1.
accomodation: in Piaget's theory, the process of creating new schemas or modifying existing ones to account for new objects or experiences
2.
adaptation: in Piaget's theory, the process of adjustment that enables people to function more effectively in meeting the demands they face in the environment
3.
adolescence: the period of life beginning at puberty and ending with early adulthood
4.
ageism: prejudice and discrimination directed at older persons
5.
Alzheimer's disease: an irreversible brain disease characterized by progressive deterioration of mental functioning.
6.
amniocentesis: a technique for diagnosing fetal abnormalities involving examination of extracted fetal cells
7.
amniotic sac: the uterine sac that contains the fetus
8.
animistic thinking: in Piaget's theory, the child's belief that inanimate objects have living qualities
9.
assimilation: in Piaget's theory, the process of incorporating new objects or situation into existing schemas.
10.
attachment: the enduring emotional bond that infants and older children form with their caregivers
11.
authoritarian: parents impose rules and expect obedience
12.
authoritative: both demanding and responsive; set rules, but explain reasons and encourage open discussion
13.
autonomy vs. shame and doubt: toddlers learn to exercise will and do things for themselves, or they doubt their abilities
14.
Babinkski reflex: the reflexive fanning out and curling of an infant's toes and inward twisting of its foot when the sole of the foot is stroked.
15.
baby mathematics: shown a numerically impossible outcome, infants stare longer
16.
basic trust: a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers.
17.
bereavement: a psychological state of deprivation involving feelings of grief and loss resulting from the death of a loved on or close friend
18.
bonding: the process by which parents develop strong ties to their newborns, which may form in the first few hours following birth.
19.
centration: in Piaget's theory, the tendency to focus on only one aspect of a situation at a time
20.
chorion: the membrane that contains the amniotic sac and fetus
21.
chorionic villus sampling: a technique of detecting fetal abnormalities that involves examination of fetal material extracted from the chorion
22.
cognition: all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.
23.
cohort effect: differences between age groups as a function of historical or social influences affecting those groups rather than age per se
24.
competence vs. inferiority: children learn the pleasure of applying themselves to tasks, or they feel inferior.
25.
conservation: in Piaget's theory, the ability to recognize that the quantity or amount of an objet remains constant despite the superficial changes in its outward appearance.
26.
continuity model: the model proposing that development involves quantitative changes that occur in small steps over time.
27.
critical period: an optimal period shortly after birth when an organism's exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development
28.
cross-sectional study: study that compares individuals of different ages or developmental levels at the same point in time
29.
crystallized intelligence: a form of intelligence associated with the ability to use accumulated knowledge.
30.
dementia: a condition involving a major deterioration or loss of mental abilities involved in memory, reasoning, judgement, and capacity to carry out purposeful behavior.
31.
developmental psychology: the branch of psychology that explores physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects of development.
32.
discontinuity model: the model proposing that development progresses in discrete stages that involve abrupt, qualitative changes in cognitive ability and ways of interacting with the world
33.
Down syndrome: a chromosomal disorder characterized by mental retardation and certain facial abnormalities
34.
ego identity: In Erikson's theory, the attainment of a psychological sense of knowing oneself and one's direction in life.
35.
egocentrism: in Piaget's theory, the tendency to see the world only from one's own perspective
36.
embryo: the developing organism at an early stage of prenatal development
37.
embryonic stage: the stage of prenatal development from implantation through about the eighth week of pregnancy during which the major organ systems begin to form.
38.
emerging adulthood: in some cultures, the period of psychosocial development roughly spanning ages 18 to 25 during which the person makes the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
39.
empty nest syndrome: a cluster of negative emotions, involving a loss of purpose and direction, that can occur when one's children have grown and left home.
40.
eyeblink reflex: The reflexive blinking of the eyes that protects the newborn from bright light and foreign objects.
41.
fallopian tube: a strawlike tube between an ovary and the uterus through which an ovum passes after ovulation.
