6 Developmental Psychology

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

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

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

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking; in severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial disproportions

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behaviour, relatively uninfluenced by experience

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

the principle (which 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

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states, and about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviours these might predict

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviours

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others' states of minds

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation

an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experience produces proper development

the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

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

our understanding and evaluation of who we are

in psychology, the biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male and female

physical or verbal behaviour intended to hurt someone

a set of expected behaviour for males or for females

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

our sense of being male or female

the theory that we learn social behaviour by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

un umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex.

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles

the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships

in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

for some people on modern cultures, a period from the late teens to mid-twenties bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

the sex chromosome found in both men and women; females have two & males have one; one from each parent produces a female child

the sex chromosome found only in males; when paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child

the most important of the male sex hormones; both males & females have it, but the additional amount in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs in the fetus and the development of male sex characteristics during puberty

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

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

non-reproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

the first menstrual period

a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ___ depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex (heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation).

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

a study in which people of different ages are compared with one another

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

the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement

sought to describe the development of moral reasoning by posing moral dilemmas to children and adolescents, such as "Should a person steal medicine to save a loved one's life?"

in Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, children before age 9 typically exhibit self-interest, obeying rules to avoid punishment or gain concrete rewards

one of Kohlberg’s stages of moral development during early adolescence characterized by the desire to uphold laws and rules to gain social approval or maintain social order

in Kohlberg's stages of moral development, during adolescence and beyond, individuals' actions reflect their belief in basic rights and self-defined ethical principles

biologically influenced characteristics that define male or female

a blend of traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics

condition, previously dementia, that decreases blood flow to the hippocampus over time. risk increases with age

a single sperm cell penetrates the outer coating of the egg and fuses to form one fertilized cell

infants are born with reflexes that aid in survival, such as blinking, grasping, rooting, stepping, sucking, swimming, tonic neck, startle and the Babinski reflex

the earliest age of conscious memory is around 3.5 years, attributed to the lack of developed language abilities at that age, although associations between actions and results can still be learned

parenting style in which parents impose rules and expect obedience

parenting style in which parents submit to children’s demands

parenting style in which parents are demanding but responsive to their children. correlates with social competence

parenting style in which parents are uninvolved, careless, inattentive and don’t seek a relationship

proposed that temporary supports are offered to children as the mind grows with interaction with the social environment so that children learn in a zone of proximal development

type of emotional bond expressed by approximately 60% of children when placed in a strange situation; they exhibit a willingness to explore their environment happily in the presence of their mothers. however, upon their mother's departure, they demonstrate distress. common with mothers who are sensitive and responsive.

emotional bond expressed by approximately 40% of children when placed in a strange environment. children tend to cling to their mothers or caregivers and are less likely to explore their environment. common with mothers who are insensitive and unresponsive.

emotional bond in which people are clingy out of fear of rejection which can increase conflict in a relationship

emotional bond displayed by people constantly craving acceptance and being alert to possible rejection

displayed by infants that have higher heart rates and become more easily agitated. parents using more sensitive responding will help attachment

trust vs. mistrust

autonomy vs. shame and doubt

initiative vs. guilt

competence vs. inferiority

identity vs. role confusion

intimacy vs. isolation

generativity vs. stagnation

integrity vs. despair

refers to the belief that a person is under constant, close observation by peers, family, and strangers