Untitled Notes

Zygote: The fertilized egg that is the initial stage of human development.
Embryo: The stage of development from implantation until about 8 weeks of pregnancy.
Fetus: The stage of development from 8 weeks until birth.
Teratogens: Agents that can cause malformations or harm during prenatal development (e.g., drugs, alcohol).
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS): A condition in a child resulting from alcohol exposure during the mother's pregnancy, leading to physical, behavioral, and learning problems.

Habituation: Decreased response to a stimulus after repeated presentations.
Maturation: The biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience.
Cognition: The mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
Schema: A framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information.
Assimilation: The process of incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.
Accommodation: The process of adjusting schemas to fit new experiences.

Sensorimotor Stage: Birth to about 2 years; experiencing the world through senses and actions.
- Object Permanence: Understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen.
Preoperational Stage: Ages 2 to 7; representing things with words and images but lacking logical reasoning.
- Egocentrism: Inability to see the world from others' perspectives.
- Conservation: Understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape.
Concrete Operational Stage: Ages 7 to 11; thinking logically about concrete events and grasping concrete analogies.
Formal Operational Stage: Ages 12 and up; abstract reasoning and formal logic.

Scaffold: Support offered to a learner that is gradually removed as they become more competent.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A developmental disorder affecting communication and behavior.
Stranger Anxiety: The fear of strangers typically displayed by infants around 8 months old.
Attachment: An emotional bond that forms between people, often studied in the context of parent-child relationships.
- Secure Attachment: A strong, positive bond characterized by comfort and security.
- Insecure Attachment: A bond marked by anxiety or avoidance.
Temperament: An individual's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
Basic Trust: A concept from Erik Erikson referring to the sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy, established in infancy.
Self-Concept: The understanding and perception one has of oneself.

Sex: The biological differences between male and female.
Gender: The roles, behaviors, and expectations society assigns to individuals based on their sex.
Aggression: Behavior intended to harm another person.
- Relational Aggression: Harm done through manipulating relationships.
Role: A set of expectations regarding how to behave in a particular social position.
Gender Role: The expectations about how males and females should think and act.
Gender Identity: One's personal sense of their gender, which may not necessarily match the sex assigned at birth.
Social Learning Theory: Suggests that gender roles are learned through social interaction, observations, and reinforcement.
Gender Typing: The process by which children learn the behaviors and attitudes deemed appropriate for their gender.
Androgyny: A combination of masculine and feminine characteristics in an individual.
Transgender: A term for individuals whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Adolescence: The developmental transition from childhood to adulthood.
Puberty: The period of sexual maturation during which an individual becomes capable of reproduction.
Identity: The sense of self consisting of personal and social identities.
Social Identity: A person’s sense of who they are based on their group membership(s).
Intimacy: The ability to form close, loving relationships, a key task in early adulthood.
Emerging Adulthood: A developmental stage typically ranging from ages 18 to 25 where individuals explore various life options.

X Chromosome: One of the two sex chromosomes in humans, females have two X chromosomes (XX).
Y Chromosome: The sex chromosome found in males (XY).
Testosterone: The primary male sex hormone, contributing to the development of male physical characteristics.
Primary Sex Characteristics: Physical features directly involved in reproduction.
Secondary Sex Characteristics: Features that appear during puberty, such as breast development in females and facial hair in males.
Spermarche: The onset of sperm production in males.
Menarche: The first menstrual cycle in females.
Intersex: A condition where an individual is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit typical definitions of male or female.
AIDS: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, a viral infection that destroys the body's immune system.
Sexual Orientation: An enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to people of the same or different genders.
Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual cycles permanently cease.

Cross-Sectional Study: Research that compares different groups at one point in time.
Longitudinal Study: Research that follows the same group over time to observe changes.

Alzheimer’s Disease: A progressive neurodegenerative disease that causes memory loss and cognitive decline.

Social Clock: The culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage and parenthood.