Unit 3 Psych

Teratogens

Substances or environmental factors that can cause harm to a developing fetus, such as alcohol, drugs, or certain diseases.

Fine Motor Coordination

The ability to use small muscle movements for precise tasks like writing, buttoning clothes, or picking up small objects.

Gross Motor Coordination

The use of large muscle groups to perform tasks like walking, running, or jumping.

Maturation

The biological process of growth and development, driven by genetics, that unfolds in a predictable sequence over time.

Reflexes

Involuntary and automatic movements or actions, such as blinking or the knee-jerk response.

Rooting Reflex

A newborn’s automatic response to turn their head and open their mouth when their cheek is touched, helping them locate a food source.

Visual Cliff

An experimental setup to test depth perception in infants by using a glass-covered drop-off.

Critical Periods

Specific windows of time in development when an organism is particularly sensitive to certain stimuli or experiences.

Sensitive Periods

Times during development when learning or acquiring specific skills (like language) is easier but not impossible outside of the period.

Imprinting

A form of early learning where young animals form strong bonds with the first moving object or individual they see, often their mother.

Growth Spurt

A rapid increase in height and weight during adolescence, typically associated with puberty.

Puberty

The period of physical development during which the body becomes capable of reproduction.

Primary Sex Characteristics

Physical features directly involved in reproduction, such as the development of the reproductive organs.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Features that develop during puberty but are not directly related to reproduction, like deeper voice or breast development.

Menarche

A female’s first menstrual period, signaling the onset of reproductive capability.

Spermarche

The first occurrence of ejaculation in males, signaling the start of reproductive capability.

Menopause

The natural cessation of menstruation and the end of a woman’s reproductive years.

Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan

The study of how thinking, problem-solving, and memory evolve from infancy to old age.

Schemas

Mental frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information based on prior experience.

Assimilation

The process of integrating new information into existing schemas without changing them.

Accommodation

Adjusting existing schemas or creating new ones to incorporate new information.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development (birth to 2 years), where infants explore the world through senses and actions.

Object Permanence

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

Preoperational Stage

Piaget’s second stage (ages 2–7), characterized by symbolic thinking but limited by egocentrism and lack of logical reasoning.

Mental Symbols

Representations of objects or ideas in the mind, like words or images.

Pretend Play

A type of play where children use imagination to create scenarios, often involving symbolic thinking.

Conservation

The understanding that certain properties of objects remain constant, even if their form or appearance changes.

Reversibility

The understanding that actions can be reversed, such as realizing that water poured into a different container retains the same amount.

Animism

The belief that inanimate objects have thoughts, feelings, or intentions, common in young children.

Egocentrism

A child’s inability to see a situation from another person’s perspective, typical in the preoperational stage.

Theory of Mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts, feelings, and perspectives different from one’s own.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget’s third stage (ages 7–11), where children develop logical thinking about concrete events but struggle with abstract ideas.

Systematic Thinking

The ability to approach problems methodically, considering all possible solutions, which develops in adolescence.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget’s fourth stage (12+ years), characterized by abstract, logical, and hypothetical thinking.

Abstract Thinking

The ability to think about ideas and concepts not tied to concrete physical objects or experiences.

Hypothetical Thinking

The ability to consider 'what-if' scenarios and think about possible outcomes or situations.

Scaffolding

A teaching method where support is gradually removed as a learner gains independence in mastering a skill.

Zone of Proximal Development

Vygotsky’s concept of the range of tasks a learner can achieve with guidance but not yet independently.

Crystallized Intelligence

Knowledge and skills accumulated over time, such as vocabulary and general knowledge, which typically increase with age.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to solve new problems and think flexibly, which tends to decline with age.

Dementia

A group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities, often caused by diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language, such as 'b' or 't,' that distinguish one word from another.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language, such as 'un-' or 'happy.'

Semantics

The study of meaning in language, including the meanings of words, phrases, and sentences.

Grammar

The set of rules that govern how words and sentences are structured in a language.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Cooing

The early stage of language development when infants make vowel-like sounds, such as 'oo' and 'ah.'

Babbling

The stage of language development where infants produce repetitive sounds, such as 'ba-ba' or 'da-da.'

One-Word Stage

A stage in language development where children use single words to express entire thoughts or desires.

Telegraphic Speech

Early speech stage where children use short, simple sentences, like 'want cookie,' omitting smaller words.

Overgeneralization of Language Rules

Applying language rules too broadly, such as saying 'goed' instead of 'went.'

