DevPsy Shaffer: T-Z Flashcards
(52 cards)
a single cell formed at conception from the union
of a sperm and an ovum.
zygote:
Vygotsky’s term for the range of tasks that are too complex to be mastered
alone but can be accomplished with guidance and encouragement from a more skillful partner.
zone of proximal development
the shorter of the two sex chromosomes;
normal males have one Y chromosome, whereas
females
have none.
Y chromosome
the longer of the two sex chromosomes;
normal females have two X chromosomes, whereas
normal males have only one.
X chromosome
structure located in the temporal lobe
of the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex that is
responsible for interpreting speech.
Wernicke’s area
a widely used individual intelligence test that includes
a measure of general intelligence and both verbal and performance intelligence.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV)
unique patterns of sound that a prelinguistic
infant uses to represent objects, actions, or events.
vocables
a form of malnutrition
in which the diet provides sufficient protein and calories
but is lacking in one or more substances that promote
normal growth.
vitamin and mineral deficiency
the ability to mentally manipulate or otherwise draw inferences about pictorial
information.
visual/spatial abilities
the amount of light/dark transition in a visual stimulus.
visual contrast
an elevated platform that creates an illusion of
depth, used to test the depth perception of infants.
visual cliff
a person’s ability to see small objects and fine detail.
visual acuity
The white, cheesy substance that covers the fetus
to protect the skin from chapping.
vernix
the extent to which a measuring instrument
accurately reflects what the researchers intended to
measure.
validity
a failure to benefit from effec
tive strategies that one has spontaneously produced;
thought to occur in the early phases of strategy acquisi
tion when executing the strategy requires much mental
effort.
utilization deficiency
in nativist theories of language acquisition, the basic rules of grammar that characterize
all languages.
universal grammar
a pattern of parenting that is both aloof (or even hostile) and overpermissive, almost as if parents neither cared about their children nor about what they may become.
uninvolved parenting
the young child’s tendency to use gen
eral words to refer to a smaller set of objects, actions,
or events than adults do (e.g., using candy to refer only
to mints).
underextension
a stimulus that elicits a
particular response without any prior learning.
unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
a soft tube containing blood vessels that
connects the embryo to the placenta.
umbilical cord
method of detecting gross physical abnormal
ities by scanning the womb with sound waves, thereby
producing a visual outline of the fetus.
ultrasound
an early manipulatory skill in which an infant
grasps objects by pressing the fingers against the palm.
ulnar grasp
programs in which English-
speaking (or other majority- language) children and
children who have limited proficiency in that language
are instructed half of the day in their primary language
and the other half in a second language.
two-way bilingual education
interventions with goals
to both stimulate children’s intellectual development
through preschool day care/education and help to as
sist parents to move out of poverty.
two-generation interventions
