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| The area of specialization that documents the course and causes of people's social, emotional, moral, and intellectual development throughout the life span. |
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| Refers to any development process that is guided by biological or genetic factors. These processes occur in a fixed sequence and are usually unaffected by environment conditions. |
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| The cell that results from the merging of the father's sperm and the mother's ovum. |
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| The part of the zygote that will mature into an infant. |
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| The embryo becomes a fetus in the third prenatal stage, which lasts from the third month of pregnancy until birth. |
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| External substances that when introduced into the womb cause defects in the developing baby. |
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| Refers to any time period during which some developmental process must occur; if it doesn't occur then, it never will be. |
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| Occurs in infants born to mothers who consumed heavy---sometimes even moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy. The resulting defects include physical malformations of the face and mental retardation. |
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| A basic unit of knowledge that takes the form of a pattern of action, an image of an object, or a complex idea. |
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| The process of taking in information that adds to an existing schema. |
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| The process of taking in information that causes a person to modify an existing schema. |
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| Piaget's first stage of cognitive development. The infant's mental activity is confined to sensory and motor functions such as looking and reaching. |
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| Acquired during the sensorimotor period. Because children form mental representations of objects and action, the do not have to rely on sensory information to know that an object exists even when they cannot see or touch it. |
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| Piaget's second stage of cognitive development, lasting from age two to age seven. Children learn to use symbols allowing them to talk, pretend, and draw. Thinking during this time is intuitive. |
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| The knowledge that a substance's number or amount does not change even when its shape or form does. This skill is first accomplished during the concrete operational stage. |
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| Piaget's third stage of cognitive development, occurring approximately between the ages of seven and eleven. During this stage, children can perform such operations as addition, subtraction, and conservation, and visual appearances no longer dominate thinking. |
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| Formal operational period |
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| Piaget's fourth stage of cognitive development; on average, it begins at age eleven. During this stage, children can think and reason about abstract concepts, generate hypothesis, and think logically. |
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| The style of emotional reactivity that an infant displays in response to the environment. It is the basic, natural disposition of an individual. |
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| The close emotional relationship between an infant and his or her caregiver. For a secure attachment to develop, the caregiver must not only provide adequate, consistent care, but must also be loving, supportive, helpful, sensitive, and responsive. If the care is inadequate or the relationship is distant, the child may develop an anxious insecure attachment. |
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| Are firm, punitive, and unsympathetic. The demand children's obedience and seldom offer praise. |
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| Are indifferent to their children. |
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| Give their children freedom, and their use of discipline is lax. |
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| Reason with their children, are firm but understanding, and encourage give-and-take. As the children get older, the parents allow them increasing responsibility. These parents set limits, but they also encourage independence. |
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| The ability to control one's emotions and behavior. |
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| The general patterns of work, appearance, and behavior associated with being male or female. |
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| Are the generalizations children develop about what toys and activities are appropriate for boys versus girls and what jobs are meant for men versus women. |
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| A phenomenon that permits successful development in the face of significant challenge. |
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| The condition of being able for the first time to reproduce. Its onset is characterized by menstruation in females and sperm production in males. |
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| The part of a person's identity that reflects the racial, religious, or cultural group to which he or she belongs. |
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| Preconventional moral reasoning |
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| According to Kohlberg's theory, is typical of children younger than nine years of age. Moral reasoning during this period is directed toward avoiding punishment and following rules to one's own advantage. |
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| Conventional moral reasoning |
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| According to Kohlberg, is characterized by concern for other people due to social obligations such as caring for one's spouse and family. |
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| Postconventional moral reasoning |
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| To Kohlberg, is the highest level of moral reasoning; it is based upon personal standards or universal principles of justice, equality, and respect for homan life. |
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| Usually occurs during adolescence. By combining bits and pieces of self-knowledge learned in childhood, the individual must develop an integrated image of himself or herself as a unique person. |
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| The natural shutdown of reproductive capabiliy experienced by women in thier late or early forties or fifies. |
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| A period beginning around age 40 during which one reappraises and modifies one's life relationships. The period may or may not involve a midlife crisis. |
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| The decline in mental functioning that occurs in the months or years preceding death. |
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| Usually occurs during a person's thirties. People become concerned with producting something that they consider worthwhile. To resolve this crisis, people usually have children or devide to achieve an occupational goal. |
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