Module 45-54

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