DEVPSYCH MIDTERMS

Spatial thinking

ability to use a map

Seriation

ability to order items along a dimension

Transitive inferences

understanding the relationship between two objects by knowing the relationship of each to a third object

Inductive reasoning

from specific to general

Math

can count mentally and od simple problems

Class inclusion

understanding of the relationship between a whole and its parts

Computational estimation

estimating the sum in an addition problem

Numerosity estimation

estimating the number of candies in a jar

Measurement estimation

estimating the length of a line

computational, numerosity, measurement estimations

number estimations of cognitive advances

Prefrontal cortex

part of the brain used for planning, judgement, decision making, working memory, self regulation

Selective attention

the ability to deliberately direct one’s attention and shut out distractions.

inhibitory control

the voluntary suppression of unwanted responses

External memory aids

mnemonic strategies using something outside the person

Rehearsal

mnemonic strategy to keep an item in working memory through conscious repetition

Organization

mnemonic strategy of categorizing material to be remembered

Elaboration

mnemonic strategy of making mental associations involving items to be remembered

external memory aid, rehearsal, organization, elaboration

types of mnemonic strategies using the information processing approach

Componential (analytic) element

the analytic aspect of intelligence

Experiential (creative) element

the insightful or creative aspect of intelligence; approaching novel tasks

Contextual (practical) element

the ability to size up a situation and decide what to do

componential, experiential, contextual element

elements of sternberg’s triarchic theory of intelligence

Moral realism Heteronomous

rules unchangeable and imposed by authorities

Moral relativism Autonomous

rules can be created by people and can be negotiated

moral realism and moral relativism

morality according to piaget

Intellectual disability

significantly subnormal cognitive functioning,

intellectual developmental disorder

another word for mental retardation

Learning disabilities

disorders that interfere with specific aspects of learning and school development. Ex: dyslexia

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

syndrome characterized by persistent inattention and distractibility, impulsivity, low tolerance for frustration, and inappropriate overactivity

giftedness

IQ of 130 and higher

Enrichment programs

programs for educating the gifted that broaden and deepen knowledge and skills through extra activities, projects, field trips, or mentoring

acceleration programs

programs for educating the gifted that move them through the curriculum at an unusually rapid place

creativity

Ability to see situations in a way, to produce innovations, or to discern previously unidentified problems and find novel solutions

Convergent thinking

thinking aimed at finding the one right answer to a problem

Divergent thinking

thinking that produces a variety of fresh, diverse possibilities

Whole-language approach

approach to teaching reading that emphasizes visual retrieval and use of contextual clues

Phonetic (code-emphasis) approach

approach to teaching reading that emphasizes decoding of unfamiliar words

Representational system

broad, inclusive self concepts that integrate various aspects of the self

Stage 0: momentary playmateship

children think only about what they want from a relationship

Stage 1: one-way assistance

“good friend’ does what the child wants the friend to do

Stage 2: two-way fair-weather cooperation

give and take relationships; separate rather than common interests

Stage 3: intimate, mutually shared relationships

friends become possessive and demand exclusivity

Stage 4: autonomous interdependence

children respect friends for both dependency and autonomy

momentary playmate, one-way assistance, two-way fair-weather cooperation, intimate, mutually shared relationships, autonomous interdependence

stages of friendship

Hostile attribution bias

tendency to perceive others as trying to hurt one and to strike out in retaliation or self-defense

proactive bullying

show dominance, bolster power, or win admiration

reactive bullying

responding to a real or imagined attack

Cyberbullying

posting negative comments or derogatory photos of the victim on a web site

One parent families

many of the negative effects of single parenthood appear to be driven by lower socioeconomic status

Cohabiting family

when cohabitating couples are from higher social classes, cohabitation is more likely to be seen as a step to marriage and eventually lead to marriage

Step family

a child’s loyalties to an absent or dead parent may interfere with forming ties to a stepparent

