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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 forms about 2 weeks after fertilization through 2nd month
embryo
zygote inner cells become...
Placenta
zygote outer cells become...
placenta
life-line that transfers nutrients and oxygen from mom to embryo
fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
Teratogens
"monster maker" agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
fetal alchohol 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
epigenetic effects
effect of alcohol, leaves chemical marks on DNA that switches gene abnormality on/off
rooting reflex
tendency for babies to turn towards something touching their cheek, with an open mouth, looking for a nipple
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.
Maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
pruning process
"use-it-or-lose-it"; shuts down unused links and strengthens others that are used more
back-to-sleep position
putting babies to sleep on their backs to reduce the risk of a smothering crib death
infantle amnesia
not remembering things from early childhood; earliest memory at 3.5 y/o
cognition
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating; studied by Jean Piaget
Schemas
a concept or framework that organizes our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
Assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms of existing schemas
accommodation
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
sensormotor stage
in Piaget's theory, the stage (birth to about 2 years) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and their motor activities
object permanence
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived; not fully developed until 8th month
Preoperational stage
in piaget's theory, the stage (2 to 6 or 7 y/o) wear a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations id concrete logic
conservation
the principle (believed by Piaget to be part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects (6-7 years old)
symbolic thinking
representing things with words and images (about 3 years old)
Egocentrism
in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view
curse of knowledge
tendency to overestimate the extent to which others will share our knowledge/opinions
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. (about 7 months)
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
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
high functioning autism
high intelligence and exceptional skills/talent, but lack of social and communication skulls; easily distracted
low functioning autism
little to no usage of language
concrete operational stage
in piaget's theory, the stage of development (6/7 to 11 y/o) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events; begins to grasp conservation
formal operational stage
in piaget's theory. the stage of cognitive development (about 12 y/o) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
zone of proximal development
zone between what a child can and can't do; what they could do with help
cross-sequential design
different participants of various ages are compared at several points in time; determines age related differences and changes
longitudinal design
same participants studied at various ages; determines age-related changes
cross-sectional study
compares groups of people at different ages at a single point in time
Stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning at 8 months
attachment
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation (peaks at 15 months)
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 an early-life critical period
secure attachment
Infants use the mother as a home base from which to explore when all is well, but seek physical comfort and consolation from her if frightened or threatened
insecure attachment
Infants are wary of exploring the environment and resist or avoid the mother when she attempts to offer comfort or consolation
temperament
a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
difficult babies
Irritable, intense and unpredictable babies
easy babies
cheerful, relaxed, predictable
slow-to-warm-up babies
resists or withdraws from new people/situations
Maternal deprivation
experienced by people who lacks caring mother
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
self-concept
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to question "who am i" (fully developed at 12 years)
authoritarian parenting
parents impose rules and expect obedience (children has less self-esteem)
permissive parenting
parents submit to children's desires; little demands/punishments (children more reckless and agressive)
authoriative parenting
parents are both demanding and responsive. Exert control by setting rules and enforcing them, but also explain reasons for rules. (children has high self-esteem, reliance, and social competence)
family self
what shames the child shames the family, and what brings honor to the family brings honor to the self
selection effect
tendency to choose peers with similar attitudes and interests
life-span perspective
to see that development is lifelong
adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
menarche
the first menstrual period
myelin
fatty tissue layer that forms around axons and speeds neurotransmission
formal operations
teens apply new abstract reasoning tools to world
moral reasoning
thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong (pre-conventional, conventional, post conventional
Preconventional
self-interest; obey rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards (before age 9)
Conventional
uphold laws and rules to gain social approval or keep social order (early adolescence)
Postconventional
actions reflect belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles (adolescence and beyond)
psychosocial task
a crisis that needs resolution in each stage of life (Erik Erikson)
search for identity
when adolescents wonder "who am I as an individual?"
identity
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescents task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
social identity
the "we" aspect of out self-concept; the part of our answer to "who am I?" that comes from our group memberships
Trust vs. Mistrust
Infancy (to 1 year); If needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust.
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt
toddlerhood (1-3 years); toddlers learn to exercise their will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities
initiatie vs. guilt
preschool(3-6 years); preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry our plans, or they feel guilty about their efforts to be independent.
Competence vs. Inferiority
Elementary school (6-Puberty); children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior
identity vs. role confusion
adolescence (teen to 20s); teens work at refining a sense of self by testing roles and then integrating them to form a single identity, or they become confused about who they are
Intamicy vs. Isolation
young adulthood(20s to early 40s); young adults struggle to form close relationships and to gain capacity for intimate love, or they feel socially isolated
generaltivity vs stagnation
middle adulthood(40s to 60s); in middle age, people discover a sense of contributing to the world, usually through family and work, or they may feel lack of purpose
integrity vs despair
late adulthood (late 60s and up); reflecting on their lives, older adults may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure
intimacy
in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
emerging adulthood
for some people in modern cultures, a period from late teens to mid-twenties, bridging gap between full independence and adulthood
early adulthood
20s - 30s
middle age
40-65 years
late adulthood
65 years and older
menopause
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
neurogenesis
the birth of new nerve cells in hippocampus
neurocognitive disorder
dementia; general decline in mental ability
terminal decline
3-4 last years of life were cognitive decline accelerates
social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
intimacy
forming close relationships
Generativity
being productive and supporting future generations
insecure-resistant attachment
extremely distressed by the separations and cannot be soothed at reunions (type of insecure attachment)
insecure-avoidant attachment
wary of closeness, so they try to avoid emotional connection with others (type of insecure attachment)
gender
the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female
Agression
any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy
culture
everything shared by a group and transmitted across generations
gender roles
a set of expected behaviors for males or for females
role
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
gender identity
our sense of being male or female
social learning theory
the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
gender typing
the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role
gender schema
framework for organizing boy-girl characteristics
transgender
an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex
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