Psyc202 Chapter 12: Development Over The Life Span

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accommodation (p. 423

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In cognitive development, the process by which new experiences cause existing schemas to change.

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adolescence (p. 440

Back 2

The period of development that involves a gradual transition between childhood and adulthood.

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adolescent egocentrism (p. 442

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Highly self-focused thinking, particularly in the early teenage years.

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assimilation (p. 423

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In cognitive development, the process by which new experiences are incorporated into existing schemas.

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attachment (p. 431

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The strong emotional bond that develops between two people; developmentally, the bond between children and their primary caregivers.

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authoritarian parents (p. 435

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Caregivers who exert control over their children within a cold, unresponsive, or rejecting relationship.

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authoritative parents (p. 435

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Caregivers who are controlling but warm; they establish and enforce clear rules within a caring, supportive atmosphere.

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cephalocaudal principle (p. 421

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The tendency for physical development to proceed in a head-to-foot direction.

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concrete operational stage (p. 424

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In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development during which children can perform basic mental operations concerning problems that involve tangible (i.e., “concrete”) objects and situations.

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conservation (p. 424

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The principle that basic properties of objects, such as their mass or quantity, stay the same (are “conserved”) even though their outward appearance may change.

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conventional moral reasoning (p. 437

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According to Kohlberg, the stage at which moral judgments are based on conformity to social expectations, laws, and duties.

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critical period (p. 416

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Limited time periods during which plasticity can occur as a result of experience or in response to injury; in development, a time period in which exposure to particular kinds of stimulation is required for normal growth to occur.

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cross-sectional design (p. 416

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A research design that simultaneously compares people of different ages at a particular point in time.

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egocentrism (p. 424

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Difficulty in viewing the world from someone else’s perspective.

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embryo (p. 417

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A scientific term for the prenatal organism during the 2nd week through the 8th week after conception.

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emotion regulation (p. 429

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The processes by which we evaluate and modify our emotional reactions.

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fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD

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A range of mild to severe developmental abnormalities produced by prenatal exposure to alcohol.

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fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS

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A severe group of abnormalities resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol.

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fetus (p. 417

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A scientific term for the prenatal organism from the 9th week after conception until birth.

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formal operational stage (p. 425

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In Piaget’s theory, the period in which individuals are able to think logically and systematically about both concrete and abstract problems, form hypotheses, and test them in a thoughtful way.

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gender constancy (p. 436

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The understanding that being male or female is a permanent part of a person.

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gender identity (p. 436

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The sense of “femaleness” or “maleness” that is an integral part of our identity.

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imprinting (p. 431

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In some species, a sudden, biologically primed form of attachment.

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indulgent parents (p. 435

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Caregivers who have warm and caring relationships with their children but do not provide much guidance or discipline.

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longitudinal design (p. 416

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A research approach in which the same people are repeatedly tested as they grow older.

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maturation (p. 421

Back 26

A genetically programmed biological process that governs our growth.

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neglectful parents (p. 435

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Caregivers who provide neither warmth nor rules or guidance

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object permanence (p. 423

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The recognition that an object continues to exist even when it no longer can be seen.

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postconventional moral reasoning (p. 438

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According to Kohlberg, the stage at which moral judgments are based on a system of internalized, well-thought-out moral principles.

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preconventional moral reasoning (p. 437

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According to Kohlberg, the stage at which moral judgments are based on a system of internalized, well-thought-out moral principles.

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preoperational stage (p. 424

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In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development in which children represent the world symbolically through words and mental images but do not yet understand basic mental operations or rules.

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proximodistal principle (p. 421

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The tendency for physical development to begin along the innermost parts of the body and continue toward the outermost parts.

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psychosocial stages (p. 430

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A sequence of eight developmental stages proposed by Erikson, each of which involves a different “crisis” (i.e., conflict) over how we view ourselves in relation to other people and the world.

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puberty (p. 440

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A period of rapid biological maturation in which the person becomes capable of sexual reproduction.

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reflexes (p. 420

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Automatic, inborn behaviors triggered by specific stimuli.

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schema (p. 423

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A mental framework; an organized pattern of thought about some aspect of the world, such as a class of people, events, situations, or objects.

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senile dementia (p. 446

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Dementia (a gradual loss of cognitive abilities due to normal brain deterioration) that begins after age 65.

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sensitive period (p. 416

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An optimal age range for certain experiences, but if those experiences occur at another time, normal development will still be possible.

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sensorimotor stage (p. 423

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In Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development in which children understand their world primarily through sensory experiences and physical (motor) interactions with objects.

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separation anxiety (p. 432

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Distress experienced by infants when they are separated from a primary caregiver, peaking between ages 12 and 16 months and disappearing between ages 2 and 3 years.

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sequential design (p. 416

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A research approach that involves repeatedly testing several age cohorts as they grow older.

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sex-typing (p. 436

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Treating other people differently based on whether they are female or male.

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stranger anxiety (p. 432

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Distress over contact with strangers that typically develops in the first year of infancy and dissipates in the second year.

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strange situation (p. 432

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A standardized procedure used to determine the type of emotional attachment between an infant and a caregiver.

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temperament (p. 429

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A biologically based general style of reacting emotionally and behaviorally to the environment.

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teratogens (p. 418

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Environmental (nongenetic) agents that cause abnormal prenatal development.

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theory of mind (p. 428

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A person's beliefs about the “mind” and the ability to understand other people’s mental states.

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zone of proximal development (p. 426

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The difference between what a child can do independently and what the child can do with assistance from adults or more advanced peers.

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zygote (p. 417

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The fertilized egg.