Chapter 10: Human Development - Key Words Flashcards
Study of how behaviour changes over the lifespan
developmental psychology
False assumption that because one event occured before another event, it must have caused that event
Post hoc fallacy
research design that examines people of different ages at a single point in time
cross-sectional design
effect observed in a sample of participants that results from individuals in the sampel growing up at the same time
cohort effect
research design that examines development in the same group of people on multiple occasions over time
longitudinal design
situation in which the effects of genes depend on the environment in which they are expressed
gene-environment interaction
tendency of individuals with certain genetic predispositions to seek out and create environments that permit the expression of those predispositions
nature-via-nurture
activation or deactivation of genes by environmental experiences throughout development
gene expression
period prior to birth
prenatal
fertilized egg
zygote
ball of identical cells early in pregnancy that haven’t yet begun to take on any specific function in a body part
blastocyst
second to eight week of prenatal development, during which limbs, facial features, and major orans of the body take form
embryonic stage
period of prenatal development from the ninth week until birth after all major organs are establisehd and physical maturation is the primary change
fetal stage
environmental factor that can exert a negative impact on prenatal development
teratogen
condition resulting from high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure, causing learning disabilities, physical growth retardation, facial malformations, and behavioural disorders
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
bodily motion that occurs as a result of self-initiated force that moves the bones and muscles
motor behaviour
the transition between childhood and adulthood commonly associated with the teenage years
adolescence
the achievement of sexual maturation resulting in the potential to reproduce
puberty
a physical feature such as the reproductive organs and genitals that distinguish the sexes
primary sex characterstic
a sex-differentiating characteristics that doesn’t relate directly to reproduction, such as breast enlargement in women and deepening voices in men
secondary-sex characteristic
start of menstruation
menarche
boy’s first ejaculation
spermarche
the termination of menstruation, marking the end of a woman’s reproductive potential
menopause
study of how children acquire the ability to learn, think, reason, communicate, and remember
cognitive development
Piagetian process of absorbing new experience into current-knowledge structures
assimilation
Piagetian process of altering a belief to make it more compatible with experience
Accomodation
Stage in Piaget’s theory characterized by a focus on the here and the now without the ability to represent experiences mentally
sensorimotor stage
the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view
object permanence
stage in Piaget’s theory characterized by the ability to construct mental representations of experience, but not yet perform operations on them
preoperational stage
inability to see the world from other’s perspectives
egocentrism
Piagetian task requiring children to understand that despite a transformation in the physical presentation of an amount, the amount remains the same
conservation tasks
stage in Piaget’s theory characterized by the ability to perform mental operations on physical events only
concrete operations stage
Stage in Piaget’s theory characterized by the ability to perform hypothetical reasoning beyond the here and now
formal operations stage
Vygotskian learning mechanism in which parents provide initial assistance in children’s learning but gradually remove structure as children become more competent
scaffolding
phase of learning during which children can benefit from instruction
zone of proximal development
ability to reason about what other people know or believe
theory of mind
a fear of strangers developing at 8 or 9 months of age
stranger anxiety
basic emotional style that appears early in development and is largely genetic in origin
temperament
the strong emotional connection we share with those to whom we feel closest
attachment
positive emotions afforded by touch
contact comfort
drawing conclusions on the basis of only a single measure
mono-operation bias
environment that provides children with basic needs for affection and discipline
average expectable environment
ability to inhibit an impulse to act
self-control
individual’s sense of being male or female
gender identity
a set of behaviours that tend to be associated with being male or female
gender role
our sense of who we are, and our life goals and priorities
identity
dilemna concerning an individuals relations to other people
psychosocial crisis
period of life between the ages of 18 and 25 during which many aspects of emotional development, identity, and personality become solidified
emerging adulthood
supposed phase of adulthood characterized by emotional distress about the aging process and an attempt to regain youth
midlife crisis
alleged period of depression in mothers following the departure of their grown children from the home
empty-nest syndrome
