1 to 3) focused on the central challenge: 'Can I do things myself?'

Initiative vs. Guilt

Erikson's third psychosocial stage (ages 3 to 6) focused on the central challenge: 'Can I take action and lead?'

Industry vs. Inferiority

Erikson's fourth psychosocial stage (ages 6 to 12) focused on the central challenge: 'Am I competent?'

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's fifth psychosocial stage (adolescence) focused on the central challenge: 'Who am I?'

Intimacy vs. Isolation

Erikson's sixth psychosocial stage (young adulthood) focused on the central challenge: 'Can I form close relationships?'

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's seventh psychosocial stage (middle adulthood) focused on the central challenge: 'Am I contributing to others?'

Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's eighth psychosocial stage (late adulthood) focused on the central challenge: 'Can I accept my life?'

Sensation

The process of detecting physical stimuli using sensory receptors.

Perception

The process of organizing and interpreting sensory information.

Transduction

The conversion of stimulus energy (such as light, sound, or pressure) into electrical/neural signals by sensory receptors.

Absolute Threshold

The minimum stimulus intensity that can be detected $50\%$ of the time.

Difference Threshold (Just Noticeable Difference, JND)

The smallest detectable difference between two stimuli, typically detected $50\%$ of the time.

Sensory Adaptation

Reduced sensitivity to a constant, unchanging stimulus after prolonged exposure.

Gestalt Psychology

A theoretical approach explaining how the mind organizes sensory information into meaningful wholes rather than disconnected parts.

Figure-Ground

A Gestalt perceptual principle in which a focal object is separated from its background.

Closure

A Gestalt perceptual principle where the mind mentally fills in missing parts of an incomplete shape to perceive it as whole.

Binocular Depth Perception

The ability to judge depth using visual information from both eyes, especially for nearby objects.

Retinal Disparity

A binocular depth cue where the brain compares the slightly different images received by each eye to determine depth.

Convergence

A binocular depth cue based on the physical inward turning of the eyes when focusing on nearby objects.

Monocular Depth Perception

Depth and distance cues available using only one eye, which can also be represented in two-dimensional photographs.

Linear Perspective

A monocular depth cue in which parallel lines appear to converge as they recede into the distance.

Interposition (Occlusion)

A monocular depth cue in which a nearer object partially blocks the view of a farther object.

Object (Perceptual) Constancy

The perceptual ability to recognize an object as stable and unchanging even when its sensory appearance changes in size, shape, or color.

Kinesthetic Sense (Proprioception)

Awareness of the position and movement of body parts, mediated by sensory signals from muscles, tendons, and joints.

Vestibular Sense

The sensory system responsible for balance and detecting head movement and orientation, primarily located in the inner ear.

Nociceptors

Specialized sensory receptors that detect potentially damaging stimuli to signal pain.

A-delta Fibers

Nerve fibers that transmit relatively fast, sharp, and well-localized pain signals.

C Fibers

Nerve fibers that transmit slower, dull, aching, or burning pain signals.

Gate Control Theory of Pain

The model proposing that pain transmission can be amplified or inhibited by neural mechanisms in the spinal cord and descending signals from the brain.

Central Nervous System (CNS)

The division of the nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal cord, responsible for processing information, coordinating responses, and supporting reflexes.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

The network of nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that carries sensory signals toward the CNS and motor commands to the body.

Somatic Nervous System

The division of the PNS that carries sensory information and controls skeletal muscles, usually under voluntary control, as well as participating in reflexes.

Autonomic Nervous System

The division of the PNS that regulates largely involuntary activity of internal organs and glands, such as heart rate, digestion, sweating, and pupil size.

Sympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that triggers the fight-or-flight response by increasing heart rate, dilating pupils, reducing digestion, and increasing sweating.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

The branch of the autonomic nervous system that supports rest and digest functions by slowing heart rate, constricting pupils, and promoting digestion and salivation.

Medulla Oblongata

A hindbrain structure that regulates vital autonomic functions including breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, and swallowing or coughing reflexes.

Pons

A hindbrain structure that helps regulate sleep, REM sleep, breathing, and relay communication with the cerebellum.

Cerebellum

A hindbrain structure responsible for coordinating movement, balance, posture, fine motor control, and motor learning.

Substantia Nigra

A midbrain structure containing dopamine-producing neurons that regulate and initiate smooth movement via basal ganglia circuits; its degeneration is linked to Parkinson disease.

Thalamus

A forebrain structure that relays most incoming sensory information (except smell) to the cerebral cortex and contributes to alertness.

Hypothalamus

A forebrain structure that maintains homeostasis (regulating hunger, thirst, body temperature, and sleep rhythms) and controls hormone release by the pituitary gland.

Hippocampus

A forebrain structure critical for the formation of new declarative long-term memories and spatial memory.

Amygdala

A forebrain structure involved in processing emotionally significant stimuli, particularly threats and fear learning.

Basal Ganglia

Forebrain structures that help regulate movement, habits, and skill learning.

Frontal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for planning, decision-making, voluntary movement, and executive control.

Parietal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing touch, body sensation, and spatial information.

Temporal Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for hearing, language comprehension, and aspects of memory.

Occipital Lobe

The lobe of the cerebral cortex responsible for processing visual information such as shapes and colors.

Endocrine System

A system of glands that release hormones into the bloodstream to reach target cells, producing chemical signaling that is generally slower and longer-lasting than neural signals.

Neuroplasticity

The brain's ability to change its neural connections and structural organization in response to learning, experience, or recovery from injury.