3/15 Flashcards
assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
critical period
an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal developing
theory of mind
people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states
habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeat stimulation
embryo
the developing human organism from about two weeks after fertilization through the second month
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior relatively uninfluenced by experience
attachment
an emotional tie with another person
cognition
all the mental activities associate with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communications
schema
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
sensorimotor stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage from birth to 2 years of age
accommodation
adapting our current understandings to incorporate new information
teratogens
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
imprinting
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early life critical period
zygote
the fertilized egg that enters a two week period of rapid cell division
