Human Development Flashcards
teratogens
harmful substances (like drugs or viruses) that can cause birth defects when a fetus is exposed to them
fetal alcohol syndrome
birth defects caused by a mother drinking alcohol during pregnancy
rooting reflex
a newborns instinct to turn its head and open its mouth when its check is touched, helping with feeding
habituation
decreased response to a repeated stimulus over time
schema
a mental framework or concept used to organize and interpret information
assimilation
fitting new experiences into existing schemas
accommodation
changing schemas to fit in new information
cognition
mental activities like thinking, remembering and problem solving
sensorimotor stage
piaget’s first stage (0-2 years), where infants learn through senses and movement
object permanence
understanding that objects still exist even when out of sight
preoperational stage
piaget’s second stage (2-7 years), where children start learning language and use symbols and imagination but lack original reasoning.
egocentrism
preoperational stage. a childs inability to see things from another person’s perspective
theory of mind
the ability to understand that others have thoughts, feeling and perspectives different from one’s own
autism
a developmental disorder affecting communication, social skills and behavior
concrete operational stage
piaget’s third stage (7-11 years), where kids develop logical thinking about concrete events. basic math
formal operational stage
piaget’s fourth stage (12+ years), where abstract and logical thinking fully develop
stranger anxiety
sensorimotor stage. fear of unfamiliar people, usually starting around 8 months old. harry harlow attachment experiment
imprinting
when certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period
menopause
the natural end of menstruation and fertility in women, usually around age 50
alzheimer’s disease
a progressive brain disorder causing memory loss, confusion and cognitive decline
longitudinal study
research that follows the same people over a long period to track changes over time
crystallized intelligence
knowledge and verbal skills accumulated over time, which usually increases with age
fluid intelligence
the ability to think quickly and solve new problems, which declines with age
social clock
the cultural expectations for life events at certain ages
piaget
came up with the four stages of child development
what is the order of the prenatal development of a baby?
zygote, embryo, fetus
