Human Development Chapter 5 Terms

myelin

a fatty, protective substance that wraps around nerve cell fibers (axons) to insulate them and speed up electrical signals in the nervous system

corpus callosum

a large, C-shaped nerve fiber bundle containing over 200 million axons that connects the left and right hemispheres of the brain

lateralization

the process by which the left and right hemispheres of the brain specialize in different cognitive and behavioral functions as a person grows

preoperational thought

the second stage in Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, occurring from roughly ages 2 to 7, where children learn to use symbols, language, and pretend play

symbolic thought

the cognitive ability to use words, images, gestures, or objects to represent concepts, ideas, and things that are physically absent

animism

a young child's genuine belief that non-living, inanimate objects have life, feelings, and intentions

centration

the tendency of young children to focus on only one noticeable aspect of an object or situation while ignoring other important features

egocentrism

a cognitive bias where a person cannot understand, see, or recognize a perspective other than their own

focus on appearance

the extent to which an individual attends to, values, and evaluates their own physical looks and outward aesthetic.

static reasoning

a young child's belief that the world is unchanging and that whatever is present in the moment has always been and will always be that way

irreversibility

a cognitive limitation typically found in children during the preoperational stage (ages 2 to 7) of Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development

conservation

the logical understanding that an object or substance's basic properties—such as mass, volume, number, or weight—stay the same even when its outward appearance, shape, or container changes

zone of proximal

development (ZPD)

the gap between what a person can do alone and what they can do with help from someone more knowledgeable.

scaffolding

a teaching and caregiving strategy where temporary support is given to a learner to help them master a new skill, and then gradually removed as they gain independence

overimitation

the human tendency to faithfully copy all parts of an action sequence, including steps that are obviously silly, fake, or not needed to reach a goal

private speech

overt, audible self-talk spoken aloud to oneself rather than directed at another listener

social mediation

the process by which a person's cognitive, emotional, and social skills are shaped, refined, and extended through interactions with other people and cultural tools

Theory of Mind

the cognitive ability to attribute mental states—such as beliefs, intents, desires, emotions, and knowledge—to oneself and others, and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, and perspectives that are different from one's own

executive function

the brain's management system that controls higher-order mental processes used to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks successfully

fast-mapping

a mental shortcut that allows young children to learn the rough meaning of a new word after hearing it just once or a few times

logical extension

an advanced stage of cognitive or psychological growth that naturally and sequentially follows an existing developmental milestone

overregularization

a linguistic error where children apply regular grammatical rules to irregular words that are exceptions to the rule

pragmatics

the social use of language and communication, encompassing the unspoken rules, verbal cues, and non-verbal behaviors required to interact effectively in different contexts

Montessori schools

a child-centered learning system rooted in Dr. Maria Montessori's scientific observations of natural human development from birth to adulthood

Head Start

a federally funded program in the United States that promotes the comprehensive health, development, and school readiness of young children from low-income families