Studied by 1 person
developmental psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span. (p. 462)
embryo
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month. (p. 466)
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features. (p. 467)
fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth. (p. 466)
habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner. (p. 468)
teratogens
(literally, "monster makers") agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm. (p. 467)
zygote
the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo. (p. 466)
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience. (p. 471)
childhood/infantile amnesia
the absence of conscious memories of events occurring before about age 3.5, in part because major brain areas have not yet matured. (p. 473)
accommodation
in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information. (p. 477)
assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas. (p. 477)
cognition
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating. (p. 476)
concrete operational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events. (p. 483)
conservation
the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects. (p. 479)
egocentrism
in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view. (p. 479)
formal operational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts. (p. 483)
object permanence
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived. (p. 478)
preoperational stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic. (p. 479)
schema
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information. (p. 477)
sensorimotor stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities. (p. 478)
theory of mind
people's ideas about their own and others' mental states--about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict. (p. 480)
attachment
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation. (p. 488)
basic trust
according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers. (p. 492)
critical period
an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development. (p. 489)
imprinting
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early life critical period. (p. 489)
self-concept
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, "Who am I?" (p. 492)
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age. (p. 488)
temperament
a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity. (p. 490)
adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence. (p. 513)
emerging adulthood
for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood. (p. 523)
identity
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles. (p. 519)
intimacy
in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood. (p. 521)
social identity
the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships. (p. 519)
puberty
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing. (p. 527)
cross-sectional study
a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another. (p. 543)
longitudinal study
research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period. (p. 543)
menopause
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines. (p. 540)
Social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement. (p. 544)
Rooting Reflex
an innate response of the head due to the stimulation of the face, mouth, or cheek by touching
Symbolic thinking
representing things with words and images
Zone of Proximal Development
the zone between what a child can and can’t do
Secure attachment
where a child feels comforted by the presence of their caregiver
Insecure attachment
contains mistrust and anxious elements, also lacking a secure base
Authoritarian
impose rules and expect obedience
Permissive
submit to their child’s desires
Authoritative
both demanding and responsive
Note
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