Quiz 1 Flashcards
Developmental psychology
the study of changes that occur as an individual matures
grasping relflex
an infant’s clinging response to a touch on the palm of his or her hand
rooting relflex
an infant’s response in turning toward the source of touching that occurs anywhere around his or her mouth
telegraphic speech
the kind of verbal utterances in which words are left out, but the meaning is usually clear
schema
a conceptual framework a person uses to make sense of the world
assimilation
a process of fitting objects and experiences into one’s schemas
representational thought
the ability of a child to picture something in his or her mind
accommodation
the adjustment of one’s schemas to include newly observed events and experiences
conservation
the principle that a given quantity doesn’t change when its appearance is changed
egocentric
a young child’s inability to understand another person’s perspective
imprinting
inherited tendency of some newborn animals to follow the first moving object they see
socialization
the process of learning the rules of behavior of the culture within which an individual is born and will live
identification
the process by which a child adopts the values and principles of the same-sex parent
sublimation
the process of redirecting sexual impulses into learning tasks
role taking
children’s play that involves assuming adult roles, thus enabling the child to experience different points of view
initiation rites
ceremonies or rituals in which an individual is admitted to new status or accepted into a new position
menarche
the first menstrual period
spermarche
period during which males achieve first ejaculation
asynchrony
the condition during adolescence in which the growth or maturation of bodily parts is uneven
rationalization
a process whereby an individual seeks to explain an often unpleasant emotion or behavior in a way that will preserve his or her self-esteem
identity crisis
a period of inner conflict during which adolescents worry intensely about who they are
social learning theory
bandura’s view of human development; emphasizes the interaction
clique
a small exclusive group of people within a larger group
conformity
acting in accordance with some specified authority
anorexia nervosa
a serious eating disorder characterized by fear of gaining weight that result in prolonged self starvation and dramatic weight loss
gender identity
the sex group (masculine or feminine) to which an individual biologically belongs
gender role
the set of behaviors that society considers appropriate for each sex
gender steriotypes
an oversimplified or distorted generalization about the characteristics of men and women
androgynous
combining or blending traditionally male and female characteristics
gender schema
a set of behaviors organized around how either a male or female should think and behave
autonomy
ability to take care of oneself and make one’s own decisions
developmental friendship
friends force one another to reexamine their basic assumptions and perhaps about new ideas and beliefs
resynthesis
combining old ideas with new ones and reorganizing feeling in order to renew one’s identity
comparable worth
the concept that women and men should receive equal pay for jobs calling for comparable skill and responsibility
menopause
the biological event in which a woman’s production of sex hormones is sharply reduced
generativity
the desire, in middle age, to use one’s accumulated wisdom to guide future generations
stagnation
a discontinuation of development and a desire to recapture the past
decremental model of aging
idea that progressive physical and mental decline are inevitable with age
ageism
prejudice or discrimination on the basis of a person’s age
dementia
decreases in mental abilities, which can be experienced by some people in old age
Alzheimer’s disease
a condition that destroys a person’s ability to think, remember, relate to others, and care for herself or himself
thanatology
the study of death and dying
hospice
a facility designed to care for the special needs of the dying
