Unit 9 Flashcards
Developmental Psychology
a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
Zygote
a fertilized egg
Fetus
the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
Embryo
stage in prenatal development from 2 to 8 weeks
teratogens
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
Attachment
The strong bond (social-emotional) a child forms with his or her primary caregiver.
Maturation
the internally programmed growth of a child
Assimilation
the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure
Accommodation
in the theories of Jean Piaget: the modification of internal representations in order to accommodate a changing knowledge of reality
Sensorimotor Stage
the first stage in Piaget’s theory, during which the child relies heavily on innate motor responses to stimuli
Object Permanence
the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
Preoperational Stage
the second stage in Piaget’s theory, marked by well-developed mental representation and the use of language
Egocentrism
In Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view.
Concrete Operational Stage
the third of Piaget’s stages, when a child understands conversation but still is incapable of abstract thought
Conservation
the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
Theory of Mind
an awareness that other people’s behavior may be influenced by beliefs, desires, and emotions that differ from one’s own
Temperament
individuals characteristic manner of behavior or reaction assumed to have a strong genetic basis
Adolescence
the time period between the beginning of puberty and adulthood
Puberty
the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
Primary Sex Characteristics
the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
Secondary Sex Characteristics
Physical features that are associated with gender but that are not directly involved in reproduction.
Formal Operational Stage
In Piaget’s theory, the fourth stage of cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
Mary Ainsworth
developmental psychology; compared effects of maternal separation, devised patterns of attachment; “The Strange Situation”: observation of parent/child attachment
Erik Erikson
8 psychosocial stages of development: theory shows how people evolve through the life span. Each stage is marked by a psychological crisis that involves confronting “Who am I?”
Carol Gilligan
Moral development studies to follow up Kohlberg. She studied girls and women and found that they scored different on Kohlberg’s scale because they focused more on relationships rather than laws and principles.
Jonathan Haidt
Theorist who proposed that moral thoughts were not necessarily logical, because they are prompted by moral feelings, which are the equivalent of gut feelings.
Harry Harlow
development, contact/creature comfort, attachment; experimented with baby rhesus monkeys and presented them with cloth or wire “mothers;” showed that the monkeys became attached to the cloth mothers because of contact comfort
Lawrence Kohlberg
moral development; presented boys moral dilemmas and studied their responses and reasoning processes in making moral decisions. Most famous moral dilemma is “Heinz” who has an ill wife and cannot afford the medication. Should he steal the medication and why?
Konrad Lorenz
researcher who focused on critical attachment periods in baby birds, a concept he called imprinting; Lorenz’ Geese
Jean Piaget
Four stage theory of cognitive development: 1. sensorimotor, 2. preoperational, 3. concrete operational, and 4. formal operational. He said that the two basic processes work in tandem to achieve cognitive growth-assimilation and accommodation
Mark Rosenzweig
demonstrated the consequences for being raised in an impoverished to enriched, complex environment
Lev Vygotsky
child development; investigated how culture & interpersonal communication guide development; zone of proximal development; play research
Fetal alcohol syndrome
a medical condition in which body deformation or facial development or mental ability of a fetus is impaired because the mother drank alcohol while pregnant
Habituation
a general accommodation to unchanging environmental conditions
Cognition
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
Schema
In observational learning, a generalized idea that captures the important components, but not every exact detail. Pertaining to memory and person perception, a generalized idea about objects, people, and events that are encountered frequently.
Autism spectrum disorder
a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors
Stranger Anxiety
the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
Critical Period
an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
Basic Trust
according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
Self Concept
a sense of one’s identity and personal worth
Gender Typing
The process of developing the behaviors, thoughts, and emotions associated with a particular gender.
Social Learning theory
Bandura’s view of human development; emphasizes interaction
Gender
in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female.
Testosterone
a potent androgenic hormone produced chiefly by the testes
Role
the actions and activities assigned to or required or expected of a person or group
Gender Identity
your identity as it is experienced with regard to your individuality as male or female
menarche
the first occurrence of menstruation in a woman
social identity
the “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “who am I?” that comes from our group memberships
emerging adulthood
For some people in modern cultures, a period from the late teens to early twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood
menopause
the time in a woman’s life in which the menstrual cycle ends
cross-sectional study
a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
longitudinal study
Research in which the same people are restudies and retested over a long period
social clock
the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement
alzheimer’s disease
an irreversible, progressive brain disorder, characterized by the deterioration of memory, language, and eventually, physical functioning
aggression
violent action that is hostile and usually unprovoked
gender role
the overt expression of attitudes that indicate to others the degree of your maleness or femaleness
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development
- sensorimotor
- preoperational
- concrete operational
- formal operational
attachment
the powerful survival impulse that leads infants to seek closeness to their caregivers is called
scaffold
a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking
strange situation
a procedure for studying 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, show only temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find 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
sex
in psychology, the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define males and females
relational aggression
an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing
androgyny
displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics
transgender
an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex
adolescence
the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
identity
our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
X chromosome
The sex chromosome found in both men and women. Females have two X chromosomes; males have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child.
Y chromosome
the sex chromosome typically found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child.
spermarche
first occurrence of ejaculation
intersex
a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes
AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)
a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). AIDS depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections.
sexual orientation
our enduring sexual attraction, usually toward members of our own sex (homosexual orientation) or the other sex (heterosexual orientation); variations include attraction toward both sexes (bisexual orientation)
neurocognitive disorders (NCDs)
acquired (not lifelong) disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury or disease, or substance abuse. In older adults neurocognitive disorders were formerly called dementia
Trust v. Mistrust (Erikson)
birth to one year, infancy - if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust
Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (Erikson)
(1 -3) Erikson’s stage in which a toddler learns to exercise will and to do things independently; failure to do so causes shame and doubt
Initiative vs. Guilt (Erikson)
(3 -6) Erikson’s third stage in which the child finds independence in planning, playing and other activities
Industry vs. Inferiority (Erikson)
7-11 years - Children busily learn to be competent and productive or feel inferior and unable to do anything well.
identity vs. role confusion (Erikson)
12-19 yr, most crucial teens struggle with identity crisis, if healthy experimentation is fostered they attain identity achievement; if not, they face insecurity and low self-worth
Intimacy vs. Isolation (Erikson)
Adulthood: Young adults seek companionship or love or become isolated from others fearing rejection or disappointment
Generativity vs. Stagnation (Erikson)
40-60 years. favorable resolution results in an individual capable of being a productive, caring, and contributing member of society. If this crisis is not overcome, one acquires a sense of stagnation and may become self-indulgent, bored, and self-centered
preconventional morality
first level of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development in which the child’s behavior is governed by the consequences of the behavior
conventional morality
second level of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development in which the child’s behavior is governed by conforming to the society’s norms of behavior
post conventional morality
Kohlberg’s highest stage of morality- occurs late in life and is a personal morality, developed by the adult and which supersedes society’s rules, laws, and restrictions
Integrity v. Despair (Erikson)
late 60s to death, late adulthood - when reflecting on their life, the older adult may feel a sense of satisfaction or failure
Imprinting
the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
Diana Baumrind
her theory of parenting styles had four main types (permissive, authoritative, & authoritarian, uninvolved)
intimacy
a usually secretive or illicit sexual relationship
