Chapter 9 Development

	a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span
	controversy over relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors
	the perspective that development is gradual and continuous
	the perspective that development proceeds in an uneven fashion ex:succession of changes that happen in stages
	periods of life initiated by significant transitions or changes in physical or psychological functioning
	the developmental period before birth
	a fertilized egg
	the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth
	stage in prenatal development from 2 to 8 weeks
	the organ interface between the embryo or fetus and the mother ex:separates bloodstreams, but allows the exchange of nutrients and waste products
	agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm
	the first 4 weeks after birth
	in humans, the stage of life from birth to age two
	The strong bond (social-emotional) a child forms with his or her primary caregiver.
	evidence of critical period in some animals; they follow the first moving thing they see after hatching
	stimulation and reassurance derived from the physical touch of a caregiver
	the internally programmed growth of a child
	the process of assimilating new ideas into an existing cognitive structure
	in the theories of Jean Piaget: the modification of internal representations in order to accommodate a changing knowledge of reality
	the first stage in Piaget's theory, during which the child relies heavily on innate motor responses to stimuli
	the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived
	the second stage in Piaget's theory, marked by well-developed mental representation and the use of language
	In Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view.
	a preoperational mode of thought in which inanimate objects are imagined to have life and mental processes ex: they might think their stuffed animals are real
	a preoperational thought pattern involving the inability to take into account more than one factor at a time
	the third of Piaget's stages, when a child understands conversation but still is incapable of abstract thought
	the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects
	solving problems by manipulating images in one's mind
	an awareness that other people's behavior may be influenced by beliefs, desires, and emotions that differ from one's own
	individuals characteritc manner of behavior or reaction assumed to have a strong genetic basis
	the difference between what a child can do with help and what a child can do without any help or guidance
	in Erikson's theory, the developmental stages refer to the eight major challenges that appear successively across the lifespan
	the time period between the beginning of puberty and adulthood
	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
	Physical features that are associated with gender but that are not directly involved in reproduction.
	in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts
	in Erikson's theory, a process of making a commitment beyond oneself ex:to family, work, or future generations
	a progressive and irreversable brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and finally physical functioning
	choosing to restrict the number of one's social contacts to those who are most gratifying