unit 6-development

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

zygote

the fertilized egg; enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

embryo

the developing human organism from 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

agents (chemicals/viruses) that can reach the embryo/fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

physical/cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant women’s heavy drinking

habituation

as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, interest decreases and they look away sooner

maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior (uninfluenced by experience)

stranger anxiety

fear of strangers that infants commonly display

attachment

shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on seperation

critical period

optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli/experiences produces normal development

basic trust

a sense that the world is predictable/trustworthy; formed during infancy by experiences with responsive caregivers

imprinting

process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life

self-concept

our thoughts/feelings about ourselves in answer to the question “who am i?”

authoritarian

parents are coercive, impose rules and expect obedience

permissive

parents are unrestraining and use little punishment

authoritative

parents are both demanding and responsive, set rules but encourage open discussion and allow exceptions

cognition

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

accomodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

sensorimotor stage

stage (birth to 2 years old) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not seen

preoperational stage

stage (2-7 years old) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of logic

egocentrism

the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

concrete-operational stage

stage of cognitive development (7-11 years old) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about abstract concepts

conservation

principle that properties (mass, volume, number) remains the same despite changes in the forms of objects

theory of mind

people’s ideas about their own/others’ mental states

formal-operational stage

stage of cognitive development (12 years old) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

scaffolding

process in which a more skilled learner gives help to a less skilled learner, reducing the amount of help as the less skilled learner becomes more capable

autism

developmental disorder that involves impairments in social interaction and communication, challenges with sensory processing, and repetitive behaviors

preconventional moral reasoning

morality is determined by consequences; rules are followed in order to avoid punishment or receive rewards

conventional moral reasoning

morality is determined by social rules; people make moral judgments based on the norms/expectations of their group

postconventional moral reasoning

morality is determined by core values; people make moral judgements based on what they believe is right

adolescence

transition period from childhood to adulthood

puberty

period of sexual maturation during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

primary sex characteristics

features directly involved in reproduction (ovaries, testes)

secondary sex characteristics

features not directly concerned with reproduction (facial hair, breast size)

identity

our sense of self

social identity

indicates who they are in terms of the groups to which they belong

intimacy

the ability to form close, loving relationships

emerging adulthood

period (18-25 years old) when many are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults

menopause

time where menstruation naturally stops; refers to biological changes women experience as ability to reproduce declines

cross-sectional study

study in which people of different age groups are compared with one another

longitudinal study

research in which the same people are restudied/retested over a long period

social clock

the culturally preferred timing of social events (marriage, parenthood, retirement)

jean piaget

theorist associated with schema and cognitive development

harry and margaret harlow

theorists associated with attachment (monkeys)

konrad lorenz

theorist associated with imprinting in animals

mary ainsworth

theorist associated with attachment

erik erikson

theorist associated with stages of psychosocial development

lawrence kohlberg

theorist associated with levels of moral development

lev vygotsky

theorist associated with scaffolding/zone of proximal development

trust vs. mistrust

infant is uncertain about the world in which they live, and looks towards their primary caregiver for stability and consistency of care

autonomy vs. shame/doubt

the stage in which a child learns to be independent and make their own decisions in life (toddler)

initiative vs. guilt

preschoolers learn to initiate plans/ carry out tasks or they feel guilt about their efforts to be independent

competence vs. inferiority

child learns to be productive or becomes discouraged and feels inferior or incompetent

identity vs. role confusion

stage is characterized by the adolescent question of “Who am I,”; teens are conflicted with values/ideas of who they should be and what they should think

intimacy vs. isolation

young adults struggle to form close relationships/gain the capacity for intimate love or they feel isolated

generativity vs. stagnation

middle-aged people discover a sense of contributing to the world or they may feel a lack of purpose

integrity vs. despair

an older adult reflecting on their life, feeling either satisfaction or failure

androgyny

people who possess high levels of both masculine and feminine traits