Lifespan Development

A set of flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on lifespan development, focusing on physical, cognitive, and language development.

Lifespan Development

The study of how individuals change and grow from birth to the end of life.

Teratogens

Agents or factors that cause malformation or harm to a developing fetus.

Fine motor coordination

The ability to make precise movements with small muscles, typically in the hands.

Gross motor coordination

The ability to make large movements using the body's larger muscle groups.

Maturation

The process of development and growth that is guided by biological factors.

Reflexes

Automatic responses to stimuli that are essential for survival.

Rooting reflex

A reflex in infants that causes them to turn their head towards a stimulus and make sucking motions when their mouth is touched.

Schemas

Mental structures that organize knowledge and guide cognitive processes.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.

Accommodation

The process of changing schemas to incorporate new information.

Sensorimotor stage

The earliest stage of cognitive development (from birth to about 2 years) where infants learn through sensory and motor interactions.

Object permanence

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

Preoperational stage

The stage of cognitive development (ages 2 to 7) characterized by the emergence of symbolic thought and language.

Mental symbols

Internal representations of objects or concepts.

Pretend play

Play that involves using imagination and making believe.

Phonemes

The smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Grammar

The set of rules that guide the structure of sentences in a language.