Unit Four (Psychological Development) Flashcards
Interaction
Both nature and nurture work together
Prenatal Period
Nine months between conception and birth
Zygotes
The fertilized egg – experiences rapid cell division in the first 2 weeks
Zygote-Fetus
Zygote-first 10 days
Embryo: from 10 days after fertilization through 2nd month
Fetus: 9 weeks after fertilization till birth
Teratogens
Harmful chemicals/viruses that can harm the unborn child (smoking, alcohol, other drugs)
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Mental/physical problems due to a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking
Rooting
(Sucking reflex) an instinctive feeding reflex
Moro
When startled, the baby will throw its arms and legs out, and retract them making itself as small as possible
Babinski
When a baby’s foot is stroked its toes will spread out
Myelinate
A part of motor development when your neurons begin to connect and develop their myelin coating
Synaptic Pruning
Unused neural connections are destroyed but the neurons are left for later use
Synchronicity
Babies and mothers smile, vocalize, touch together-not a disjointed action
Imprinting
Forming a rigid attachment based on instincts
Secure Attachment
Most common, feel close to their mothers, more willing to explore and tolerate new situations
Insecure Attachment
Do not like to explore new experiences-feel stressed out or avoid the experience
Anxious Ambivalent Attachment
Extreme stress when parents leave, but hard to console even when parents return
Avoidant Attachment
Resist being held when new experiences are presented, do not return to parent after an absence
Contact Comfort
Stimulation and reassurance derived from physical touch
Psychosocial Dwarfism
A growth disorder caused by emotional neglect, abuse, or stress, leads to stunted growth and cognition
Responsive Parenting
Sensitive parents lead to a more secure attachment
Maturation
Internally programmed growth of a child
Mat. Readiness
When a child is ready to be pushed to learn (walking)
Infantile Amnesia
Memory is not fully developed-before three years of age, we remember very little
Schemas
Mental structures or programs that guide a child’s thought processes
Assimilation
Modifying newly learned info to fit into an existing schema
Accommodation
Restructuring existing schemas so new info is better understood
Mental Representation
Ability to form and manipulate internal images of objects
Object Permanence
The knowledge that objects exist when they are out of sight
Egocentrism
Inability to understand other people’s viewpoints
Personal Fable
Believing we are unique to all circumstances
Animistic Thinking
Belief that inanimate objects are ‘alive’
Centration
Cannot analyze multiple factors at once, lack of conservation of volume
Irreversibility
Lack ability to do and ‘undo’ acts in their mind
Conservation
Physical properties of an object or substance do not change with appearance
Mental Operations
Solving problems by manipulating images in one’s mind
Reversibility
Can backtrack a process to problem solve
Theory of Mind
Leaving behind our egocentric perspective and realizing other people have thoughts and feelings that differ from ours
Authoritarian
Do not explain their demands or actions. Children have no right to question
Authoritative
Children participation, negotiation. Parents listen and explain rules. Parents provide oversight; child has some freedoms
Permissive
Children have the final say or parents give up
Uninvolved Parents
Don’t really care about the child
Identity Moratorium
Considering the future but have made no firm decisions, usually in a time of crisis
Identity Foreclosure
Decision has been made based of the suggestions of others, no self-exploration
Identity Diffusion
No clear identity and no attempt to find that identity
Identity Achievement
Freely decided what they want to do
Senile Dementia
Slow disintegration of the mind
Decremental Model of Aging
With age comes inevitable physical and mental decline
Menopause
Begins around 50 caused by loss of estrogen
Spermarche
Males start production of sperm
Menarche
Females first occurrence of menstruation
Macrosystem
The broader cultural, societal, and political contexts that shape the child’s development
Exosystem
The settings that indirectly affect the child, such as parent’s workplace or community resources
Mesosystem
The interactions and relationships between the child’s microsystems, such as the connection between home and school
Microsystem
The immediate environment in which the child lives and interacts, such as family, school, and peers
