Ch. 4: Human Development Flashcards
accommodation
in vision, the process through which the lens changes its shape temporarily to help focus light on the retina
ageism
discrimination or prejudice against an individual based on physical age
assimilation
the process through which we fit—or assimilate—new experiences into existing schemata
attachments
strong emotional ties formed to one or more intimate companions
concrete operational period
Piaget’s third stage of cognitive dev elopement, lasting from ages 7 to 11. Children acquire the capacity to perform a number of mental operations but still lack the ability for abstract reasoning
cross-sectional design
a research design in which people of different ages are compared at the same time
dementia
physically based losses in mental functioning
development
the age-related physical, intellectual, social, and personal changes that occur throughout an individual’s lifetime
egocentrism
the tendency to see the world from one’s own unique perspective only; a characteristic of thinking in the preoperational period of development
embryonic period
the period of prenatal development lasting from implantation to the end of the eighth week
fetal period
the period of prenatal development lasting from the ninth week until birth
formal operational period
Piaget’s last stage of cognitive development; thought processes become adultlike, and people gain mastery over abstract thinking
gender roles
specific patterns of behavior that are consistent with how society dictates males and females should act
germinal period
the period in prenatal development from conception to implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus
habituation
the decline in the tendency to respond to an event that has become so interested in seeking a consensus of opinion that they start to ignore and even suppress dissenting views
longitudinal design
a research design in which the same people are studied or tested repeatedly over time
menopause
the period during which a woman’s menstrual cycle slows down and finally stops
morality
the ability to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate actions
object permanence
the ability to recognize that objects still exist when they’re no longer in sight
personal identity
a sense of who one is as an individual and how well on measures up against
postconventional level
Kohlberg’s highest level of moral development, in which moral actions are judged on the basis of a personal code of ethics that is general and abstract and that may not agree with societal norms
preconventional level
in Kohlberg’s theory, the lowest level of moral development, in which decisions about right and wrong are made primarily in terms of external consequences
preoperational period
Piaget’s second stage of cognitive development, lasting from ages 2 to about 7; children begin to think symbolically but often lack the ability to perform mental operations such as conservation
principle of conservation
the ability to recognize that the physical properties of an object remain the same despite superficial changes in the object’s appearance
puberty
the period during which a person reaches sexual maturity and is potentially capable of producing offspring
schemata
mental models of the world that we use to guide and interpret our experiences
sensorimotor period
Piaget’s first stage of cognitive development, lasting from birth to about 2 years of age; schemata revolve around sensory and motor abilities
strange situation test
gradually subjecting a child to a stressful situation and observing his or her behavior toward the parent or caregiver. This test is used to classify children according to type of attachment–secure, resistant, avoidant, or disorganized/disoriented
temperament
a child’s general level of emotional reactivity
teratogens
environmental agents—such as disease organisms or drugs—that can potentially damage the developing embryo or fetus
zygote
the fertilized human egg, containing 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother
