AP Psychology Vocabulary 7

developmental psychology

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

zygote

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

embryo

the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

(literally, "monster makers") agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

fetal alcohol syndrome

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

rooting reflex

a baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to open the mouth and search for the nipple

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner

maturation

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

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

accomodation

(1) in developmental psychology, adapting our current understandings (schema) to incorporate new information. (2) in sensation and perception, the process by which the eye's lens changes shape to focus near or far objects on the retina.

sensorimotor stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) 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

preoperational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 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

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

egocentrism

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

theory of mind

people's ideas their own and others' mental states--about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

autism

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

concrete operational stage

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operation 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

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

attachment

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to their caregiver and showing distress on seperation

critical period

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

imprinting

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

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

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

primary sex characteristics

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

secondary sex characteristics

nonreproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

menarche

the first menstrual period

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

intimacy

in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationship; a primary developmental task in young adulthood

menopause

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

Alzheimer's disease

a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques, often with onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities

cross-sectional study

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time

longitudinal study

research that follows and retests the same people over time

social clock

the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement

authoritarian parents

assertion of parental power without warmth; rejecting relationship

authoritative parents

demanding, but caring; good child-parent communication

indulgent parents

warm toward child, but lax in setting limits

neglecting parents

indifferent and uninvolved with child

cephalocaudal principle

reflects the tendency for developmental to proceed in a head-to-foot direction

proximodistal principle

development begins along the innermost parts of the body and continues towards the outermost parts

zone of proximal development

the difference between what a child can do independently and what the child can do with assistance from adults or more advanced peers

separation anxiety

distress over being seperated from a primary caregiver

stranger situation

researched by Mary Ainsworth; a standardized procedure for examining infant attachment

sequential design

combines the cross-sectional and longitudinal approaches; very time-consuming

the expectancy-violation procedure

used by Renee Baillargeon to research infants; we look at the unusual because we are surprised and curious

parallel play

early during Piaget's Preoperational Stage, children play without any social organization

moral realism

late during Piaget's Preoperational Stage children treat social rules as absolute and unchangeable

emerging adulthood

a period from about age 18 to the mid-twenties, when many in Western cultures are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults

epigenetics

"above" or "in addition to" (epi) genetics; the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

intersex

a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes