Modules 45-47

A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the lifespan

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

Literally meaning “monster maker”

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, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features

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 behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

All the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communication

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 y/o, 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 2 y/o to 6 or 7 y/o, 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 other’s mental states - about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors 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 behaviors

In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development, from 6 or 7 y/o to 11 y/o, 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, beginning at 12 y/o, during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

The period of pregnancy that begins with conception and ends 9 months later with birth

A simple and repeatable method to assess the health of a newborn immediately after birth

It rates 5 categories (skin color, pulse rate, reflexes, muscle tone, and breathing) on a scale from 0 – 2, with the final score ranging from 0 – 10

A condition that makes it impossible for babies to metabolize certain proteins

Survival actions with which a baby is born

Believing that inanimate objects have feelings; preoperational stage

Forms when parents or caregivers consistently meet the infant’s needs by being warm and responsive

These infants tend to be well-adjusted, form successful social relationships, and perform better at school

During the Strange Situation test, they freely explore the environment, show moderate anxiety in the presence of strangers and some separation anxiety but is easily comforted upon the caregiver’s return (the reunion)

Forms when parents or caregivers fail to fully meet the infant’s needs by being neglectful and inconsistent

These infants tend to form shallow relationships, appear withdrawn and sometimes display an insatiable need for affection

During the Strange Situation test, the infant shows a great deal of anxiety, engages in little exploration, becomes distressed in the absence of the caregiver and in the presence of a stranger

Upon the return of the caregiver (the reunion), the infant is difficult to console

During the Strange Situation test, the infant shows little distress in the absence of the caregiver and in the presence of a stranger

Upon the return of the caregiver (the reunion), the infant does not seek contact