Chapter 9

Front 1

Developmental psychology

Back 1

branch of psychology: explores physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of development

Front 2

Nature-Nurture Debate

Back 2

debate over relative influences of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) in determining behavior

Front 3

Continuity model

Back 3

proposes that development involves quantitative changes that occur in small steps over time.

Front 4

Discontinuity model

Back 4

Proposes developmental progresses in stages that involve abrupt, qualitative changes in cognitive ability and ways of interacting with the world.

Front 5

longitudinal study

Back 5

study that compares the same individuals at periodic intervals over an extended period of time

Front 6

cross-sectional study

Back 6

compares individuals of different ages of developmental levels at the same point in time

Front 7

cohort effect

Back 7

differences between age groups as a function of historical or social influences affecting those groups rather than age

Front 8

sperm

Back 8

male reproductive cell

Front 9

Ovum

Back 9

An egg cell (ova)

Front 10

Fallopian tube

Back 10

strawlike tube between an ovary and the uterus through which an ovum passes after ovulation

Front 11

fertillization

Back 11

the union of sperm with an ovum during secual reproduction

Front 12

zygote

Back 12

fertilized egg cell

Front 13

germinal stage

Back 13

prenatal development that spans the period from fertilaztion through implantation

Front 14

uterus

Back 14

female reprodcutive organ in which the fertilized ovum becomes implanted and develops to term

Front 15

embryonic stage

Back 15

stage of prenatal development from implantation through about eighth week of pregn. during which the major organ systems begin to form

Front 16

embryo

Back 16

developing organism at an early stage of prenatal development

Front 17

neural tube

Back 17

area in embryo from which nervous system develops

Front 18

amniotic sac

Back 18

uterine sac that contains the fetus

Front 19

placenta

Back 19

organ tha provides for exchange of nutrients and waste materials between mother and fetus

Front 20

fetal stage

Back 20

stage of prenatal development in which fetus develops, beginning around the ninth week of pregn. and lasting until birth of child

Front 21

Spina Bifida

Back 21

nerual tube defect in which the child is born wit a hole in the tube surrounding the spinal cord

Front 22

teratogen

Back 22

an environmental influence oragent that may harm the developing embryo or fetus

Front 23

rubella

Back 23

common chilhood that can lead to serious birth defects if contracted by the mother during pregnacy (german measles)

Front 24

sudden infant death syndrom

Back 24

(SIDS) sudden and unexplained death of infants that usually occurs whn they are asleep in their cribs

Front 25

fetal alcohol syndrome

Back 25

(FAS) syndrome caused by maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy in which the child shows developmental delays and facial deformities

Front 26

amniocentesis

Back 26

technique for diagnosing fetal abnormalities involving examination of extracted fetal cells

Front 27

chorionic villus sampling (CVS)

Back 27

technique of detecting fetal abnormalities that involve sexaminationof fetal material extracted from the chorion

Front 28

chorion

Back 28

membrane that contains the amniotic sac and fetus

Front 29

down syndrome

Back 29

a chromosomal disorder characterized by mental retardation and certain facial abnormalities

Front 30

ultrasound imaging

Back 30

technique for using high pitched sound waves to form an image of the fetus in the womb

Front 31

rooting reflex

Back 31

reflexive turning of the newborns head in the direction of a touch on its cheek.

Front 32

eyeblink reflex

Back 32

reflexive blinking of the eyes that protects the newborn from bright light and foreign objects

Front 33

sucking reflex

Back 33

rhythmic sucking response to stimulation of the tongue or mouth

Front 34

moro reflex

Back 34

inborn reflex, elicted by a sudden noise or loss of support, in which the infant extends its arm, arches its back, and brings its arms toward each other as though attempting to grab hold

Front 35

palmar grasp reflex

Back 35

reflexive curling of the infants fingers around an object that touches its palm

Front 36

babinski reflex

Back 36

reflexive fanning out and curling of an infants toes and inward twising of its foot when the sole of the foot is stroked

Front 37

maturation

Back 37

biological unfolding of the organism according to the underlying genetic code

Front 38

temperament

Back 38

characteristic style of behavior or disposition

Front 39

attachment

Back 39

enduring emotional bond that infants and older children form with their caregivers

Front 40

bonding

Back 40

process by which parents develop strong ties to their newborns, which may form in the first few hours following birth

Front 41

strange situation

Back 41

alinsworth method for assessing infants attachment ot the mother, based on a series of brief seperations and reunions with the mother in a playroom situation

Front 42

internal working models

Back 42

generalized expectations, developed in early childhood, about how others are likely to resond in close relationships

Front 43

schema

Back 43

piagets theory, mental framwork for understanding or acting on environment

Front 44

adaption

Back 44

piages theory the process of adjustment that enables people to function more effectively in meetins the demands they face in the environment

Front 45

assimilation

Back 45

piagets theory the process of incorporating new objects or situations into existing schemas

Front 46

accommodation

Back 46

piagets theory the process of creating new schemas or modifying existing ones to account for new objects or experiences

Front 47

object permanence

Back 47

recognition that objects comntinue to exist even if they have disappeared from sight

Front 48

symbolic representation

Back 48

symbols that stand for names and experiences, specifically the words in a language

Front 49

egocentrism

Back 49

piagets theory, the tendency to see the world only from ones own perspective

Front 50

animistic thinking

Back 50

piagets theory the childs belief that inanimate objects have living qualities

Front 51

irreversibility

Back 51

piagets theory the inability to reverse the direction of a sequence of events to their starting point

Front 52

centration

Back 52

piagets theory the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation at a time

Front 53

conservation

Back 53

piagets theory, the ability to recognize that the quantity or amount of an object remains constant despite changes in its outward appearance

Front 54

formal operations

Back 54

level of full cognitive maturity in piagets theory, characterized by the ability to think in abstract terms

Front 55

zone of proximal development

Back 55

Vygotskys theory, range between children present level of knowledge and their potential knowledge state if they receive proper guidance and instruction

Front 56

scaffolding

Back 56

Vygotsky's theory, tailoring the degree and type of instruction to the childs current level of ability or knowledge