Ecological Systems Theory

Bronfenbrenner’s theory that development is influenced by multiple levels of environmental systems.

Microsystem

The immediate environment a person interacts with, such as family, school, and peers.

Mesosystem

The interactions between different parts of a person’s microsystem, like a parent-teacher meeting.

Exosystem

The broader social systems that indirectly influence a person, such as a parent’s workplace.

Macrosystem

The cultural values, laws, and societal norms that shape an individual’s development.

Chronosystem

The dimension of time in Bronfenbrenner’s theory, considering how life events and historical contexts influence development.

Authoritarian Parenting

A strict parenting style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness, often emphasizing obedience and discipline over warmth.

Authoritative Parenting

A balanced parenting style combining high expectations with warmth and responsiveness, encouraging independence while setting clear boundaries.

Permissive Parenting

A lenient parenting style with few demands or rules, often allowing children significant freedom with minimal guidance.

Attachment Styles

Patterns of bonding and interaction formed in early childhood, influencing relationships later in life.

Secure Attachment

A healthy attachment style where children feel safe and confident in their caregiver’s availability and support.

Insecure Attachment

An attachment style characterized by anxiety, avoidance, or difficulty trusting caregivers, often due to inconsistent caregiving.

Avoidant Attachment

A form of insecure attachment where individuals suppress their need for closeness, often avoiding intimacy or emotional expression.

Anxious Attachment

A form of insecure attachment marked by fear of abandonment, clinginess, and excessive worry about relationships.

Disorganized Attachment

A type of insecure attachment where behavior is inconsistent, often resulting from trauma or neglect.

Temperament

An individual’s innate personality traits and emotional reactivity, present from birth and influencing behavior.

Separation Anxiety

Distress experienced by young children when separated from their primary caregivers.

Parallel Play

A type of play where children play side by side without directly interacting, common in toddlers.

Imaginary Audience

A belief during adolescence that others are constantly watching and judging their behavior, stemming from heightened self-consciousness.

Personal Fable

The adolescent belief that they are unique, special, and invulnerable, often leading to risky behaviors.

Social Clock

The culturally defined timeline for major life events, such as marriage, career, or retirement.

Emerging Adulthood

The transitional period between adolescence and full adulthood (ages 18–25), marked by exploration and self-discovery.

Stage Theory of Psychosocial Development (Erikson)

Erik Erikson’s theory that individuals pass through eight stages of social and emotional development, each with a unique conflict to resolve.

Trust and Mistrust

Erikson’s first stage (infancy), where developing trust in caregivers leads to a sense of security, while mistrust leads to fear.

Autonomy and Shame and Doubt

Erikson’s second stage (toddlerhood), where fostering independence builds confidence, while overcontrol leads to doubt.

Initiative and Guilt

Erikson’s third stage (early childhood), where encouragement fosters initiative, while overcriticism creates guilt.

Industry and Inferiority

Erikson’s fourth stage (school age), where success in tasks builds competence, while failure fosters feelings of inferiority.

Identity and Role Confusion

Erikson’s fifth stage (adolescence), where individuals explore personal identity, with failure leading to confusion about their role in society.

Intimacy and Isolation

Erikson’s sixth stage (young adulthood), focusing on forming meaningful relationships or risking loneliness and isolation.

Generativity and Stagnation

Erikson’s seventh stage (middle adulthood), emphasizing contributing to society or feeling unproductive.

Integrity and Despair

Erikson’s eighth stage (late adulthood), reflecting on life with satisfaction or regret.

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic events during childhood, such as abuse or neglect, that can negatively affect long-term health and development.

Achievement (Adolescent Development)

The identity status where individuals explore options and commit to meaningful goals and values.

Diffusion (Adolescent Development)

A lack of direction or commitment, where individuals avoid exploring identity or making decisions.

Foreclosure (Adolescent Development)

Prematurely committing to an identity without exploring alternatives, often based on others’ expectations.

Moratorium (Adolescent Development)

A period of active exploration without commitment, as individuals search for their identity.

Racial/Ethnic Identity

A sense of belonging to a racial or ethnic group and understanding its cultural significance.

Sexual Orientation

An individual’s enduring pattern of romantic or sexual attraction to others, such as heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual orientations.

Religious Identity

A sense of belonging and commitment to specific religious beliefs, practices, or communities.

Occupational Identity

How individuals define themselves based on their career choices and professional goals.

Familial Identity

A sense of self derived from one’s role and relationships within their family.

Possible Selves

The various identities an individual imagines they might achieve or fear becoming in the future.