Chapter 5 Flashcards
amnesia
condition in which there is damage to the brain making it difficult to learn new things
prefrontal cortex
shots caller - makes decisions, plans, executes plans
developmental psychiatry
branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social development throughout the life span
cross-sectional study
research that compares people of different ages at the same time
longitudinal study
research that follows and retests the same people over time
zygote
fertilized egg. enters two weeks of rapid cell devision and develops into embryot
embryo
zygote attaches to uterine lining, inner cells form embryo and outer cells form placenta. 2 weeks through 2 months
fetus
developing human organism from 9 weeks through birth
teratogens
agents (chemicals, virus, etc) that can reach embryo/fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
fetal alcohol syndrom (FAS)
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant person’s heavy drinking
habituation
decreased responsiveness with repeated stimulation as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to stimulus, their interest wanes (ex. look away sooner)
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience.
in days immediately following birth…
infant brain size greatly increases as neural connections form
from 3-6 months after birth…
brain size increases with massive growth in frontal lobes (control attention + behavior)
rapid cerebellum development/maturation enables babies to stand/walk at…
11ish months old
cognition
all mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
schema
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.
ex. baby thinks all four-leged animals are dogs)
accommodation
adapting our current understandings (schema) to incorporate new information
ex. baby learns its schema is too broad so it refines its understanding
piaget’s stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor stage
birth - 2 yo.
stage at which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
piaget’s stages of cognitive development: preoperational stage
2 yo - 6/7 yo.
stage at which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
piaget’s stages of cognitive development: concrete operational stage
7 yo - 11 yo.
stage at which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete objects
piaget’s stages of cognitive development: formal operational stage
12+ yo.
stage at which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
object permanence
the awareness that objects continue to exist, even when not perceived
conservation
the principle that properties such as mass, volume, number, etc. remains the same despite changes in form of the object.
ex. different shaped glasses of milk
egocentrism (piaget’s theory)
the pre-operational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
scaffold
a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking
theory of mind
people’s ideas of their own and others’ mental states (about their feelings, thoughts, perceptions, and the behaviors these might predict)
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants often display beginning by 8 mo
critical period
an optimal period in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development
basic trust (according to erik erikson)
a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy. said to be formed during infancy by appropriate (caring, nurturing, etc) experiences with responsive caregivers
seld-concept
all of our thoughts and feelings about ourself. and answer to the question “who am i?”
adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood. extending from puberty to independance
puberty
period of sexual maturation during which a person usually becomes capable of reproducing
identity
our sense of self.
according to erikson: the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
social identity
the “we” aspect of our self-concept. the part of our answer to “who am i?” that comes from our group memberships
intimacy (in erik erikson’s theory)
the ability to form close loving relationships, a primary development task in young adulthood
emerging adulthood
period from 18-mid 20s when many in wester cultures are no longer adolescence but have not yet achieved full independence as adults
menopause
the time of natural cessation of menstruation. also refers to the biological changes a female experiences as their ability to reproduce declines
neurocognitive disorders (NCD or dimensia in older adults)
aquired disorders marked by cognitive deficits. often related to alzeimers, brain injury or disease, and substance abuse.
alzeimers disease
a neurocognative disorder marked by neural placks often with onset after 80 yo causing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities
a deterioration of the neurons that produce the neurotransmitter acetylcoline which helps with memory
social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.
