Human Development Flashcards
human development
the study of change and continuity in the individual across the life span.
germinal stage
the first prenatal stage of development, which begins at conception and lasts two weeks.
zygote
single cell that results when a sperm fertilizes an egg.
embryo
the term for the developing organism from 2 weeks until about 8 weeks after conception.
embryonic stage
the second prenatal stage, from 2 weeks to 8 weeks after conception, when all of the major organs form.
fetal stage
the third prenatal stage, which begins with the formation of bone cells 8 weeks after conception and ends at birth.
neural migration
the movement of neurons from one part of the fetal brain to their more permanent destination; occurs during months 3–5 of the fetal stage.
prenatal programming
he process by which events in the womb alter the development of physical and psychological health.
teratogens
substances that can disrupt normal prenatal development and cause lifelong deficits.
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
a consequence of prenatal alcohol exposure that causes multiple problems, notably brain damage.
temperament
the biologically based tendency to behave in particular ways from very early in life.
personality
the unique and relatively enduring set of behaviors, feelings, thoughts, and motives that characterize an individual.
pruning
the degradation of synapses and dying off of neurons that are not strengthened by experience.
sensorimotor stage
iaget’s first stage of cognitive development (ages 0–2), when infants learn about the world by using their senses and by moving their bodies.
object permanence
the ability to realize that objects still exist when they are not being sensed.
preoperational stage
the second major stage of cognitive development (ages 2–5), which begins with the emergence of symbolic thought.
animistic thinking
belief that inanimate objects are alive.
egocentrism
viewing the world from one’s own perspective and not being capable of seeing things from another person’s perspective.
conservation
recognition that when some properties (such as shape) of an object change, other properties (such as volume) remain constant.
concrete operational stage
Piaget’s third stage of cognitive development, which spans ages 6–11, during which the child can perform mental operations—such as reversing—on real objects or events.
formal operational stage
Piaget’s final stage of cognitive development, from age 11 or 12 on through adulthood, when formal logic is possible.
zone of proximal development
the distance between what a child can learn alone and what that child can learn assisted by someone else, usually an adult.
theory of mind
ideas and knowledge about how other people’s minds work.
preconventional level
the first level in Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning, focusing on avoiding punishment or maximizing rewards.
conventional level
the second level in Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning, during which the person values caring, trust, and relationships as well as the social order and lawfulness.
postconventional level
the third level in Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning, in which the person recognizes universal moral rules that may trump unjust or immoral local rules.
imprinting
the rapid and innate learning of the characteristics of a caregiver very soon after birth.
attachment
the strong emotional connection that develops early in life between infants and their caregivers.
separation anxiety
the distress reaction shown by babies when they are separated from their primary caregiver (typically shown at around 9 months of age).
secure attachment
attachment style characterized by infants who will gradually explore new situations when the caregiver leaves and initiate contact when the caregiver returns after separation.
social referencing
the ability to make use of social and emotional information from another person—especially a caregiver—in an uncertain situation.
emotional competence
the ability to control emotions and know when it is appropriate to express certain emotions.
adolescence
the transition period between childhood and adulthood.
puberty
the period when sexual maturation begins; it marks the beginning of adolescence.
menarche
the first menstrual period.
spermarche
the first ejaculation.
emerging adulthood
the transitional phase between adolescence and young adulthood; includes ages 18–25 years.
young adulthood
development stage that usually happens by mid-20s when people complete the key developmental tasks of emerging adulthood.
intimacy
as defined by Erikson, the ability to fuse one’s identity with another’s without the fear of losing it.
individuation
the process of a person’s personality becoming whole and full.
generativity
a term Erik Erikson used to describe the process in adulthood of creating new ideas, products, or people.
stagnation
situation where the adult becomes more self-focused than oriented toward others and does not contribute in a productive way to society or family.
fluid intelligence
raw mental ability, pattern recognition, abstract reasoning that can be applied to a problem one has never confronted before.
crystallized intelligence
the kind of knowledge that one gains from experience and learning, education, and practice.
dementia
a loss of mental function, in which many cognitive processes are impaired, such as the ability to remember, reason, solve problems, make decisions, and use language.
Alzheimer’s disease
a degenerative disease marked by progressive cognitive decline and characterized by a collection of symptoms, including confusion, memory loss, mood swings, and eventual loss of physical function.
cyberbullying
the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text.
