Chapter 1 Vocabulary Flashcards
Adaptation
The adjustment of existing knowledge structures through either of the two processes of assimilation or accommodation
Accommodation
A process by which one learns new info by creating an entirely new knowledge structure(s)
Anorexia Nervosa
Eating disorder characterized by very limited food intake
Assimilation
Incorporating new knowledge into existing knowledge frames
Assisted Learning
The process a teacher might use when providing scaffolding within a student’s zone of proximal development
“Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt” Stage
Erikson’s second stage; where children who are given developmentally appropriate tasks to try by themselves develop a growing sense of independence
Bulimia
An eating disorder characterized by over-eating and then purging the food by self-induced vomiting or laxatives
Centration
Young children are only able to focus upon one aspect or characteristic when organizing or sorting
Classification
Groupings objects with common characteristics
Cognitive Development
Changes in mental and intellectual processes
Concrete Operational Stage
Piaget’s third stage; characterized by the ability to consider more than one aspect of an object or problem, conserve and classify, and demonstrate the concept of seriation
Conservation
The realization that a change in the appearance of an object does not necessarily change the characteristics of the object
Constructivist Theories
Belief that children are not passive in the learning process; each learner constantly and actively seeks info and meshes old knowledge with new to make it meaningful in building or constructing his or her own knowledge
Conventional Moral Reasoning
The focus of choosing a course of moral action is on gaining the approval of others
Development
The systematic and lasting changes that take place over the course of the human life span
Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)
Teaching in a way that considers the capabilities of the child in his or her current developmental stage; providing learning experiences that lead to optimal success at each child’s developmental level
Disequilibrium
Occurs when dissonance after an interaction with the environment is not consistent with one’s prior representations, beliefs, or knowledge of events or objects
Egocentrism
The inability of young children to take the perspective of others
Equilibration
The constant innate search for a balance between that we already know and a new activity, skill, or social experience
Fine Motor Skills
The development and use of finely-tuned, small muscle movements that develop after gross motor skills
Formal Operational Stage
Piaget’s cognitive development; covering ages 11-adult; characterized by the ability to deal with abstract concepts without concrete representations
Gross Motor Skills
The development and use of large muscles of the body and large body movements
Guided Participation
The process that a teacher might use when providing scaffolding within a student’s zone of proximal development
Imaginary audience
Older children’s belief that everyone is as concerned about their behavior and appearance as they are; everything that happens to them is “seen” by everyone else
Identity vs. role confusion stage
Erikson’s fifth psychosocial stage; adolescents seek to discover “who they are”
Industry vs. inferiority stage
Erikson’s 4th stage; children (6-12) attempt to develop the academic and social skills and abilities needed for successful societal and social interaction
Information processing
Suggests that the development of cognitive processes occurs through more gradual processes involving increased capability and capacity of attention, learning strategies, knowledge, and metacognition
“Initiative vs. guilt” stage
Erikson’s third stage; children ages 3-6 of age test their independence and explore their environment as they master language and cognitive and social skills
Maturation
Internally determined change
Metacognitive ability
The ability to think that one’s own cognitive thinking processes and to use this process to facilitate learning
Organization
Continual process of arranging and connecting information, objects, and events within meaningful mental systems
Personal Fable
Adolescents’ belief that they are special in the sense of being unique, invulnerable, and omnipotent, so few can understand
Physical development
Changes in the human body that are dependent, to a large extent, on genes
Preconventional Moral Reasoning
The first level of moral reasoning described by Kohlberg, where right or wrong is decided by the consequences received after an action
Preoperational stage
Piaget’s second stage; ages 2-7; it marks the transition to symbolic thought characterized by the child’s focus on a single aspect of a situation while ignoring other aspects and the child’s ability to think operations through in one direction but not the reverse
Prepubescense
The period of life immediately before puberty, often marked by accelerated physical growth
Private Speech
Vygotsky’s term for young children’s talking themselves through tasks aloud; this develops as we grow older into mentally “talking ourselves through” tasks
Psychomotor Domain
The stages in which children master skills
Psychosocial Theory
Erikson’s stage theory that relates to stages of psychological and social principles; during their lifetimes, humans may go through up to 8 stages
Puberty
The stage of adolescence in which an individual becomes physiologically capable of sexual reproduction
Readiness
The assessment of a student’s potential ability to complete new tasks
Reflectivity
The tendency to think about what is going on in one’s own mind, to study oneself, and to judge one’s actions
Scaffolding
Guidance and support in new learning from adults or peers that is gradually withdrawn from the learner as competence improves
Schema (schemata)
According to Piaget, building blocks of thought that enable us to understand our world and help guide our interactions with objects and events
Self-concept
Conscious, cognitive perception by individuals of themselves
Self-esteem
The value humans place on their own particular characteristics, behaviors, and abilities
Self-talk
The oral directions children often give themselves while working through a task
Sensorimotor Stage
Piaget’s 1st stage for birth-2 years; primary accomplishments during this period include understanding that objects exist, even when they are not in sight or sound range, imitation of the actions of others, the combination of simple actions into more complex routines, and evidence of goal-directed behaviors or intentional behaviors or intentional behaviors tied to physical actions
Seriation
Ability to arrange objects in an orderly fashion using a quantitative dimension
Social development
Occurs as mans interact with others, although inherent personality and/or physical traits may influence the nature of these interactions
Stages of Cognitive Development
- Sensorimotor
- Preoperational
- Concrete Operational
- Formal Operational
Stages of Moral Reasoning
Levels of thinking processes related to judgment of right or wrong
Strategies
Specific ways of studying used by students to help them learn
“Trust vs. Mistrust” Stage
Erikson’s first stage; without appropriate caregiving during birth to 3 years, children can develop mistrust of other human beings
Zone of Proximal Development
The difference between intellectual tasks that children can perform alone and those that they can perform with the assistance of an adult or a more skilled peer; the place in learning at which a child could succeed with help but cannot yet succeed alone
