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Psychology: Themes and Variations Chapter 11 Vocab Flashcards

Human Development Across the Life Span
on pages 416 to 467

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5775206390DevelopmentThe sequence of age-related changes that occur as a person progresses from conception to death.0
5775206391ZygoteA one-celled organism formed by the union of a sperm and an egg.1
5775206392Prenatal periodA time period between conception and birth, usually encompassing nine months of pregnancy.2
5775206393Germinal stageThe first phase of prenatal development, encompassing the first two weeks after conception.3
5775206394PlacentaA 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
5775206395Embryonic stageThe second stage of prenatal development, lasting from two weeks until the end of the second month.5
5775206396Fetal stageThe third stage of prenatal development, lasting from two months through birth.6
5775206397Age of viabilityThe age at which a baby can survive in the event of a premature birth.7
5775206398Fetal alcohol syndromeA collection of congenital (inborn) problems associated with excessive alcohol use during pregnancy.8
5775206399Motor developmentThe progression of muscular coordination required for physical activities.9
5775206400Cephalocaudal trendThe head-to-foot direction of motor development.10
5775206401Proximodistal trendThe center-outward direction of motor development.11
5775206402MaturationDevelopment that reflects the gradual unfolding of one's genetic blueprint.12
5775206403Developmental normsThe median age at which individuals display various behaviors and abilities.13
5775206404TemperamentCharacteristic mood, activity level, and emotional reactivity.14
5775206405Longitudinal designInvestigators observe one group of participants repeatedly over a period of time.15
5775206406Cross-sectional designInvestigators compare groups of participants of differing age at a single point in time.16
5775206407AttachmentThe close, emotional bonds of affection that develop between infants and their caregivers.17
5775206408Separation anxietyEmotional distress seen in many infants when they are separated from people with whom they have formed an attachment.18
5775206409StageA developmental period during which characteristic patterns of behavior are exhibited and certain capacities become established.19
5775206410Cognitive developmentTransitions in youngsters' patterns of thinking, including reasoning, remembering, and problem solving.20
5775206411AssimilationInterpreting new experiences in terms of existing mental structures without changing them.21
5775206412AccommodationChanging existing mental structures to explain new experiences.22
5775206413Object permanenceWhen a child recognizes that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible.23
5775206414ConservationPiaget's term for the awareness that physical quantities remain constant in spite of changes in their shape or appearance.24
5775206415CentrationThe tendency to focus on just one feature of the problem, neglecting other important aspects.25
5775206416IrreversibilityThe inability to envision reversing an action.26
5775206417EgocentrismIn thinking, is characterized by a limited ability to share another person's viewpoint.27
5775206418AnimismThe belief that all things are living.28
5775206419Zone 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
5775206420ScaffoldingWhen the assistance provided to a child is adjusted as learning progresses.30
5775206421HabituationA gradual reduction in the strength of a response when a stimulus event is presented repeatedly.31
5775206422DishabitationA new stimulus elicits an increase in the strength of an habituated response.32
5775206423PubescenceThe two-year span preceding puberty during which the changes leading to physical and sexual maturity take place.33
5775206424Secondary sex characteristicsPhysical features that distinguish one sex from the other but that are not essential for reproduction.34
5775206425PubertyThe stage during which sexual functions reach maturity, which marks the beginning of adolescence.35
5775206426Primary sex characteristicsThe structures necessary for reproduction.36
5775206427MenarcheThe first occurrence of menstruation.37
5775206428SpermarcheThe first occurrence of ejaculation.38
5775206429Midlife crisisA difficult, turbulent period of doubts and reappraisal of one's life.39
5775206430Family life cycleA sequence of stages that families tend to progress through.40
5775206431DementiaAn abnormal condition marked by multiple cognitive deficits that include memory impairment.41
5775206432SexBiologically based categories of female and male.42
5775206433GenderCulturally constructed distinctions between femininity and masculinity.43
5775206434Gender stereotypesWidely held beliefs about females' and males' abilities, personality traits, and social behavior.44
5775206435Gender differencesActual disparities between the sexes in typical behavior or average ability.45
5775206436SocializationThe acquisition of the norms and behaviors expected of people in a particular society.46
5775206437Gender rolesExpectations about what is appropriate behavior for each sex.47

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