Module 12: Infancy & Childhood (Thurs 09/25/25) Class 6

Cognitive Development

The transition to general activities associated with thinking, including knowing, remembering, and problem-solving.

Object Permanence

The awareness that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.

Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of cognitive development where infants experience the world through senses and actions.

Stranger Anxiety

A developmental phenomenon where infants exhibit fear or anxiety around strangers, typically beginning around 12 months of age.

Egocentrism

The difficulty in taking another person's perspective, common during the preoperational stage of development.

Conservation

The understanding that certain properties of objects remain unchanged even when their forms or appearances are altered.

Preoperational Stage

The second stage of cognitive development characterized by the development of language and imagination but limited in understanding concrete logic.

Concrete Operational Stage

The third stage of cognitive development where children begin to think logically about concrete events.

Formal Operational Stage

The final stage of cognitive development characterized by the ability to think abstractly and engage in hypothetical thinking.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information into existing cognitive schemas or frameworks.

Accommodation

The process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones when new information does not fit.

Attachment Theory

A psychological model describing the dynamics of long-term interpersonal relationships, particularly between children and caregivers.

Secure Attachment

A type of attachment in which a child feels safe and secure, explored the environment, and showed distress when separated from their caregiver.

Insecure Attachment

A category of attachment characterized by anxiety, avoidance, or ambivalence in relationships.

Temperament

The inherent emotional reactivity and intensity that a child is born with, influencing their behavior and interactions.

Mary Ainsworth

A psychologist known for her research on attachment and the Strange Situation experiment.

Jean Piaget

A Swiss psychologist recognized for his work in developmental psychology and the theory of cognitive development stages.

Renee Baillargeon

A researcher known for her studies challenging Piaget's timeline on the development of object permanence.

Abstract Reasoning

The ability to think about concepts that are not directly tied to concrete objects or experiences.

Systematic Problem Solving

A methodical approach to solving problems through organized methods rather than trial and error.

Developmental Phenomenon

Observable features or behaviors associated with the stages of cognitive development.

Strange Situation

An experimental procedure designed by Mary Ainsworth to observe attachment relationships between children and their caregivers.