Developmental Psychology Flashcards
Brain
The organ in your head made up of nerves. It processes information and controls behaviour.
Forebrain
The anterior part of the brain, including the hemispheres and the central brain structures.
Midbrain
The middle section of the brain forming part of the central nervous system.
Hindbrain
The lower part of the brain that includes the cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata.
Anterior
Directed towards the front (when used in relation to our biology).
Posterior
Directed towards the back (when used in relation to our biology).
Cerebellum
An area of the brain near to the brainstem that controls motor movements (muscle activity).
Medulla oblongata
Connects the upper brain to the spinal cord and controls automatic responses. It controls involuntary responses such as sneezing and breathing, as well as heart rate and blood pressure.
Involuntary response
A response to a stimulus that occurs without someone making a conscious choice. They are automatic, such as reflexes.
Neural connections
Links formed by messages passing from one nerve cell (neuron) to another.
Symbolic play
Children play using objects and ideas to represent other objects and ideas.
Egocentrism
Unable to see the world from any other viewpoint but one’s own.
Animism
Believing that objects that are not alive can behave as if they are alive.
Centration
Focusing on one feature of a situation and ignoring other relevant features.
Irreversibility
Not understanding that an action can be reversed to return to the original state.
Morality
General principles about what is right and wrong, including good and bad behaviour.
Schema/schemata(s) (development)
Mental representations of the world based on one’s own experiences. The plural of schema is ‘schemata’ through ‘schemas’ can also be used and is more common.
Sensorimotor stage
Infants use their senses and movements to get information about the world. at first they live in the present. They develop object permanence and learn to control their movements.
Pre-operational stage
Children engage in symbolic play. They think in pictures and use symbols, including some words (the beginning of language development). Children are egocentric and show animism. Later in this stage they start reasoning and show centration and irreversibility.
Formal operational stage
Develops around 12 years old and is associated with the moral reasoning and deductive reasoning.
Concrete operational stage
develops at age 7 to 12 and involves development of abilities to such conservation, reversibility, seration and decentration.
Equilibrium
When a child’s schemas can explain all that they experience - a state of mental balance may have resulted from new accomodation.
Assimilation
Incorporating new experiences into existing schemas.
Accommodation
When a schema has to be changed to deal with a new experience.
Three Mountain Task
An experiment by Piaget and Inhelder which tested egocentricism
Mindset
A belief about something which influence our perceptions, interpretations of situations and how we behave.
Fixed Mindset
Belief that abilities are unchangeable
Growth Mindset
Belief that abilities are changeable
Gunderson et al (2013)
A natural experiment showing process praise correlates to a belief that effort is worthwhile.
3-4 weeks
Forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain develops.
6 weeks
Cerebellum starts to develop
20 weeks
Medula begins to develop
Seriation
Sorting objects into an order. Develops during concrete operational stage.
Conservation
The child knows that quantity, length or number are not related to shape e.g. juice test
Decentration
Ability to take on anothers viewpoint.
