developmental psych Flashcards
nature vs. nurture
how does genetic inheritance (our nature) influence our behavior?
continuity vs. stages
is development a gradual, continuous process or a sequence of chunks (separate stages)?
stability vs. change
do our early personality traits persist through, life, or become different people as we age
zygote
a fertilized cell with 100 cells that become increasingly diverse
embryo
at about 14 days the zygote becomes
fetus
at about 9 weeks the embryo becomes
teratogen
chemicals or viruses that can enter the placenta and harm the developing fetus
- ex. alcohol (can cause fetal alcohol syndrome)
cross-sectional study
study different people across different age groups to note changes in development (study at the same time)
longitudinal study
study the same group of people as they develop and note changes
reflexes
- infants are born with them
- help with their survival
rooting reflex
baby turns head toward the source of touch
grasping reflex
babies are able to grasp things
habituation
babies tend to look at newer things longer
maturation
when you are biologically ready to do something
- ex. sitting up (motor development), walking, potty training, etc.
jean piaget
created the piaget’s stages of cognitive development
schema
molds that we pour our experiences into
assimilation
the process of incorporating new experiences into our current understanding or schema
accommodation
adjusting or modifying a schema
sensorimotor stage
- ages: birth - 2 years old
- exploring the world through senses (hearing, touch, taste, etc.)
- object permanence, stranger anxiety
preoperational stage
- ages: 2-6 or 7
- thinking with their “gut”
- pretend play, egocentrism, language
concrete operational stage
- ages: 7-11 years
- thinking logically
- conservation, mathematical transformations
formal operational stage
- ages: 12 - adulthood
- thinking abstractly
- abstract thinking, mature moral reasoning
object permanence
knowing an object exists, even if you can’t see it
stranger anxiety
fear of people they don’t know
egocentrism
inability to see from a new perspective
- ex. standing in front of a tv