unit 6 psych vocab 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 about 9 weeks after conception to birth
teratogens
literally monster makers, agents such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
rooting reflex
an automatic, unlearned response of a newborn to a gentle stimulus (like the touch of a finger) applied to the corner of the mouth, or to the cheek in which the infant turns their head and makes sucking motions
habituation
decreasing responsiveness with repeated exposure to a stimulus
maturation
biological growth processes that enable orderly change in behavior, relatively influenced by experience
schema(Piaget)
a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information
assimilation(piaget)
interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas
accommodation (Piaget)
adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
temperament
a persons characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity
sensorimotor stage
in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities
object permanence
knowing objects still exist even though you can’t see it
preoperational stage
in Piagets theory, the stage from about 2 to 6 or 7 yrs during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concretic logic
conservation
the principal ( which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as ,ass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
egocentrism
in piagets theory the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view
theory of mind (tom)
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 piagets theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning act age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
authoritarian
a strict style of parenting that places high expectations on children. ex demanding and not responsive
authoritative
parenting style where there nurturing, responsive, and supportive yet set firm limits for their children
permissive
a type of parenting style characterized by low demands with high responsiveness very loving but not a lot of limits placed
secure attachment
demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environments in the presence of their caregiver, show only temporary distress when caregiver leaves, and finds comfort in the caregiver’s return
insecure attachment
demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness
imprinting
the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life
self-concept
all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves In answer to the question “who am I?”