Studied by 2 people
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
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