Developmental Psych exam 2

Myelination

A fatty coating that helps brain messages travel faster

Prefrontal Cortex

Part of the brain that controls thinking and decision-making

Corpus Callosum

Connects the two halves of the brain so they can talk to each other

Neuroplasticity

Brain’s ability to change and learn from new experiences, even after injury

Gross Motor Skills

Big movements (running, jumping)

Fine Motor Skills

Small movements (drawing, using fingers)

Nutrition

Eating healthy helps with brain and body growth. Poor eating = risk of obesity

Piaget’s Preoperational Stage (Ages 2–7)

The preoperational stage is when children begin to develop language, use symbols (like words and images), and engage in imaginative play. They are often self-focused (unable to see things from another person’s point of view)

Struggle with logical reasoning and understanding concepts like conservation (that quantity stays the same even when shape changes)

Symbolic Ability

Kids start using words and pictures to represent things

Symbolic Play

Pretend play like using a banana as a phone

Egocentrism

Kids think everyone sees the world like they do

Theory of Mind

Understanding that others have different thoughts/feelings

Conservation Task

Kids don’t yet get that things can stay the same even if they look different (like water in different cups)

Piaget’s Concrete Operational Stage (Ages 7–11)

The concrete operational stage is when children begin to think more logically and systematically, but only about concrete, real-world situations. They can understand concepts such as conservation, reversibility, and cause-and-effect. Their thinking becomes less self-focused, and they start to understand that others may have different thoughts and feelings

Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory

Focuses on how children learn and grow through their social interactions and the culture around them. He believed that learning is not just something that happens in the brain—it’s shaped by people (like parents, teachers, and peers) and by the tools of society (like language, traditions, and values)

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

What kids can do with help. It’s the gap between what a child can do on their own and what they can do with help from someone more skilled like a teacher, parent, or even a friend

Scaffolding

Giving support when learning something new

Private Speech

Talking to yourself to figure things out

Language Development

• Grows quickly in early childhood.

• Fast Mapping: Quickly learning new words after hearing them once.

• Social Speech: Talking with others to communicate.

Self-Concept

How kids see themselves (I’m fast, I’m smart)

Psychosocial Development

How a person grows in their emotions, personality, relationships, and sense of self throughout life. The idea comes from Erik Erikson, who said we go through different stages as we grow, and in each one, we face a challenge that helps shape who we are

Self-Esteem

How they feel about themselves

Self-Control

Controlling emotions and actions

Self-Understanding

Knowing who they are inside meaning how a child begins to figure out who they are as a person not just what they look like or what they can do, but how they feel, think, and act

Gender Development

the process through which children learn and understand what it means to be male, female, or another gender within their culture, including how they come to identify themselves, understand gender roles (what society expects of boys and girls), and form their personal beliefs and feelings about gender.

Gender Identity

Knowing you’re a boy, girl, or something else

Gender Roles

Ideas about how boys/girls should act

Gender Schemas

How we organize gender info in our minds

Gender Dysphoria

When someone feels their gender identity doesn’t match their body

Popularity

Kids are grouped based on how others like them

Nominations Approach

Ask kids who they like/dislike

Play

Key for learning social skills because it gives children a chance to interact with others, practice communication, and learn how to share, take turns, solve problems, and express their emotions in a healthy way. Through play, kids figure out how to cooperate, negotiate, and understand different points of view, which helps them build friendships and develop empathy

Erikson’s Stages (middle childhood)

Erikson’s psychosocial stages are all about how we grow emotionally and socially throughout life. He believed that at every age, we face a key challenge or conflict and how we deal with it helps shape our personality, confidence, and relationships

Early Childhood

Initiative vs. Guilt – try new things or feel bad about it.. Kids start learning more skills (reading, writing, sports, etc.) and want to feel good at something. If they succeed or get support, they feel industry (a sense of achievement). But if they constantly fail or get compared to others, they feel inferior—like they’re not good enough

Kohlberg’s Moral Development

How kids understand right and wrong through stages

Distal-Proximal Development

Growth starts from outer limbs inward

Spermarche

First ejaculation (boys)

Menarche

First period (girls)

Primary Sex Characteristics

Reproductive organs

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Body hair, voice changes, etc.

Gender-Role Intensification

Teens feel more pressure to act “like a boy” or “like a girl.”

Prefrontal Cortex

Still developing—teens may act impulsively

Synaptic Blooming & Pruning

Making lots of brain connections, then cutting the weak ones

Myelination

Speeds up brain processing

Sleep & Circadian Rhythm

Teens naturally stay up later and wake up later

Piaget’s Formal Operations

Can think about abstract ideas and hypotheticals

Adolescent Egocentrism

when teenagers have a hard time separating their own thoughts and feelings from how they imagine others see them

Personal Fable

“No one understands me.” Thinking you’re unique

Imaginary Audience

Feeling like everyone is watching you

Weird Teen Behavior

Linked to still-developing brain + big emotions + peer pressure

Information Processing

Working Memory and Processing Speed improve as brain matures

Erikson: Identity vs. Role Confusion

Teens try to figure out “Who am I?”

Marcia’s Identity Statuses

About how teenagers explore and commit to their personal identity, like their beliefs, values, career goals, and sense of self. He explained that identity isn’t something you just have or don’t have—it’s something you figure out over time by either exploring different paths or committing to one

Diffusion

The teen hasn’t explored or committed to anything yet. They’re kind of floating

Foreclosure

The teen has committed to something, but without exploring other options

Moratorium

Exploring but no decision yet

Achievement

Explored and committed

Ethnic Identity

Understanding and feeling good about your cultural background

MAMA Cycle

Moving between Moratorium and Achievement as identity evolves

Cliques

Small, tight friend groups

Crowds

Larger groups based on reputation (jocks, nerds, etc.).

Romantic Relationships

Usually start simple in early teens; get more serious later

Social Group Socialization

Learning how to act by watching your peer group

Deviant Peer Contagion

Bad behavior spreads in groups if everyone else is doing it

Parents

Still matter a lot even when teens want independence

Attachment

Staying emotionally close

Autonomy

Wanting to make your own choices

Independence vs. safety

Teens and parents often have conflicting goals

Supportive Parenting

Warm, involved, respectful parents help teens develop confidence and self-control