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Developmental Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Continuous development
view that development is a cumulative process: gradually improving on existing skills
Discontinuous development
view that development takes place in unique stages, which happen at specific times or ages
Lifespan development
the field of study that examines patterns of growth, change, and stability in behavior that occur throughout the entire life span
Nature and nurture
the longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
Stability and change
Do our early personality traits persist through life, or do we become different persons as we age?
cross sectional
type of study that measures a variable across several age groups at the same time
longitudinal
describes research that measures a trait in a particular group of subjects over a long period of time
Adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
Critical periods
times during which certain environmental influences can have an impact on the development of the infant
Developmental milestone
approximate ages at which children reach specific normative events
Fine motor coordination
involves small muscle groups
usually includes finger dexterity and/or skilled manipulation of objects with the hands
Gross motor coordination
using large muscle groups for controlled, goal-directed movements
Growth spurt
The relatively sudden and rapid physical growth that occurs during puberty. Each body part increases in size on a schedule: Weight usually precedes height, and growth of the limbs precedes growth of the torso.
Imprinting
the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
Maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
Menarche
the first menstrual period
Menopause
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
Prenatal influence
the mother's health, behavior, and the prenatal medical care she does, or does not, receive before delivery
Primary sex characteristics
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
Puberty
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
Reflexes
specific patterns of motor response that are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation
Rooting reflex
a baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch, open the mouth, and search for the nipple
Secondary sex characteristics
nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair
Sensitive periods
time periods when specific skills develop most easily
Spermarche
first ejaculation
Teratogens
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
Visual cliff
a laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals
Gender
in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female
Sex
the biological distinction between females and males
Sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)
Abstract thinking
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one's own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation)
Accommodation
the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina
Animism
Belief that objects, such as plants and stones, or natural events, like thunderstorms and earthquakes, have a discrete spirit and conscious life.
Assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
Concrete operational
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
Conservation
the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
Crystallized intelligence
our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
Dementia
a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgment, that is often accompanied by personality changes
Egocentrism
in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view
Fluid intelligence
our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
Formal operational
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
Hypothetical thinking
Thinking that is based on what is possible, and not just what is real; sometimes referred to as "if-then" thinking.
Jean Piaget
Known for his theory of cognitive development in children
Mental symbols
represent objects in the real world
Object permanence
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
Preoperational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
Pretend play
make-believe activities in which children create new symbolic relations, acting as if they were in a situation different from their actual one
Puberty
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
Reversibility
the capacity to think through a series of steps and then mentally reverse direction, returning to the starting point
Scaffolding
the capacity to think through a series of steps and then mentally reverse direction, returning to the starting point
Schema
Adjusting the support offered during a teaching session to fit the child's current level of performance
Sensorimotor stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
Theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict.
Zone of proximal development
phase of learning during which children can benefit from instruction
Babbling
stage of language development at about 4 months when an infant spontaneously utters nonsense sounds
Cooing
early vowel-like sounds that babies produce
Grammar
in a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others
Language
our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning
Lev Vygotsky
child development; investigated how culture & interpersonal communication guide development; zone of proximal development; play research
Morphemes
The smallest units of meaning in a language.
Non-verbal manual gestures
Symbolic gestures include head nod or thumbs up to say "yes" or holding a hand up to say "wait."
One-word stage
the stage in speech development, from about age 1 to 2, during which a child speaks mostly in single words
Overgeneralization
the tendency to interpret a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat and failure
Phonemes
in language, the smallest distinctive sound unit
Semantics
the set of rules by which we derive meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences in a given language; also, the study of meaning
Syntax
Sentence structure
Telegraphic speech
early speech stage in which a child speaks like a telegram—"go car"—using mostly nouns and verbs.
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