Infant Development and Cognitive Growth

Developmental Psychology

Studies changes across physical, cognitive, social, emotional lifespan.

Teratogens

Environmental agents disrupting typical fetal development.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Disorders caused by alcohol exposure during pregnancy.

Dynamic Systems Theory

Behavior emerges from interactions with environment and biology.

Imitation

Infant's first social interaction through mimicking behavior.

Perception

Development of sensory capacities in infants.

Preferential-Looking Technique

Method to assess infant's visual activity preferences.

Motor Reflexes

Automatic responses triggered by sensory stimulation.

Rooting Reflex

Infant turns head towards nipple touch.

Sucking Reflex

Infant closes mouth on nipple.

Grasping Reflex

Infant holds onto objects placed in hand.

Infantile Amnesia

Inability to recall early childhood events.

Harlow's Study

Monkeys preferred comfort over food source.

Separation Anxiety

Distress when caregiver leaves, emerges at 6-8 months.

Attachment Styles

Patterns of emotional bonds between infants and caregivers.

Secure Attachment

Healthy bond, leads to social competence.

Insecure/Avoidant Attachment

Distant behavior, ignores caregiver's return.

Insecure/Ambivalent Attachment

Upset when caregiver leaves, seeks and rejects contact.

Strange Situation Test

Assessing infant attachment through caregiver separation.

Piaget's Stages

Framework for cognitive development stages in children.

Sensory-Motor Stage

Knowledge through senses, lacks symbolic thinking.

Pre-Operational Stage

Uses symbols, struggles with multiple perspectives.

Concrete Operational Stage

Uses logic and multiple perspectives for problem-solving.

Formal Operational Stage

Abstract reasoning and hypothetical problem-solving abilities.

Assimilation

Using existing schema to interpret new experiences.

Accommodation

Revising schemas to incorporate new information.

Object Permanence

Understanding objects exist even when unseen.

A not B Error

Infants search first hiding location despite changes.

Wide short glass

A visual tool used in cognitive categorization tasks.

Categorization (2-7 years)

Children categorize objects based on salient features.

Egocentrism

Inability to see perspectives other than one's own.

Three mountains task

Test assessing children's perspective-taking abilities.

Theory of mind

Understanding that others have different mental representations.

Piaget's theory criticisms

Recent findings suggest earlier development of social understanding.

Sociocultural view of development

Child's mind develops through social interactions.

Kohlberg's moral development

Three levels: Preconventional, Conventional, Postconventional.

Pre-conventional stage

Morality based on self-interest and avoiding punishment.

Conventional stage

Morality based on societal rules and harm prevention.

Post-conventional stage

Morality based on universal principles and human rights.

Golden rule

Moral reasoning based on empathy and reciprocity.

Carol Gilligan's critique

Argued women view morality through compassion and relationships.

Alzheimer's disease

Progressive loss of nerve cells causing memory issues.

Fluid intelligence

Ability to solve new problems, peaks in early adulthood.

Crystallized intelligence

Knowledge and skills increase with age.

Circumplex model

Classifies emotions along valence and arousal axes.

Primary emotions

Innate, universal emotions like anger and fear.

Secondary emotions

Complex emotions like guilt and jealousy.

Limbic system

Brain region crucial for processing emotions.

Amygdala

Processes emotional significance and generates reactions.

Hippocampus

Integrates emotional experiences with past memories.

James-Lange theory

Emotions arise from bodily responses to stimuli.

Cannon-Bard theory

Emotional experience and physical response occur simultaneously.

Two-factor theory

Emotions depend on physical response and cognitive interpretation.

Misattribution of arousal

Misidentifying arousal source can alter emotional labeling.

Facial feedback hypothesis

Facial expressions influence emotional experiences.

Schachter-Singer theory

Emotion results from arousal and cognitive interpretation.

Display rules

Cultural norms dictating emotional expression.

Darwin's theory

Facial expressions are innate and universal.

Ekman's research

Facial expression meanings vary by culture.

Guilt

Negative emotion linked to anxiety and tension.

Baumeister's view on guilt

Guilt strengthens interpersonal relationships.

Embarrassment

Feeling after violating cultural norms.

Motivation

Process energizing, guiding, and maintaining behavior.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs

Basic needs must be met before higher needs.

Biological needs

Essential for survival: air, food, water.

Drives

Internal states motivating need satisfaction.

Yerkes-Dodson law

Optimal arousal improves performance on tasks.

Incentives

External goals motivating behavior.

Extrinsic motivation

Driven by external rewards or goals.

Intrinsic motivation

Driven by internal pleasure or value.

Self-determination theory

Motivation from needs for competence and autonomy.

Self-efficacy

Belief in ability to succeed.

Delay gratification

Postponing immediate rewards for long-term goals.

Hot cognition

Emotionally charged thoughts influencing decisions.

Cold cognition

Neutral, rational thought processes.

Hypothalamus

Brain region regulating hunger and eating.

Insulin

Hormone controlling blood glucose levels.

Leptin

Hormone signaling long-term hunger suppression.

Ghrelin

Hormone signaling short-term hunger.

Sensory-specific satiety

Desire for specific food decreases with consumption.

Classical conditioning

Learning through association between stimuli.