Chapter 10 Flashcards
developmental psychology
the study of continuity and change across the lifespan
zygote
a fertilized egg
germinal stage
2-week period of prenatal development that begins at conception
zygote divides
zygote migrates and attaches itself to the Fallopian tube; now it is an embryo
embryonic stage
stage of prenatal development that lasts from the 2nd week to about the 8th week
embryo continues to divide
cells differentiate
male embryos produce testosterone
at about 9 weeks, the embryo gets a new name:
fetus
fetal stage
period of prenatal development that lasts from the 9th week until birth
develop a layer of fat
digestive and respiratory systems mature
myelination starts
__% of a person’s brain development occurs outside the womb
75
teratogens
agents that impair development
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
developmental disorder caused by heavy alcohol use during pregnancy
infancy
the stage of development that begins at birth and lasts between 18 and 24 months.
motor development
the emergence of the ability to execute physical actions such as reaching, grasping, crawling, and walking
reflexes
specific patterns of motor response that are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation
cephalocaudal rule
the tendency for motor behavior to emerge in sequence from the head to the feet
proximodistal rule
the tendency for motor behavior to emerge in sequence from the center to the periphery
cognitive development
the emergence of the ability to think and understand
sensorimotor stage (birth-2 years)
infant experiences world through movement and sense, develops schemas, begins to act intentionally, and shows evidence of understanding object permanence
preoperational (2-6 years)
child acquires motor skills but does not understand conservation of physical properties. child begins this stage of thinking egocentrically but ends with a basic understanding of other minds
concrete operational (6-11 years)
child can think logically about physical objects and events and understands conservation of physical properties.
formal operational (11 years and up)
child can think logically about abstract propositions and hypotheticals
schemas
theories about the way the world works
assimilation
the process by which infants apply their schemas in novel situations
accommodation
the process by which infants revise their schemas to take new information into account
object permanence
the belief that objects exist even when they are not visible
childhood
the stage of development that begins at about 18 to 24 months and lasts until about 11 to 14 years
conservation
the notion that basic properties of an object do not change despite changes in the object’s appearance
ego centrism
the failure to understand that the world appears different to different people.
theory of mind
the understanding that other people’s mental representations guide their behavior
attachment
an emotional bond with a primary caregiver
temperament
characteristic pattern of emotional reactivity
internal working model of relationships
a set of beliefs about the self, the primary caregiver, and the relationship between them
preconventional stage
a stage of moral development in which the morality of an action is primarily determined by its consequenses for the actor
conventional stage
a stage of moral development in which the morality of an action is primarily determined by the extent to which it conforms to social rules
postconventional stage
a stage of moral development in which the morality of an action is determined by a set of general principles that reflect core values, such as the right to life, liberty , ad the pursuit of happiness
adolescence
the period of development that begins with the onset of sexual maturity (about 11 to 14 years of age) and last until the beginning of adulthood (about 18 to 21 years of age)
puberty
the bodily changes associated with sexual maturity
primary sex characteristics
bodily structures that are directly involved in reproduction
secondary sex characteristics
bodily structures that change dramatically with sexual maturity but that are directly involved in reproduction
adulthood
the stage of development that begins around 18 to 21 years and ends at death
the peak years for health, stamina, vigor and prowess are a childhood b early teens c early 20's d early 30's
c
data suggest that, for most people, the last decades of life are
a characterized by an increase in emotions
b spent attending to the most useful information
c extremely satisfying
d a time during which they begin to interact with a much wider circle of people
b
what is true of marital satisfaction over the life span?
a increases steadily
b decreases steadily
c stable
d it shows peaks and valleys, corresponding to the presence ad ages of children
d
