Psychology - Chapter 10 Human Development - Key Words

Study of how behaviour changes over the lifespan

False assumption that because one event occured before another event, it must have caused that event

research design that examines people of different ages at a single point in time

effect observed in a sample of participants that results from individuals in the sampel growing up at the same time

research design that examines development in the same group of people on multiple occasions over time

situation in which the effects of genes depend on the environment in which they are expressed

tendency of individuals with certain genetic predispositions to seek out and create environments that permit the expression of those predispositions

activation or deactivation of genes by environmental experiences throughout development

period prior to birth

fertilized egg

ball of identical cells early in pregnancy that haven’t yet begun to take on any specific function in a body part

second to eight week of prenatal development, during which limbs, facial features, and major orans of the body take form

period of prenatal development from the ninth week until birth after all major organs are establisehd and physical maturation is the primary change

environmental factor that can exert a negative impact on prenatal development

condition resulting from high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure, causing learning disabilities, physical growth retardation, facial malformations, and behavioural disorders

bodily motion that occurs as a result of self-initiated force that moves the bones and muscles

the transition between childhood and adulthood commonly associated with the teenage years

the achievement of sexual maturation resulting in the potential to reproduce

a physical feature such as the reproductive organs and genitals that distinguish the sexes

a sex-differentiating characteristics that doesn’t relate directly to reproduction, such as breast enlargement in women and deepening voices in men

start of menstruation

boy’s first ejaculation

the termination of menstruation, marking the end of a woman’s reproductive potential

study of how children acquire the ability to learn, think, reason, communicate, and remember

Piagetian process of absorbing new experience into current-knowledge structures

Piagetian process of altering a belief to make it more compatible with experience

Stage in Piaget's theory characterized by a focus on the here and the now without the ability to represent experiences mentally

the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of view

stage in Piaget's theory characterized by the ability to construct mental representations of experience, but not yet perform operations on them

inability to see the world from other's perspectives

Piagetian task requiring children to understand that despite a transformation in the physical presentation of an amount, the amount remains the same

stage in Piaget's theory characterized by the ability to perform mental operations on physical events only

Stage in Piaget's theory characterized by the ability to perform hypothetical reasoning beyond the here and now

Vygotskian learning mechanism in which parents provide initial assistance in children's learning but gradually remove structure as children become more competent

phase of learning during which children can benefit from instruction

ability to reason about what other people know or believe

a fear of strangers developing at 8 or 9 months of age

basic emotional style that appears early in development and is largely genetic in origin

the strong emotional connection we share with those to whom we feel closest

positive emotions afforded by touch

drawing conclusions on the basis of only a single measure

environment that provides children with basic needs for affection and discipline

ability to inhibit an impulse to act

individual's sense of being male or female

a set of behaviours that tend to be associated with being male or female

our sense of who we are, and our life goals and priorities

dilemna concerning an individuals relations to other people

period of life between the ages of 18 and 25 during which many aspects of emotional development, identity, and personality become solidified

supposed phase of adulthood characterized by emotional distress about the aging process and an attempt to regain youth

alleged period of depression in mothers following the departure of their grown children from the home