3a - Development Vocab

Question 1

Critical Periods

Answer 1

a period during someone’s development in which a particular skill or characteristic is believed to be most readily acquired.

Question 2

Teratogens

Answer 2

substances or agents that can cause birth defects or developmental abnormalities in a growing fetus

Question 3

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Answer 3

a lifelong condition that occurs when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol during pregnancy

Question 4

Puberty

Answer 4

the process of physical and hormonal changes that transform a child into an adult capable of reproduction

Question 5

Prefrontal Cortex

Answer 5

the anterior section of the brain’s frontal lobes

Question 6

Synaptic Pruning

Answer 6

the process where the brain eliminates extra neurons and synapses

Question 7

Motor Milestones

Answer 7

lifting their heads at 2-4 months to walking alone at 11-15 months

Question 8

Menopause

Answer 8

a natural physiological process that marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years

Question 9

Andropause

Answer 9

a condition that occurs in men as they age and their testosterone levels decline

Question 10

Longitudinal Studies

Answer 10

employ continuous or repeated measures to follow particular individuals over prolonged periods of time

Question 11

Cross Sectional Studies

Answer 11

observational studies that analyze data from a population at a single point in time

Question 12

Twin Studies

Answer 12

compare identical and fraternal twins to determine how much their genes and environment contribute to their traits

Question 13

Harlow Studies

Answer 13

The Harlow monkey experiment

Question 14

Object permanence

Answer 14

the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible, audible, or tangible

Question 15

Egocentrism

Answer 15

the quality of being excessively concerned with oneself and one’s own needs, at the expense of others

Question 16

Centration

Answer 16

the tendency to focus on one aspect of a situation or object while ignoring others

Question 17

Conservation

Answer 17

the careful maintenance and upkeep of a natural resource to prevent it from disappearing

Question 18

Irreversibility

Answer 18

impossible to change or to return to a previous condition

Question 19

Abstract vs concrete

Answer 19

Concrete means something is physical and can be sensed, while abstract means something is conceptual and cannot be sensed

Question 20

Assimilation

Answer 20

the process through which individuals and groups of differing heritages acquire the basic habits, attitudes, and mode of life of an embracing culture

Question 21

Accommodation

Answer 21

something supplied for convenience or to satisfy a need