Chapter 10: Human Development - Key Words Flashcards
(50 cards)
Study of how behaviour changes over the lifespan
developmental psychology
False assumption that because one event occured before another event, it must have caused that event
Post hoc fallacy
research design that examines people of different ages at a single point in time
cross-sectional design
effect observed in a sample of participants that results from individuals in the sampel growing up at the same time
cohort effect
research design that examines development in the same group of people on multiple occasions over time
longitudinal design
situation in which the effects of genes depend on the environment in which they are expressed
gene-environment interaction
tendency of individuals with certain genetic predispositions to seek out and create environments that permit the expression of those predispositions
nature-via-nurture
activation or deactivation of genes by environmental experiences throughout development
gene expression
period prior to birth
prenatal
fertilized egg
zygote
ball of identical cells early in pregnancy that haven’t yet begun to take on any specific function in a body part
blastocyst
second to eight week of prenatal development, during which limbs, facial features, and major orans of the body take form
embryonic stage
period of prenatal development from the ninth week until birth after all major organs are establisehd and physical maturation is the primary change
fetal stage
environmental factor that can exert a negative impact on prenatal development
teratogen
condition resulting from high levels of prenatal alcohol exposure, causing learning disabilities, physical growth retardation, facial malformations, and behavioural disorders
fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
bodily motion that occurs as a result of self-initiated force that moves the bones and muscles
motor behaviour
the transition between childhood and adulthood commonly associated with the teenage years
adolescence
the achievement of sexual maturation resulting in the potential to reproduce
puberty
a physical feature such as the reproductive organs and genitals that distinguish the sexes
primary sex characterstic
a sex-differentiating characteristics that doesn’t relate directly to reproduction, such as breast enlargement in women and deepening voices in men
secondary-sex characteristic
start of menstruation
menarche
boy’s first ejaculation
spermarche
the termination of menstruation, marking the end of a woman’s reproductive potential
menopause
study of how children acquire the ability to learn, think, reason, communicate, and remember
cognitive development
