Development Flashcards
(36 cards)
what is developmental psychology?
the study of continuity and change across the life span
what is the germinal stage of prenatal development?
the 2-week period that begins at conception
What is the embryonic stage of development?
a period that starts at about the 2nd week after conception, and lasts until about the 8th week
What is myelination during development?
the formation of a fatty sheath around the axons of a neuron
what is a teratogen?
any substance that passes from mother to unborn child and impairs development
what is motor development in infants?
the emergence of the ability to execute physical actions
ex: reaching, grasping, crawling, and walking
What are motor reflexes in infants?
motor responses are triggered by specific patterns of sensory stimulation
ex: rooting reflex, sucking reflex
What is the cephalocaudal rule?
describes the tendency for motor skills to emerge in sequence from the head to the feet
ex: infants gain control over heads first, and legs last
What is the proximodistal rule?
describes the tendency for motor skills to emerge in sequence from the center to the periphery
ex: infants learn to control their trunks before elbows, knees
what are the four stages of cognitive development?
- sensorimotor stage
- preoperational stage
- concrete operational stage
- formal operational stage
What is the sensorimotor stage of cognitive development?
a stage of cognitive development that begins at birth and lasts thru infancy, during which infants acquire info about the world by sensing it and moving around within it
What is the preoperational stage of cognitive development?
child acquires motor skills but does not understand conservation of physical properties; child begins stage by thinking egocentrically but ends with a basic understanding of other minds
What is the concrete operational stage of development?
child can think logically abt physical objects and events, and understands conservation of physical properties
What is the formal operational stage of development?
child can think logically abt abstract propositions and hypotheticals
What are schemas?
theories abt the way the world works
*infants apply their schemas in novel situations thru assimilation
*infants revise schemas in light of new info thru accommodation
what is the theory of mind?
the understanding that the mind produces representations of the world and that these representations guide behavior
what is the internal working model
a set of beliefs about the way relationships work *Attachment styles
what does developmental psychology study?
developmental psychology studies continuity and change across the life span
When does the prenatal stage of development begin?
when a sperm fertilizes an egg, producing a zygote
the zygote develops into an embryo at 2 weeks and then into a fetus at 8 weeks
What is true of infant’s vision and memory?
infants have a limited range of vision, but they can see and remember objects that appear within it
how do infants learn to control their bodies?
infants learn to control their bodies from the top down and from the center out
how do infants develop theories about how the world works? (Piaget)
Piaget believed that infants’ theories developed thru four stages in which
- children learn basic facts abt the world, such as object permanence, and that objects have enduring properties that are not changed by superficial transformations (conservation)
- children also learn that their minds represents objects (theory of mind), hence objects may not be as they appear, and others may not see them as the child does
What helps children acquire a theory of mind?
hearing language about thoughts and feelings
What did Piaget conclude about reasoning right/wrong within children?
Piaget concluded that children’s reasoning about right/ wrong is initially based on inviolable truths abt the world, but as they mature, children begin to consider the actor’s intentions as well as the extent to which the action obeys abstract moral principles
