Human Development Across the Life Span
on pages 416 to 467
5775206390 | Development | The sequence of age-related changes that occur as a person progresses from conception to death. | 0 | |
5775206391 | Zygote | A one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg. | 1 | |
5775206392 | Prenatal period | A time period between conception and birth, usually encompassing nine months of pregnancy. | 2 | |
5775206393 | Germinal stage | The first phase of prenatal development, encompassing the first two weeks after conception. | 3 | |
5775206394 | Placenta | A structure that allows oxygen and nutrients to pass into the fetus from the mother's bloodstream and bodily wastes pass out to the mother. | 4 | |
5775206395 | Embryonic stage | The second stage of prenatal development, lasting from two weeks until the end of the second month. | 5 | |
5775206396 | Fetal stage | The third stage of prenatal development, lasting from two months through birth. | 6 | |
5775206397 | Age of viability | The age at which a baby can survive in the event of a premature birth. | 7 | |
5775206398 | Fetal alcohol syndrome | A collection of congenital (inborn) problems associated with excessive alcohol use during pregnancy. | 8 | |
5775206399 | Motor development | The progression of muscular coordination required for physical activities. | 9 | |
5775206400 | Cephalocaudal trend | The head-to-foot direction of motor development. | 10 | |
5775206401 | Proximodistal trend | The center-outward direction of motor development. | 11 | |
5775206402 | Maturation | Development that reflects the gradual unfolding of one's genetic blueprint. | 12 | |
5775206403 | Developmental norms | The median age at which individuals display various behaviors and abilities. | 13 | |
5775206404 | Temperament | Characteristic mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity. | 14 | |
5775206405 | Longitudinal design | Investigators observe one group of participants repeatedly over a period of time. | 15 | |
5775206406 | Cross-sectional design | Investigators compare groups of participants of differing age at a single point in time. | 16 | |
5775206407 | Attachment | The close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their caregivers. | 17 | |
5775206408 | Separation anxiety | Emotional distress seen in many infants when they are separated from people with whom they have formed an attachment. | 18 | |
5775206409 | Stage | A developmental period during which characteristic patterns of behavior are exhibited and certain capacities become established. | 19 | |
5775206410 | Cognitive development | Transitions in youngsters' patterns of thinking, including reasoning, remembering, and problem solving. | 20 | |
5775206411 | Assimilation | Interpreting new experiences in terms of existing mental structures without changing them. | 21 | |
5775206412 | Accommodation | Changing existing mental structures to explain new experiences. | 22 | |
5775206413 | Object permanence | When a child recognizes that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible. | 23 | |
5775206414 | Conservation | Piaget's term for the awareness that physical quantities remain constant in spite of changes in their shape or appearance. | 24 | |
5775206415 | Centration | The tendency to focus on just one feature of the problem, neglecting other important aspects. | 25 | |
5775206416 | Irreversibility | The inability to envision reversing an action. | 26 | |
5775206417 | Egocentrism | In thinking, is characterized by a limited ability to share another person's viewpoint. | 27 | |
5775206418 | Animism | The belief that all things are living. | 28 | |
5775206419 | Zone of proximal development (ZPD) | The gap between what a learner can accomplish alone and what he or she can achieve with guidance from more skilled partners. | 29 | |
5775206420 | Scaffolding | When the assistance provided to a child is adjusted as learning progresses. | 30 | |
5775206421 | Habituation | A gradual reduction in the strength of a response when a stimulus event is presented repeatedly. | 31 | |
5775206422 | Dishabitation | A new stimulus elicits an increase in the strength of an habituated response. | 32 | |
5775206423 | Pubescence | The two-year span preceding puberty during which the changes leading to physical and sexual maturity take place. | 33 | |
5775206424 | Secondary sex characteristics | Physical features that distinguish one sex from the other but that are not essential for reproduction. | 34 | |
5775206425 | Puberty | The stage during which sexual functions reach maturity, which marks the beginning of adolescence. | 35 | |
5775206426 | Primary sex characteristics | The structures necessary for reproduction. | 36 | |
5775206427 | Menarche | The first occurrence of menstruation. | 37 | |
5775206428 | Spermarche | The first occurrence of ejaculation. | 38 | |
5775206429 | Midlife crisis | A difficult, turbulent period of doubts and reappraisal of one's life. | 39 | |
5775206430 | Family life cycle | A sequence of stages that families tend to progress through. | 40 | |
5775206431 | Dementia | An abnormal condition marked by multiple cognitive deficits that include memory impairment. | 41 | |
5775206432 | Sex | Biologically based categories of female and male. | 42 | |
5775206433 | Gender | Culturally constructed distinctions between femininity and masculinity. | 43 | |
5775206434 | Gender stereotypes | Widely held beliefs about females' and males' abilities, personality traits, and social behavior. | 44 | |
5775206435 | Gender differences | Actual disparities between the sexes in typical behavior or average ability. | 45 | |
5775206436 | Socialization | The acquisition of the norms and behaviors expected of people in a particular society. | 46 | |
5775206437 | Gender roles | Expectations about what is appropriate behavior for each sex. | 47 |