FlashcardsChapter09
(25 cards)
Term
Description
Accommodation
The process by which a new scheme is created or an existing scheme is drastically altered to include new information that otherwise would not fit into the scheme. (page 354)
Assimilation
The process by which new information is placed into an existing scheme. (page 354)
Attachment
A strong, intimate, emotional connection between people that persists over time and across circumstances. (page 347)
Concrete operational stage
The third stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; during this stage, children begin to think about and understand logical operations, and they are no longer fooled by appearances. (page 355)
Conventional level
Middle stage of moral development; at this level, strict adherence to societal rules and the approval of others determine what is moral. (page 362)
Developmental psychology
The study of changes, over the life span, in physiology, cognition, emotion, and social behavior. (page 338)
Dynamic systems theory
The view that development is a self-organizing process, in which new forms of behavior emerge through consistent interactions between a biological being and cultural and environmental contexts. (page 343)
Formal operational stage
The final stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; in this stage, people can think abstractly, and they can formulate and test hypotheses through deductive logic. (page 356)
Gender identity
One’s sense of being male or female. (page 366)
Gender role
A behavior that is typically associated with being male or female. (page 366)
Infantile amnesia
The inability to remember events from early childhood. (page 346)
Insecure attachment
The attachment style for a minority of infants; the infant may exhibit insecure attachment through various behaviors, such as avoiding contact with the caregiver, or by alternating between approach and avoidance behaviors. (page 351)
Object permanence
The understanding that an object continues to exist even when it cannot be seen. (page 354)
Postconventional level
Highest stage of moral development; at this level, decisions about morality depend on abstract principles and the value of all life. (page 362)
Preconventional level
Earliest level of moral development; at this level, self-interest and event outcomes determine what is moral. (page 362)
Preoperational stage
The second stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; during this stage, children think symbolically about objects, but they reason based on intuition and superficial appearance rather than logic. (page 355)
Puberty
The beginning of adolescence, marked by the onset of sexual maturity and thus the ability to reproduce. (page 363)
Secure attachment
The attachment style for a majority of infants; the infant is confident enough to play in an unfamiliar environment as long as the caregiver is present and is readily comforted by the caregiver during times of distress. (page 350)
Sensorimotor stage
The first stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; during this stage, infants acquire information about the world through their senses and motor skills. Reflexive responses develop into more deliberate actions through the development and refinement of schemes. (page 354)
Social intuitionist model
The idea that moral judgments reflect people’s initial and automatic emotional responses. (page 362)
Socioemotional selectivity theory
As people grow older, they view time as limited and therefore shift their focus to meaningful events, experiences, and goals. (page 376)
Synaptic pruning
The synaptic connections in the brain that are used are preserved, whereas those that are not used decay and disappear. (page 339)
Teratogens
Agents that harm the embryo or fetus. (page 340)