Living with lesbian or gay parents

no consistent differences between homosexual and heterosexual parents in emotional health or parenting skills and attitudes

Internalizing behaviors

behaviors by which emotional problems are turned inward; ex. Anxiety, fearfulness or depression

Externalizing behaviors

behaviors by which a child acts out emotional difficulties; ex. Fighting, disobedience, aggression, or hostility

one parent, cohabiting, step, living with lesbian or gay parents

types of families

Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)

pattern of behavior, persisting into middle childhood, marked by negativity, hostility, and defiance

Conduct disorder

repetitive, persistent pattern of aggressive, antisocial behavior violating societal norms or the rights of others

School phobia

unrealistic fear of going to school; may be a form of separation anxiety disorder or social phobia

Separation anxiety disorder

condition involving excessive, prolonged anxiety concerning separation from home or from people to whom a person is attached

Social phobia

extreme fear and/or avoidance of social situation

Generalized anxiety disorder

anxiety not focused on any single target

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

anxiety aroused by repetitive, intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses, often leading to compulsive ritual behavior

Childhood depression

mood disorder characterized by such symptoms as a prolonged sense of friendlinessness, inability to have fun or concentrate, fatigue, extreme activity or apathy, feelings of worthlessness, weight change, physical complaint, and thoughts of death or suicide

David Elkind’s “hurried child”

children are exposed to many adult problems on television and in real life before they have mastered the problem of childhood

Resilient children

children who weather adverse circumstances, function well despite challenges or threats, or bounce back from traumatic events

Protective factors

influences that reduce the impact of early stress and tend to predict positive outcomes different forms in different cultures

internalizing and externalizing behaviors

behvaior types for family conflict and aggression

whole language and phonetic approach

types of language approach

convergent and divergent thinking

types of thinking using creativity

enrichment and acceleration prgrams

types of programs for giftedness

brain develpment

Rapid brain growth in frontal areas

Corpus callosum

a thick band of nerve fibers that connects both hemispheres of the brain and allows them to communicate more rapidly and effectively with each other

Handedness

preference for using a particular hand

Animism

attribute life to objects

Centration

focus on 1 aspect of object /situation

center on a single aspect of a problem

Transductive reasoning

children combine unrelated facts, often leading them to draw faulty case-effect conclusions simply because two events occur close together in space or time.

Magical thinking

inability to distinguish appearance from reality

Piaget’s Mountain task

posing the problem in a different way can yield different results

Irreversible though

can't mentally undo an action

Static thought

fail to understand processes of change from one state to another

Perceptual salience

understanding is driven by how things look rather than derived from logical reasoning

irreversible thought, centration, static thought, perceptual salience, transductive reasoning

why do preoperational children fail to understand conservation

theory of mind

ability to attribute mental states, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, to other people

Generic memory

memory that produces scripts of familiar routines to guide behavior

Autobiographical memory

memory of specific events in one’s life

Social interaction model

based on Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory. Proposes children construct autobiographical memories through conversation with adults about shared events

generic and autobiographical

types of memory

Fast mapping

a child absorbs the meaning of a new word after hearing it once or twice in conversation

Pragmatics

the practical knowledge needed to use language for communication purposes

Social speech

speech intended to be understood by a listener

Private speech

talking aloud to oneself with no intent to communicate with others.

memory, language, pragmatics and social speech

cognitive development in early childhood

Representational mappings

logical connections among parts of himself/herself

Representational systems

broad, inclusive self concepts integrating various aspects of the self

Self esteem

the judgement a person makes about his or her self worth

One dimensional

either all good or all bad

Discipline

methods of molding children’s character and of teaching them to exercise self-control and engage in acceptable behavior

Corporal punishment

use of physical force

Inductive techniques

designed to induce desirable behavior by appealing to a child’s sense of reason and fairness

Power assertion

designed to discourage undesirable behavior through physical or verbal enforcement of parental control