Untitled Flashcards Set

Chronological development

The progression and order of development events as they unfold over time.

Lifespan development

The study of how people change and grow from infancy through old age.

Stability and change

The concept of whether personalities and behaviors remain consistent or change over time.

Nature and nurture

The debate regarding the influence of genetic or biological factors (nature) versus environmental factors (nurture) in shaping development.

Continuous development

Concept suggesting that human development occurs gradually.

Discontinuous development

Concept suggesting that development is characterized by abrupt and distinct stages.

Teratogens

Agents like chemicals and viruses that can reach the embryo/fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

Neural pruning

The process of eliminating unnecessary neuronal connections to improve brain efficiency.

Maturation

The orderly sequence of biological growth.

Reflexes

Involuntary and automatic responses to stimuli.

Intersex

A condition at birth of a combination of female and male chromosomes.

Visual cliff

A test to assess depth perception in infants, involving a glass surface that creates an appearance of a drop-off.

Critical periods

Specific windows of time during which certain skills or abilities are most easily developed.

Imprinting

A form of learning in which a young animal attaches to its first moving object or caregiver.

Growth spurt

A period marked by rapid growth, typically during puberty.

Puberty

A developmental stage characterized by rapid physical growth and sexual maturation.

Primary sex characteristics

Physical changes directly related to reproduction.

Secondary sex characteristics

Physical changes not directly linked to reproduction but signaling sexual maturity.

Menarche

The first menstrual period.

Spermarche

The first ejaculation.

Menopause

The termination of a woman's menstrual periods and reproductive ability.

Schemas

Mental structures that guide thinking and organize knowledge.

Assimilation

The process of incorporating new information into existing schemas.

Accommodation

The process of altering existing schemas to incorporate new information.

Object permanence

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

Preoperational stage

Cognitive development stage from ages 2-7 characterized by limited logical reasoning ability.

Conservation

Understanding that quantity remains constant despite changes in shape or appearance.

Egocentrism

The inability to see a situation from another person's point of view.

Theory of mind

The ability to understand that others have thoughts and perspectives different from one's own.

Concrete operational stage

Cognitive development stage where children start using logical thought but only in concrete contexts.

Formal operational stage

Final cognitive development stage, characterized by abstract thought and reasoning.

Scaffolding

A teaching method that involves breaking complex information into manageable parts.

Zone of proximal development

The gap between what a learner can do without help and what they can achieve with guidance.

Crystallized intelligence

Accumulated knowledge and verbal skills that tend to remain stable or improve with age.

Fluid intelligence

The ability to reason quickly and abstractly, which tends to decline with age.

Phonemes

The smallest distinctive sound units in a language.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

Syntax

The rules that govern the structure of sentences in a language.

Cooing

Vowel-like sounds made by infants around 4 months of age.

Babbling

Repeating consonant-vowel combinations, starting around 4-6 months of age.

Holophrases

One-word utterances used by toddlers that represent whole sentences or thoughts.

Telegraphic speech

Two-word sentences used by toddlers to convey meaning concisely.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

A theoretical construct proposed by Noam Chomsky that suggests humans are pre-programmed to learn language.

Ecological systems theory

A framework for understanding the different environments that influence human development.

Microsystem

Immediate environment including family, friends, and schools that influence individual development.

Mesosystem

The interconnections between different microsystems, such as between home and school.

Exosystem

External environments that indirectly influence development, such as parents' workplaces.

Macrosystem

Cultural and societal impacts on development.

Chronosystem

The dimension of time in ecological systems theory, encompassing changes over the lifespan.

Authoritarian parenting

A strict parenting style characterized by high demands and low responsiveness.

Authoritative parenting

A parenting style marked by warmth and reasonable demands.

Permissive parenting

A parenting style characterized by low demands but high responsiveness.

Attachment styles

Patterns of attachment that infants develop with caregivers.

Secure attachment

A healthy attachment style where infants feel safe and seek comfort from caregivers.

Insecure attachment

An attachment style that reflects a lack of confidence in a caregiver's responsiveness.

Temperament

Innate personality characteristics that influence behavior.

Separation anxiety

Distress experienced by infants when separated from their primary caregiver.

Parallel play

A form of play where children play side by side without interaction.

Imaginary audience

An adolescent belief that they are the center of attention and everyone is watching them.

Personal fable

The belief common in adolescents that they are unique and invulnerable.

Social clock

Cultural timelines that dictate when certain life events should occur.

Emerging adulthood

A developmental stage occurring from late teens through twenties marked by exploration of identity.

Trust and mistrust

An early developmental stage where infants learn if their needs will be met.

Autonomy and shame and doubt

A stage of development where toddlers begin to assert independence.

Initiative and guilt

A developmental stage where preschoolers learn to initiate tasks.

Industry and inferiority

A stage where children learn to work and cooperate with others.

Identity and role confusion

The phase in adolescence where individuals explore their personal identity.

Intimacy and isolation

Young adults struggle to form intimate relationships.

Generativity and stagnation

Middle-aged adults seek to contribute to society or may feel stagnant.

Integrity and despair

Late adults reflect on their lives in search of a sense of fulfillment.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)

Traumatic experiences during childhood that can impact long-term health and well-being.

Diffusion (adolescent development)

A psychological state marked by a lack of strong identity or commitment.

Foreclosure (adolescent development)

Acceptance of parental or societal values and roles without personal exploration.

Identity moratorium (adolescent development)

Exploring different identities without yet making a commitment.

Racial/ethnic identity

One's sense of belonging to a particular racial or ethnic group.

Sexual orientation

An individual's emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others.

Religious identity

One’s identification with or participation in a particular faith or spiritual belief.

Occupational identity

A person's sense of their work-related skills and aspirations.

Familial identity

Identification with family values, roles, and relationships.

Possible selves (adolescence)

The various roles and identities that an adolescent envisions for their future.