psych quiz chap 10

• developmental psychology - the study of how behavior changes throughout one's lifespan
• cohort effects - effects observed in a sample of participants that results from individuals in the sample growing up at the same time
• post hoc fallacy - false assumption that because one event occurred before another event, it must have caused that event
• bidirectional influences - parents influence their children's behavior, which in turn influences parent's reactions
• gene environment interaction - situation in which the effects of genes depend on the environment in which they are expressed
• nature via nurture - tendency of individuals with certain genetic predispositions to seek out and create environments that permit the expression of those predispositions
• gene expression - activation or deactivation of genes by environmental experiences throughout development
• chronological age - a person's actual age
• developmental age - the age at which an individual functions physically, emotionally, socially, and cognitively
• the stages of development are prenatal, infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood
• zygote - fertilized egg
• blastocyst - ball of identical cells that haven't yet taken on any specific function
• embryo - 2-8 weeks; limbs, facial features, and major organs form
• fetus - 9+ weeks; major organs develop, physical maturation occurs
• there are several obstacles to normal development

  • premature birth
  • low birth weight
  • exposure to hazardous environmental influences
  • biological influences from genetic disorders or errors in cell duplication during cell division
  • teratogens
  • genetic disorders
  • deprivation and neglect
• teratogens - substance that causes congenital birth defects
• genetic disorders - can be inherited or the result of random errors in cell division, impact varies based on type and location of the mutation
• premature birth - birth at fewer than 36 weeks gestation, more extreme cases can result in cognitive developmental delays or even death
• deprivation and neglect - loss or withholding of normal stimulation, nutrition, comfort, love, etc. can result in language delay or absence, intellectual disability, and emotional problems. especially damaging during sensitive periods
• physical development has several stages of movement:

  • sitting - 6 months
  • crawling - 9 months
  • standing - 11 months
  • cruising - 12 months
  • walking - 13 months
  • running - 18-24 months
• growth spurts - periods of extreme growth
• the head to body ratio decreases as we age, and our arms and legs grow longer relative to the torso
• adolescence starts with puberty (sexual maturation)
• as we age, we experience decreases in muscle tone and increases in body fat. we also experience decreases in agility and coordination. many changes are actually due to diseases correlated with age, not age itself
• cognitive development - the study of how children acquire the ability to learn, think, reason, communicate, and remember
• there are three key theories of cognitive development, which are Piaget, Vygotsky, and Modern
• Piaget's theory - children aren't miniature adults, learning is active not passive, physical interaction is the main source of knowledge, development occurs in distinct stages, learning occurs through schemas
• schemas - a mental structure composed of an organized learned body of knowledge and skills
• assimilation - absorbing new experiences into current schemas, ex a child sees a zebra and calls it a horse
• accommodation - altering a schema to make it more compatible with experience, ex a child learns to tell the difference between horses and zebras
• Vygotsky's theory - social and cultural influences are the major source of knowledge, children benefit most from instruction when it occurs within the zone of proximal development, scaffolding
• zone of proximal development - the space between what a learner is capable of doing unsupported vs what the learner cannot do even with support
• scaffolding - parents provide initial assistance in children's learning but gradually remove structure as children become more independent/competent
• modern theory - learning is more gradual and less stage-like, many skills develop earlier than Piaget thought, egocentrism
• egocentrism - inability to differentiate between self and other
• physical reasoning - understanding of how physical objects behave
• object permanence - the understanding that objects continue to exist even when out of sight
• conservation - understanding that despite a change in the physical presentation of an amount, the amount remains the same
• intuitive thought - thinking that doesn't use reasoning and logic
• self concept - understanding that you have a unique identity which is distinct from others. children can recognize themselves around 2 years old