CHAPTER 11 Flashcards
developmental psychology
the study of continuity and change across the life span,
germinal stage
the 2-week period that begins at conception.
embryonic stage
a period that starts at about the 2nd week after conception and lasts until about the 8th week (
fetal stage
a period that lasts from about the 9th week after conception until birth.
myelination
the formation of a fatty sheath around the axons of a neuron.
teratogen
any substance that passes from mother to unborn child and impairs development.
fetal alcohol syndrome
developmental disorder that stems from heavy alcohol use by the mother during pregnancy
infancy
is the stage of development that begins at birth and lasts between 18 and 24 months,
motor development
is the emergence of the ability to execute physical actions
motor reflexes
motor responses that are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation
rooting reflex
moving mouth to things that touch cheek
sucking reflexes
suck anything that in their mouth
cephalocaudal rule - top to bottom rule
the tendency for motor skills to emerge in sequence from the head to the feet.
proximodistal rule - inside-out rule
the tendency for motor skills to emerge in sequence from the centre to the periphery.
cognitive development
the process by which infants and children gain the ability to think and understand
Piaget suggests they learn: how the physical world works, how their minds work, how other peoples minds work
sensorimotor stage
a stage of cognitive development that begins at birth and lasts through infancy.
schemas
theories about how the world works
assimilation
infants apply their schemas in novel situations.
accommodation
infants revise their schemas because new information
object permanence
object continues to exist even when not visible
childhood
the stage of cognitive development that begins at about 18 to 24 months and lasts until about 11 to 14 years.
preoperational stage
the stage of cognitive development that begins at about 2 years and ends at about 6 years, during which children develop a preliminary understanding of the physical world.
concrete operation stage
the stage of cognitive development that begins at about 6 years and ends at about 11 years, during which children learn how actions, or operations, can transform the concrete objects of the physical world.
conservation
the child’s insight
the understanding that the quantitative properties of an object are invariant, despite changes in the object’s appearance