Development Flashcards
Longitudinal design
one participant or group of participants is studied over a long period of time
Cross-sectional design
several different age groups are studied at one particular point of time
Cross-sequential design
participants are first studied by means of a cross-sectional design but also followed and assessed
Nature
the influence of our inherited characteristics on our personality, physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions
Nurture
the influence of the environment on personality, physical growth, intellectual growth, and social interactions
4 critical areas of adjustment for the newborn (physical development)
Respiration, digestion, circulation, temperature regulation
Infants are born with reflexes that help it survive
sucking, rooting, moro (startle) grasping, stepping reflex, babinski (toes fan out when foot is touched)
Human development
the scientific study of the changes that occur in people as they age from conception until death
teratogen
any substance or factor that can cause a birth defect
critical periods
environmental influences can have a heavy impact on infant development
Cognitive development
The development of thinking, problem solving, and memory scheme
Schema
mental concept formed through experiences with objects and events
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development
Sensorimotor, Preoperational, Concrete operations, Formal operations
Sensorimotor stage
the infant uses its senses and motor abilities to interact with objects in the environment
object permanence
the knowledge that an object exists even when it is not in sight
Preoperational stage
the preschool child learns to use language as a means of exploring the world
Egocentricism
the inability to see the world through anyone else’s eyes
Centration
the tendency of a young child to focus only on one feature of an object while ignoring other relevant features
Conservation
the ability to understand that simply changing the appearance of an object does not change the object’s nature