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Developing Through Life Span Flashcards

Psychology

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284623589Zygotethe fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo
284623590Embryothe developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month
284623591Fetusthe developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
284623592Teratogensagents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
284623593Fetal Alcohol Syndromephysical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, symptoms include noticeable facial misproportions
284623594Rooting Reflexa baby's tendency, when touched on the cheek, to turn toward the touch, open the mouth, and search for the nipple.
284623595Maturationbiological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience
284623596Schemaa concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.
284623597Assimilationinterpreting one's new experience in terms of one's existing schemas.
284623598Accommodationadapting one's current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information
284623599Cognitionall the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating
284623600Sensorimotor Stagein 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
284623601Object permanencethe awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived.
284623602Preoperational stagein 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
284623603Conservationthe 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
284623604Egocentrismin Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view
284623605Theory of Mindpeople's ideas about their own and others' mental states -- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts and the behavior these might predict
284623606Autisma disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others' states of mind
284623607Concrete Operational Stagein 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
284623608Formal Operational Stagein Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
284623609Stranger Anxietythe fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age
284623610Attachmentan emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation
284623611Critical Periodan optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
284623612Imprintingthe process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life
284623613Basic Trustaccording to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers
284623614Adolescencethe transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence
284623615Pubertythe period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing
284623616Primary Sex Characteristicsthe body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible
284623617Secondary Sex Characteristicsnonreproductive sexual characteristics, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair
284623618Menarchethe first menstrual period
284623619Identityone's sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles
284623620Intimacyin Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood
284623621Menopausethe time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines
284623622Alzheimer's Diseasea progressive and irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and, finally, physical functioning
284623623Cross-sectional Studya study in which people of different ages are compared with one another
284623624Longitudinal Studyresearch in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period
284623625Crystallized Intelligenceone's accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age
284623626Fluid Intelligenceone's ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease during late adulthood
284623627Social ClockThe culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.

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