Chapter 4 - Development Flashcards
what is nature?
characteristics a person is born with; effects of genetics
what is nurture?
characteristics that are the result of the influence of the environment
what is the prenatal stage?
a 9 month period of development before birth
what is a zygote?
the egg is fertilized; a 2 week period of rapid cell division occurs
what is an embryo?
developing organism from 2 weeks through 2nd month of pregnancy
what is a fetus?
developing human fetus from 9 weeks after conception to birth
when do most infants survive?
20-26 weeks
what are teratogens?
substances from the environment that enter through placenta and harm the developing baby
what are examples of teratogens?
virus, alcohol (fetal alcohol syndrome), and drugs
what is the rooting reflex?
babies open their mouth and search fro nipple when cheek is touched
what is temperament?
emotional excitability seen a few weeks after birth
what is maturation?
biological growth process that enables orderly changes in behavior; happens back to front; standing before walking
what is the Piaget theory?
child’s mind develops through a series of stages
what are schemas?
concept of framework that organizes and interprets information
what is assimilation?
The process we use to incorporate new information into existing schemas (mental representations
what is accommodation?
The process we use to create new schemas (mental representations) or drastically alter existing ones to incorporate new information that otherwise would not fit
what is egocentrism
the inability of preoperational child to take another’s point of view; conservation does not exist
what is the theory of mind?
idea that other people have thoughts, feelings, emotions; people’s ideas about their own and others mental states
what is Ainsworth’s the stranger situation?
fear of strangers that infants display begins at about 8 months old
what is secure attachment?
emotional tie with another person; seeking closeness to caregiver and showing distress when separated
what is imprinting?
certain animals and babies form attachments during period early in life; very important
what is the first stage in Piaget?
sensorimotor stage (some)
what is the second stage in Piaget?
preoperational stage (pandas)