Unit 6 Mods 42-45 Flashcards
Developmental psychology
A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Zygote
The fertilized egg; it enters a 2 week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
Embryo
The developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
Fetus
The developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
Teratogens
“Monster makers” agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs include a small, out of proportion head and abnormal facial features
Habituation
Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest waned and they look away sooner
Maturation
Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively un influenced by experience
Cognition
All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
Schema
A concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
Assimilation
Interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
Accommodation
Adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
Sensorimotor stage
In Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2) during which infants no the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
Object permanence
The awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
Preoperational stage
In Piaget‘s theory, the stage (about 2 to 6 or 7) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic
Conservation
The principle (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
Egocentrism
In Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
Theory of mind
Peoples ideas about their own and others mental states— about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict
Concrete operational stage
In Piaget‘s theory, the stage of cognitive development (7 to 11) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events
Formal operational stage
In PJs theory, the stage of cognitive development (12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
Scaffold
A framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interest and repetitive behaviors
Stranger anxiety
The fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning at 8 months
Attachment
An emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by there seeking closeness to their caregiver and showing the stress upon separation
Critical period
An Optimal period early in the life of an organism When exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development
Imprinting
The process by which certain animals form strong attachment during early life
Strange situation
A procedure for studying kit child caregiver attachment; a child is placed in an unfamiliar environment while their caregiver leaves and then returns, and the child’s reactions are observed
Secure attachment
Demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environments in the presence of their caregiver, so only temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find comfort in the caregivers return
Insecure attachment
Demonstrated by infants hoop display either a clinging, anxious attachment for an avoidant attachment that resist closeness
Temperament
A persons characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
Basic trust
According to Eric Erickson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be performed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
Self concept
All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question who am I