Chapter 9 Flashcards
Physical development
growth and changes in the body and brain, senses,
motor skills, and health and wellness
Cognitive development
learning, attention, memory, language, thinking,
reasoning and creativity
Psychosocial development
emotions, personality and social relationships
Continuous development
views development as a cumulative process, gradually
improving on existing skills
Discontinuous development
views development as occurring in unique stages
(specific times or ages).
Evidence for one course
Studies show that children from all around the world reach
language milestones in a similar sequence
Evidence for many courses
Cultural differences in child care practices – different
practices can accelerate or inhibit achievement of developmental milestones.
Nature
Biology and genetics
Nurture
environment and culture
Sigmond Freud
Believed that childhood experiences shape our personalities and behavior as adults
Erik Erikson
Argues that personality development
takes place across the lifespan, not
just in childhood
Piaget
Focused on children’s cognitive growth and
theorized that cognitive abilities develop through
specific stages
Assimilation
incorporates information into existing
schemata
Accommodation
Change schemata based on new
information.
Sensorimotor
World experienced through
senses and actions
Preoperational
Use words and images to
represent things, but lack
logical reasoning
Concrete operational
Understand concrete events
and analogies logically;
perform arithmetical
operations
Formal Operational
Formal operations.
Utilize abstract reasoning
Germinal stage
Conception occurs when sperm fertilizes an
egg and forms a zygote (one-cell structure)
Mitosis
The process of cell division
Embryonic stage
After the zygote has 150 cells it travels down the fallopian tubes and implants itself in
the lining of the uterus
Placenta
structure connected to the uterus that provides nourishment and oxygen
from the mother to the embryo via the umbilical co
Prenatal Influences
Genetic and environmental factors can affect development during each prenatal
stage
Teratogen
any environmental agent
(biological, chemical, or physical) that causes
damage to the developing embryo or fetus
Alcohol
can cause fetal-alcohol
syndrome
Smoking
can result in premature birth,
low-birth weight, stillbirths, sudden infant
death syndrome
Newborn reflexes
inborn automatic responses to particular forms of stimulation
(help the newborn survive).
Rooting reflexes
inborn automatic responses to particular forms of stimulation
(help the newborn survive)
Sucking reflexes
suck on objects placed by mouth
Grasping reflexes
Cling to objects placed by hands
Moro reflex
baby spreads arms and pulls them back in when they are startled/feel
like they are falling
Blooming period
neural pathways form thousands of new connections during infancy and
toddlerhood
Pruning period
neural connections are reduced during childhood and adolescence to
allow the brain to function more efficiently
Motor skills
ability to move our bodies and manipulate objects
Fine motor skills
focus on the muscles in our fingers, toes, and eyes, and enable
coordination of small actions (e.g., gripping a pencil)
Gross motor skills
focus on large muscle groups that control arms and legs and involve
larger movements (e.g., balancing, running).
Attachment
a long-standing connection or bond with others.
Bowlby (attachment theory)
Defined attachment as the affectional bond/tie that an infant forms with the mother.
Secure base
parental presence that gives the child a sense of safety as he explores his surroundings
Secure
child uses the parent as a secure base from which to explore
Avoidant
unresponsive to parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does
not care if parent leaves
Resistant
show clingy behavior, but then reject mothers attempts to interact with them
Disorganized
show odd behavior around caregiver
Authoritative style parenting
parents give children reasonable demands and consistent limits, express warmth and affection, and listen to the child’s point of view
Authoritarian style parenting
parents place a high value on conformity and obedience,
are often rigid, and express little warmth to the child
Permissive style parenting
parents make few demands and rarely use punishment.
Uninvolved style parenting
parents are indifferent, uninvolved, and sometimes referred
to as neglectful; they don’t respond to the child’s needs and make relatively few
demands.
Temperament
innate traits that influence how one thinks, behaves, and reacts with the environment
Easy temperament
positive emotions, adapt well to change, and capable of
regulating emotions.
Difficult temperament
negative emotions, difficulty adapting to change and
regulating emotions
Adrenarche
maturing of the adrenal glands.
Gonadarche
maturing of the sex glands
Menarche
beginning of menstrual periods (usually around 12-13 years old)
Spermarche
first ejaculation (around 13-14 years old)
Cognitive empathy
the ability to take the perspective of others
and feel concern for others.
