Midterm 1 Flashcards
(46 cards)
Epigenic Framework
A perspective that development results from reciprocal interactions between genetics and the environment
Developmental Plasticity
Intrapersonal variability in the potentials and limits of human development
Genetic Mutations
A sudden permanent change in the structure of genes that occurs spontaneously and might be inducted by exposure to environmental toxins
Genetic Counselling
Used to construct a family history of heritable disorders
Carrier Screening
If there is suspicion of a heritable disorder from both or either parent, blood tests can be conducted to detect chromosomal abnormalities
Synapses
Points of contact where information is transmitted between neurons
Synaptic Pruning
The Process by which neural connections that are seldom used disappear
Synaptogensis
The formation of new synapses which peaks in different brain regions at different ages
Myelination
The process by which neurons are coated with myelin which contributes to faster neural communication
Limbic System
A collection of the brain’s structures responsible for emotion
Dual Process Model
The brain consisting of two systems – one rational, one emotional that develop on different timeframes
Gross Motor Development
Development of the ability to control large movements of the body
Ex: sitting, standing
Fine Motor Developement
Ability to control small movements of the fingers
Ex: holding a fork, writing clearly
Dynamic Systems
Motor skills as a result from ongoing interactions among physical, cognitive, and socioemotional influences in which previously mastered skills are combined to interact with the world in a new way
Affordance
The actional properties of objects – their nature, opportunities, and limits
Assimilation
The process by which new experiences are interpreted and integrated into pre-exisiting schemas
Ex: child learns new ways to pick up objects
Accommodation
The process by which schemas are modified to include new experiences
Ex: a child who refers to both cats and dogs as “dogs” because they both have 4 legs, which is then corrected
Cognitive Equilibrium
A balance between assimilation and accommodation
Disequilibrium
Mismatch between children’s schemas and reality
Sensorimotor Stage
Infants learn about the world through their senses and motor skills
Note: Piaget believed infants were incapable of mental representation (untrue)
Core Knowledge Perspective
A framework explaining that all infants are born with several innate knowledge systems
Preoperative Reasoning
Characterized by advances in symbolic thought
Centration
The tendency to focus on one part of a stimulus, situation, or idea
Conservation
The principle that a physical quantity such as a number, mass, or volume remains the same even when its appearance changes
Note: adjacent concept to object identity
