Developmental Psychology Flashcards
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
developmental psychology
the fertilized egg; it enters a 2 week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
zygote
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
embryo
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
fetus
(literally, “monster makers”)
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, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner
ex: a fetus adapts to a vibrating device placed on the mother’s abdomen; over time it seems to get bored of the action
habituation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
maturation
all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing , remembering, and communicating
cognition
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
ex: attributes associated with a certain word; when you think of your best friend you may think kind, funny, sympathetic, etc
schema
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
ex: when a child learns what a dog is, they begin calling all four-legged animals a dog
assimilation
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
ex: by adding new characteristics to distinguish dogs from cats and other four-legged animals, we increase our cognitive understanding
accommodation
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
ex: taking 5 senses into account: touching, grasping, mouthing
-issues with stranger danger
-object permanence developing
sensorimotor stage
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
ex: 3 month old Bobby lacks this ability; every time his mother or father leaves the room he cries because he thinks they are gone
object permanence
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 years to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
ex: able to represent things with words and images but too young to perform mental operations; a 5 year old cannot understand that two differently sized glasses could contain the same amount of milk (lacks concept of conservation)
preoperational stage
the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
ex: Sally watches as two identical glasses are filled with the same amount of milk; when the milk in one glass gets poured into a taller glass, she can’t understand it’s still the same amount
conservation
in Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
ex: Allie, age 4, shows her grandfather her two matching cards while playing a game- yet they are still facing her; because she can see them, she believes he can as well
egocentrism
people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts and the behaviors these might predict
ex: children come to understand what made a playmate angry, when a sibling will share, and what might make a parent buy a toy; they begin to tease, empathize, and persuade
theory of mind
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 7-11 years old) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about events
ex: understanding and simplifying math equations, comprehending more complicated jokes, improving concept of conservation
concrete operational stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
ex: imagining realities and symbols, ponder hypothetical propositions and consequences, moral reasoning
formal operational thinking
a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking
ex: by giving children new words and mentoring them, parents, teachers, and other children provide a step to help children attain higher cognitive development/better thinking
scaffold (ing)
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors
ex: can’t tell others’ emotions or thoughts well, trouble socializing
autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
stranger anxiety
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to their caregiver and showing distress on separation
attachment
an optimal period early in the life an organism when exposure to certain stimuli
ex: baby chicks’ period falls shortly after they have hatched when the first moving object they see is their mother; they will follow her from now on
critical period
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life
ex: the chicks with their mother; if they hadn’t seen her and had seen perhaps a human instead, they would’ve followed the human
imprinting
a procedure for studying child-caregiver attachment; a child is placed in an unfamiliar environment while their caregiver leaves and then returns, and the child’s reactions are observed
strange situation
demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environments in the presence of their caregiver, show only temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find comfort in the caregiver’s return
secure attachment
demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness
ex: these infants are less likely to explore and may cling to their mother; their distress is not just temporary when she leaves the room, it’s lasting
insecure attachment
a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity (how someone behaves
ex: a person who throws things and hits others as a child may grow up to be angry
temperament
according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
ex: Derek’s parents are sensitive, loving caregivers which causes him to form a lifelong attitude of trust rather than fear
basic trust
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question, “Who am I?”
ex: aware of self, comparing ourselves to others
self-concept
in psychology, the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male and female
sex
in psychology, the socially influenced characteristics by which people define boy, girl, man, and woman
gender
any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally
ex: insults, slapping
aggression
an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing
ex: gossiping or excluding
relational aggression
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
ex: wives are expected to devote themselves to husbands and potential children even if it means putting their own needs to the side
role
a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females
ex: men are expected to be unemotional and insensitive while women are considered too sensitive and not tough
gender role
our sense of being male, female, or some combination of the two
gender identity
the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished
ex: Sherri tells her son “big boys don’t cry”, therefore he bottles his emotions throughout life
social learning theory
displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics
androgyny
an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth-designated sex
ex: Dylan Mulvaney
transgender
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
adolescence
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing; body changes
puberty
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
identity
the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships
ex: jocks, cheerleaders, band kids, theatre kids, etc
social identity
in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in young adulthood
intimacy
a period from about age 18 to the mid-twenties, when many in Western cultures are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults
ex: Anna just started college but has yet to get a job or move out of her parents’ house. She is technically an adult, but does not have full adult responsibilities.
emerging adulthood
the sex chromosomes found in both males and females; females typically have two of these while males typically have one; this from each parent produces a female child
X chromosome
the sex chromosome typically found only in males; when paired with the other from the mother, it produces a male child
Y chromosome
the most important male sex hormone; both males and females have it, but the additional in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty
testosterone
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
primary sex characteristics
non reproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair
secondary sex characteristics
the first ejaculation in a boy’s life, usually around age 14
spermarche
the first menstrual period in a girl’s life, usually around age 12 1/2++
menarche
a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes
ex: Bob was born as a genetic male with male hormones and testes but no penis; he was raised as a girl because his parents were unaware of anything different
intersex
a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); it depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
our enduring sexual attraction, usually toward members of our own sex (homosexual) or the other sex (heterosexual); variations include attraction toward both sexes (bisexual)
sexual orientation
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
menopause
research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time
ex: a study contains a group of kindergartners, middle aged people, and 70+
cross-sectional study
research that follows and retests the same people over time
ex: seeing how well kindergartners can take a test then retesting them two years later
longitudinal study
acquired (not lifelong) disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury or disease, or substance abuse’ in older adults, neurocognitive disorders were formally called dementia
neurocognitive disorders (NCDS)
a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques often onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities
Alzheimer’s disease
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
ex: leaving home at 18, getting married around 25 or younger, having children in late 20s or early 30s are all expectations that differ in each culture
social clock
