Chapter 4 Key Terms Flashcards
branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the lifespan
developmental psychology
fertilized egg; enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
zygote
developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the 2nd month
embryo
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
fetus
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
teratogens
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking; in severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions
Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
a baby’s tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch, open the mouth, and search for the nipple
rooting reflex
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner
habituation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
maturation
Earliest memories seldom predate 3rd birthday
infantile amnesia
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
schema
interpreting one’s new experience in terms of one’s existing schemas
assimilation
adapting one’s current understanding (schemas) to incorporate new information
accomodation
all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
cognition
the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
sensorimotor stage
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
object permanence
the stage (from about 2 to 6-7 years old) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
preoperational stage
the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
conservation
the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
egocentrism
people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states – about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts and the behavior these might predict
theory of mind
disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind
autism
normal intelligence, exceptional skill in one area, deficient social skills
Asperger syndrome
stage of cognitive development (from 6-7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
concrete operational stage
stage of cognitive development (beginning at age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
formal operational stage
fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months old
stranger anxiety
emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
attachment
optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
critical period
process which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
imprinting
to Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
basic trust
a sense of one’s identity and personal worth
self-concept
impose rules and expect obedience; kids have less social skill and self esteem
authoritarian parents
submit to children’s desires w/ few demands and few punishments; kids become immature and aggressive
permissive parents
demanding and responsive; kids high self-esteem, self-reliance, competence
authoritative parents
transition period from childhood to adulthood, extends from puberty to independence
adolescence
period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
puberty
body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
primary sex characteristics
nonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as females breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair
secondary sex characteristics
first menstrual period
menarche
first ejaculation, usually is a nocturnal emission
Spermarche
thinking that occurs as we consider right and wrong
moral reasoning
Before age 9, obey either to avoid punishment or to gain rewards
preconventional morality
Early adolescence, care for others and upholds law and social rules
conventional morality
affirms people’s agreed upon rights or follows what one sees as basic ethical principles (some don’t ever reach this stage)
postconventional morality
one’s sense of self; adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
identity
the ability to form close, loving relationships; primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
intimacy
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines (around age 50, reduces estrogen)
menopause
progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning
Alzheimer’s disease
study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
cross-sectional study
research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
longitudinal study
one’s accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
crystallized intelligence
one’s ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease in late adulthood
fluid intelligence
culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, & retirement
social clock
feeling that one’s life has been meaningful and worthwhile
integrity
