Developmental Psychology Vocab

Development Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

Stability and Change

Stability are traits and behaviors that remain more or less constant. Change refers to the traits and behaviors that are more fluid and flexible. (throughout a persons life)

Nature v.s Nurture

The dispute over hereditary (nature) and environmental (nurture) factors to the development of an individual

Continuity vs. Discontinuity

The scientific debate over whether developmental change is gradual (continuous)or relatively abrupt (discontinuous)

Zygote

The fertilized egg; enters a two week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

Embryo

The developing human organism from about two weeks after fertilization through the second month

Fetus

The developing human organism from a weeks after conception to birth

Teratogens

(“Monster Makers”) - Agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

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

Habituation

Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimuli, their interest varies and they look away sooner

Rooting

An automatic, unlearned response of a newborn to a gentle stimulus applied to the corner of the mouth or to the cheek, in which the infant turns their head and makes sucking noises

Ex: The touch of a finger

Maturation

Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

Pruning

During various phases of brain development through the onset of puberty, the process in which excess or redundant neurons and synaptic connections are eliminated to enable more efficient neural processing

Infantile Amnesia

The commonly experienced inability to recall events from early childhood. Parts of brain not fully matured to remembering personal events

Order of motor skills development

A child’s capacity to move and interact with their environment, as well as the child’s body development and bones and muscles

Visual cliff

The laboratory device for testing depth perception in infants and young animals

Language

Our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

Phonemes

In a language, the smallest distribution sound unit

Morphemes

In a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or part of a word

Semantics

The study of meaning in language from sounds

Grammar

In a language, a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others

Syntax

Set of rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences

Cooing

Vowel-like sounds produced by young infants when they are seemingly happy and contented

Babbling

Beginning around 4 months, the stage of speech development in which an infant spontaneously utters various sounds at first unrelated to the household language

One-word stage

The stage in speech development, from about age one to two, during which a child speaks mostly in single words

Telegraphic Speech

Beginning about age two, the stage in speech development during which a child speaks mostly in two-word statements

Overgeneralization

It is a common linguistic tendency of young children to generalize standard grammatical rules to apply to irregular words

Ex: Pluralizing foot to foots

Cognition

All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Jean Piaget

Swiss psychologist known for his work on child development and cognitive development theories

Schema

A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Assimilation

Interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Accommodation

Adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Sensorimotor Stage

Piagets theory, the stage (birth to two years old) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

Object Permanence

The awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Parallel Play

In which a child is next to others and using similar objects but still engaged in their own activity

Pre-operational stage

Piagets theory, the stage (two to six/seven years of age) during which a child learns to not use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

Conservation

The principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects (Piaget believed this to be a part of concrete operational reasoning)

Reversibility

Piagetion theory, a mental operation that reverses a sequence of events or restores a changed state of affairs to the original condition

Pretend Play

Pretend or make-believe play that includes an as-if orientation to actions, objects, and peers

Egocentrism

In Piagets theory, the pre-operational child’s difficulty taking anothers point of view

Theory of Mind

Peoples ideas about their own and others mental states — about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

Concrete Operational Stage

Piagets theory, the stage of cognitive development (seven to eleven years old) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically

Formal Operational Stage

Piagets theory, the stage of cognitive development (Start of age twelve) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

Lev Vygotsky

Russian-soviet psychologist who focused on how a child’s mind feeds on the language of social interaction

Scaffold

A framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

Zone of proximal development

The zone between what a child can do and can’t do; it’s what a child can do with help

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Stranger Anxiety

The fear of strangers that infants commonly display, starts at eight months old

Separation Anxiety

Normal apprehension experienced by a young child when away from the person or people to whom they are attached

Attachment

An emotional tie with another person; shown in children by their seeking closeness to their caregiver and showing distress on separation

Harlow Monkey Study

Separated infant monkeys from the mother and raised them individually

Cupboard theory

Infants form attachments to their caregivers primarily because they provide food

Critical period

An optimal period early in the life of an organism which exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development

Imprinting

The process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life

Secure Attachment

Strong emotional bond where infants feel safe and confident exploring their environment while knowing they can return to their caregiver for comfort

Insecure Attachment

Bond where infants exhibit anxiety, avoidance, or ambivalence, towards their caregiver, often due to inconsistent or unresponsive caregiving

