Unit 3 - Developmental Psych

Zygote

fertilized egg

embryo

growing fertilized egg; zygote’s inner cells

fetus

9 weeks after conception

teratogens

agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm 

maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

Sensorimotor stage

birth to age 2; child relies on innate motor responses

object permanence

knowledge that objects exist independently of one’s awareness

preoperational stage

age 2 to 6; well-developed mental representation and the use of language 

egocentrism

inability to realize there are other viewpoints than one’s own

concrete operational

age 7 to 11; understand conservation but is incapable of abstract thought

conservation

physical properties of an object do not change when appearances change

formal operational stage

age 12+; abstract thought appears

scaffolding

a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

sttachment

an emotional tie with another person shown in young children by their seeking closeness to their caregiver and showing distress on separation

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display; begins 8 months of age

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life 

strange situation 

Mary Ainsworth observed 1-year-old infants in a situation with and without their mother 

temperament

persons’s innate and inborn characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

self-concept

an understanding and assessment of who you are

schema

a knowledge cluster or general framework that provides expectations about topics, events, objects, people, and situations in one’s life

accommodation

involves adapting or modifying existing mental; structures to accommodate new information or experiences

assimilation

involves incorporating new information into existing knowledge or schemas 

habituation

a type of simple learning where a person or animal decreases its response to a stimulus after repeated exposure to it

critical period

a specific window of time, particularly in early life, when the brain is highly sensitive and receptive to environmental stimuli, making it the ideal time for learning certain skills

theory of mind

the ability to understand that other people have their own distinct mental states, such as beliefs, desires, intentions, and emotions, which influence their behavior