Unit 3 Developmental Psychology

Teratogens

Agents causing developmental malformations in embryos.

Genetic mutations

Alterations in DNA sequence affecting traits.

Fine motor skills

Small muscle movements, like grasping.

Gross motor skills

Large muscle movements, like walking.

Maturation

Biological growth processes influencing behavior.

Rooting reflex

Infant's instinct to turn toward stimuli.

Visual cliff apparatus

Tool to study depth perception in infants.

Depth perception

Ability to perceive distance and three-dimensionality.

Critical (sensitive) period

Optimal time for certain developmental processes.

Imprinting

Rapid learning occurring during a specific period.

Adolescence

Transition period from childhood to adulthood.

Puberty

Biological changes leading to sexual maturity.

Primary sex characteristics

Organs directly involved in reproduction.

Secondary sex characteristics

Physical traits not directly involved in reproduction.

Menarche

First menstrual cycle in females.

Spermarche

First ejaculation in males.

Menopause

End of reproductive ability in females.

Sex

Biological classification as male or female.

Gender

Socially constructed roles associated with sex.

Social learning

Learning behaviors through observation and imitation.

Piaget

Developmental psychologist known for cognitive development theory.

Schemas

Mental frameworks for organizing information.

Assimilation

Integrating new information into existing schemas.

Accommodation

Modifying schemas to incorporate new information.

Sensorimotor stage

Piaget's stage from birth to 2 years.

Object permanence

Understanding objects continue to exist when unseen.

Preoperational stage

Piaget's stage from 2 to 7 years.

Pretend play

Imaginative play involving role assumption.

Conservation

Understanding quantity remains the same despite changes.

Reversibility

Ability to reverse actions mentally.

Animism

Attributing life to inanimate objects.

Egocentrism

Inability to see from others' perspectives.

Theory of mind

Understanding others have thoughts and feelings.

Concrete operational stage

Piaget's stage from 7 to 11 years.

Formal operational stage

Piaget's stage from 12 years onward.

Abstract hypothetical thinking

Reasoning about abstract concepts and possibilities.

Vygotsky

Psychologist emphasizing social context in learning.

Scaffolding

Support provided to help learners achieve tasks.

Sociocultural context

Influence of society and culture on development.

Zone of proximal development

Difference between what a learner can do alone and with help.

Crystallized intelligence

Knowledge gained from experience and education.

Fluid intelligence

Ability to solve novel problems.

Phonemes

Smallest units of sound in language.

Morphemes

Smallest units of meaning in language.

Semantics

Meaning of words and sentences.

Grammar

Rules governing language structure.

Syntax

Arrangement of words in sentences.

Cooing

Early vocalization in infants, producing vowel sounds.

Babbling

Repetitive consonant-vowel combinations in infants.

One word stage

Single words used to convey meaning.

Telegraphic speech

Two-word phrases conveying essential meaning.

Overgeneralization

Applying grammar rules too broadly.

Ecological systems theory

Framework for understanding human development in context.

Microsystem

Immediate environment affecting individual development.

Mesosystem

Connections between different microsystems.

Exosystem

External environmental settings influencing individual indirectly.

Macrosystem

Broader cultural and societal influences.

Chronosystem

Changes over time affecting development.

Authoritarian parenting

Strict, demanding style with little warmth.

Authoritative parenting

Balanced approach with rules and support.

Permissive parenting

Lenient style with few demands.

Attachment

Emotional bond between caregiver and child.

Avoidant attachment

Indifference to caregiver's presence or absence.

Anxious attachment

Clinginess and distress upon caregiver's departure.

Disorganized attachment

Lack of clear attachment behavior.

Separation anxiety

Distress when separated from primary caregiver.

Stranger anxiety

Fear of unfamiliar people in infants.

Harlow study

Research on attachment using monkeys and surrogate mothers.

Parallel play

Children playing alongside each other without interaction.

Personal fable

Belief in one's uniqueness and invulnerability.

Imaginary audience

Feeling of being constantly observed by others.

Social clock

Cultural timing of life events.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACES)

Traumatic events impacting long-term health.

Achievement diffusion

Lack of commitment to goals or values.

Foreclosure

Commitment without exploration of options.

Moratorium

Active exploration of identity without commitment.

Race/ethnic identity

Sense of belonging to a racial or ethnic group.

Gender identity

Personal sense of one's gender.

Possible selves

Imagined future selves influencing motivation.

Classical conditioning

Learning through association between stimuli.

Association

Linking two events or stimuli together.

Stimulus

Any event or object eliciting a response.

Response

Behavior resulting from a stimulus.

Acquisition

Initial stage of learning a new response.

Associative learning

Learning that involves making connections.

Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)

Stimulus that naturally triggers a response.

Conditioned response (CR)

Learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Unconditioned response (UCR)

Natural reaction to an unconditioned stimulus.

Conditioned stimulus (CS)

Previously neutral stimulus that elicits a response.

Neutral stimulus

Stimulus that initially elicits no response.

Stimulus discrimination

Ability to differentiate between similar stimuli.

Stimulus generalization

Responding similarly to different stimuli.

Higher order conditioning

Using a conditioned stimulus to condition another stimulus.

Counterconditioning

Changing an unwanted response to a stimulus.

Taste aversions

Avoidance of food after a negative experience.

Garcia study

Research demonstrating taste aversion learning.

One trial conditioning

Learning occurring after a single experience.

Biological preparedness

Innate predisposition to learn certain associations.

Habituation

Decreased response to repeated stimuli.

Operant conditioning

Learning through consequences of behavior.