Anxious Attachment

Infants displaying clinginess and intense distress when separated from their caregiver due to inconsistent caregiving

Avoidant Attachment

Infants who avoid or ignore their caregiver, showing little emotion when the caregiver deports or returns

Disorganized Attachment

Infants who show no coherent or consistent behavior during separation from and reunion with their parents

Temperament

A person’s characteristics emotional reactivity and intensity

Basic Trust

Erik Erikson; a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

Potentially traumatic events hat occur in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunctions, which can have long-term effects on health and well-being

Effects of Romanian Orphanages

Severe developmental delays and attachments disorders due top extreme neglect and lack of stimulation

Resilience

The ability to adapt and recover from adversity, stress or trauma

Self-Concept

All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question “Who am I?”

Authoritarian Parenting Style

High demands and low responsiveness, parents impose strict rules and expect obedience without question

Permissive Parenting Style

Low demands and high responsiveness, where parents are indulgent and rarely enforce rules or discipline

Negligent Parenting Style

Low demands and low responsiveness, parents are uninvolved and indifferent to their child’s needs and behavior

Authoritative Parenting Style

High demands and high responsiveness, where parents set clear rules but also provide warmth and support

Sex

The biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male and female

Gender

The socially influenced characteristics by which people define boy, girl man and woman

Adolescence

The transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

Pruning

The brains process of eliminating unused neural connections to strengthen the most frequently used pathways

Teen brain: Frontal lobe

Still developing, impacting decision making and impulse control

Teen brain: Myelin

Still forming, affects speed and efficiency of neural communication

Teen brain: Limbic System

Highly active, influencing emotional emotional responses and risk-taking behaviors

Teen brain: Impulse Control

Underdeveloped due to ongoing maturation of the prefrontal cortex

Teen brain: Heavy Drinking

Can disrupt its development and lead to long-term cognitive impairments

Teen brain: Death Penalty

The underdeveloped prefrontal cortex raises ethical concerns about their culpability and the appropriateness of the death penalty

Lawrence Kohlberg

American psychologist who studied he stages of moral development

Pre-conventional Moral Thinking

Self-interest and obedience to avoid punishment or gain rewards

Conventional Moral Thinking

Adherence to social rules and laws to maintain order and gain social approval

Post-conventional Moral Thinking

Guided by abstract principles and the recognition of universal ethical values

Delayed Gratification

The ability to resist a immediate reward in favor of a later, often large reward

Erik Eriksons Psychosocial Stages

Eight development phases where individuals face specific psychological conflicts that shape their personality

Psychosocial tasks

Challenges or crisis’ that individuals must overcome at various stages of development to achieve healthy psychological growth

Trust (vs. Mistrust)

Eriksons first stage where infants learn to trust caregivers for basic needs or develop mistrust if care is inconsistent

Autonomy (vs. shame & doubt)

Erikson second stage where toddlers strive to. develop personal control and independence, or feel shame and doubt if overly restricted

Initiative (vs. guilt)

Eriksons third stage where pre-schoolers begin to assert control through directing play and social interactions, or feel guilt if their efforts are stifled

Competence (vs. Inferiority)

Eriksons fourth stage where children work to master skills and feel content, or develop a sense of inferiority if they fail to measure up

Identity (vs. role confusion)

Eriksons fifth stage where adolescents explore and form their personal identity or experience confusion about their role in society

Intimacy (vs. Isolation)

Eriksons sixth stage where young adults seek to form deep relationships and intimate connects, or loniless and isolation

Adolescent relationship with parents transitions

From dependency to seeking autonomy and negotiating independence

Adolescent peer Influence

The significant impact that peers have on an adolescents attitudes behaviors, and identify formation

Adolescence social media influence

The powerful effect that social media platforms have on shaping adolescents self concept, behaviors and social interactions

Identity

Our sense of self; adolescents task is to solidify a sense of self by testing roles

Achievement (of identity)

Stage where an individual has explored various options and made firm commitments to their values, beliefs, and goals

Diffusion (of identity)

When an individual has neither explored nor committed to any particular identity or set of values

Foreclosure (of identity)

When an individual commits to an identity without having explored other options or undergone a crisis