chapter8

what does developmental psychology study

examines age-related physical cognitive and socioemotional changes across the lifespan

what is maturation in human development

the universal sequence of development after which physical changes continue but not necessarily in a positive or growth direction

what are the three main areas of human development

cognitive sociocultural and biopsychosocial development

what is the biopsychosocial perspective on development

it examines how biological psychological and social factors interact in development

what is the nature vs nurture debate in human development

it examines whether genetics nature or environment nurture plays a greater role in shaping development

what is the stability vs change debate in development

it questions whether personality traits remain stable or change over time

what is a cohort in psychological research

a group of individuals sharing a similar characteristic or experience usually age-related

what is a cross-sectional study

a study that compares different age groups at a single point in time

what is a longitudinal study

a study that follows a single group over time measuring changes

what are cells

the basic building blocks of all living organisms

how many chromosomes do humans have

23 pairs one set from each parent

what is dna

the molecule that contains genetic instructions for development and function

what is the debate between stages vs continuity in development

it questions whether development occurs in distinct stages or as a continuous process

what is heritability

the proportion of variation in a population trait that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors

what is the difference between genotype and phenotype

genotype is the complete set of genetic material while phenotype is the observable expression of those genes

what are the three stages of prenatal development

germinal period embryonic period fetal period

what is a teratogen

any substance that can cause harm to a developing embryo or fetus

what is fetal alcohol syndrome fas

a condition caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy leading to developmental issues

what is the weakest sense in newborns

sight newborns can only see objects clearly at about 18 inches

what is the language acquisition device lad

a hypothetical brain mechanism proposed to help children naturally acquire language

what is the vocabulary explosion in language development

the rapid increase in vocabulary typically seen in children aged 2-3 years

what is infant-directed speech

a high-pitched repetitive way of speaking to infants that helps with language learning

what is telegraphic speech

early speech in toddlers that includes only essential words like nouns and verbs

what is the critical period for language learning

the early years of life when exposure to language is crucial for normal development

what is a schema according to piaget

a mental framework used to organize and interpret information

what is assimilation in cognitive development

adding new information to an existing schema

what is accommodation in cognitive development

modifying a schema to incorporate new information

what is object permanence

the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible

what is egocentrism in preoperational children

the inability to see a situation from another persons point of view

what is centration in cognitive development

the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation at a time

at what stage does abstract thinking develop according to piaget

the formal operational stage age 12+

what is temperament

a person’s distinct pattern of emotional reactions and behaviors observable from birth

what were the findings of harlows monkey experiment

infant monkeys preferred the cloth mother for comfort demonstrating the importance of attachment

what is the primary attachment stage in bowlby’s theory

the clear-cut attachment phase 6-8 months to 18 months-2 years where infants show separation anxiety

what are ainsworths three types of attachment

secure avoidant and ambivalent attachment

what are the four types of parenting styles

authoritative authoritarian permissive uninvolved

which parenting style is associated with the most well-adjusted children

authoritative parenting

which parenting style leads to children lacking self-control

permissive parenting

what is eriksons psychosocial stage during adolescence

identity vs role confusion

what is identity foreclosure

committing to an identity without exploring other options

what is the imaginary audience in adolescent egocentrism

the belief that everyone is constantly watching and judging them

what is eriksons final stage of psychosocial development

integrity vs despair where older adults reflect on their lives

what are the five stages of grief according to kubler-ross

denial anger bargaining depression acceptance

what is hospice care

a type of care that focuses on comfort and quality of life for terminally ill patients