Myers Unit 9 - Developmental Psychology

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