Developmental Psychology Flashcards
developmental psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span.
basic trust
according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is pre- dictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by ap- propriate experiences with responsive caregivers.
zygot
the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell divi- sion and develops into an embryo.
self-concept
self-concept all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves, in answer to the question, “Who am I?”
Embryo
the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month.
gender
the socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female.
fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after concep- tion to birth.
aggression
any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.
teratogens
(literally, “monster makers”) agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.
gender role
a set of expected behaviors for males or for females.
FAS
a set of mental and physical disorders that can include mental retardation, brain dysfunction, physical abnormalities, learning disabilities, and psychological disorders. FAS occurs as a result of prenatal exposure to alcohol.
role
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner.
gender identity
our sense of being male or female.
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
transgender
an umbrella term describing people whose gen- der identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex.
cognition
all the mental activities associated with thinking, know- ing, remembering, and communicating.
adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence.
schema
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
identity
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
assimilation
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.
social identity
the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I?” that comes from our group memberships.
accommodation
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information.
intimacy
in Erikson’s theory, the ability to form close, loving re- lationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood.
Sensorimotor stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities.
emerging adulthood
for some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between ado- lescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood.
Object permanence
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived.
Y chromosome
the sex chromosome found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child.
Preoperational stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use lan- guage but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of con- crete logic.
X chromosome
the sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two X chromosomes; males have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child.
conservation
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.
testosterone
the most important of the male sex hormones. Both males and females have it, but the additional testosterone in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the de- velopment of the male sex characteristics during puberty.
Egocentrism
in Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view.
puberty
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.
theory of mind
people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviours these might predict.
primary sex characteristics
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
autism spectrum disorder
a disorder that appears in child- hood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.
menarche
the first menstrual period.
concert operational stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events.
aids
(acquired immune deficiency syndrome) a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections.
formal operational stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which peo- ple begin to think logically about abstract concepts. (p. 483)
fovea the central focal point in the retina, around which the eye’s cones cluster.
sexual orientation
an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation).
stranger anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age.
menopaus
the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also re- fers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines.
attachment
an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation.
cross sectional study
a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another.
critical period
thinking that does not blindly accept arguments and conclusions. Rather, it examines assumptions, assesses the source, discerns hidden values, evaluates evidence, and assesses conclusions.
longitudinal study
research in which the same people are restud- ied and retested over a long period
imprinting
the process by which certain animals form strong at- tachments during an early life critical period.
social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.
temperament
a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