42.
fertilization: the union of a sperm with an ovum during sexual reproduction
43.
fetal alcohol syndrome: a syndrome caused by maternal use of alcohol during pregnancy in which the child shows developmental delays and facial deformities.
44.
fetal stage: the stage of prenatal development in which the fetus develops, beginning around the ninth week of pregnancy and lasting until the birth of the child.
45.
fetus: the developing organism in the later stages of prenatal development
46.
fluid intelligence: a form of intelligence associated with the ability to think abstractly and flexibly in solving problems
47.
formal operations: the level of full cognitive maturity in Piaget's theory, characterized by the ability to think in abstract terms.
48.
germinal stage: the stage of prenatal development that spans the period from fertilization through implantation.
49.
habituation: decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation
50.
homogamy: the tendency for people to marry others who are similar to themselves
51.
identity crisis: In Erikson's theory, a stressful period of serious soul searching and self-examination of issues relating to personal values and one's direction in life.
52.
imaginary audience: the common belief among adolescents that they are the center of other people's attention
53.
imprinting: the formation of a strong bond of the newborn animal to the first moving object seen after birth.
54.
infancy: trust vs. mistrust
55.
initiative vs. guilt: preschoolers learn to initiate tasks and carry out plans or they feel guilty about efforts to be independent
56.
internal working models: generalized expectations, developed in early childhood, about how others are likely to respond in close relationships.
57.
irreversibility: in Piaget's theory, the inability to reverse the direction of a sequence of events to their starting point
58.
longitudinal study: study that compares the same individuals at periodic intervals over an extended period of time.
59.
maturation: the biological unfolding of the organism according to the underlying genetic code
60.
menarche: the first menstruation
61.
menopause: the time of life when menstruation ends.
62.
midlife crisis: a state of psychological crisis, often occurring during middle adulthood, in which people grapple with the loss of their youth.
63.
moro reflex: an inborn reflex, elicited by a sudden noise or loss of support, in which the infant extends its arms, arches its back, and brings its arms toward each other as though attempting to grab a hold of someone.
64.
mourning: the expression of sorrow or grief in accordance with a set of customs, such as wearing black clothing
65.
nature-nurture debate: the debate in psychology over the relative influences of genetics and environment in determining behavior.
66.
neural tube: the area in the embryo from which the nervous system develops
67.
object permanence: the recognition that objects continue to exist even if they have disappeared from sight
68.
osteoporosis: a bone disease characterized by a loss of bone density in which the bones become porous, brittle, and more prone to fracture.
69.
ovulation: the release of an ovum from an ovary
70.
ovum: an egg cell
71.
palmar grasp reflex: the reflexive curling of the infant's fingers around an object that touches its palm.
72.
permissive: submit to children's desires, make few demands, use little punishment
73.
personal fable: the common belief among adolescents that their feelings and experiences cannot possibly be understood by others and that they are personally invulnerable to harm.
74.
placenta: the organ that provides for the exchange of nutrients and waste materials between mother and fetus
75.
preschooler: initiative vs. guilt
76.
primary sex characteristics: physical characteristics, such as the gonads, that differentiate males and females and play a direct role in reproduction.
77.
puberty: the stage of development at which individuals become physiologically capable of reproducing
78.
role diffusion: In Erikson's model, aimlessness or a lack of direction with respect to one's role in life or public identity
79.
rooting reflex: the reflexive turning of the newborn's head in the direction of a touch on its cheek
80.
rubella: a common childhood disease that can lead to serious birth defects if contacted by the mother during pregnancy (also called German measles).
81.
scaffolding: In Vygotsky's theory, tailoring the degree and type of instruction to the child's current level of ability or knowledge.
82.
schema: in Piaget's theory, a mental framework for understanding or acting on the environment
83.
secondary sex characteristics: physical characteristics that differentiate males and females but are not directly involved in reproduction.
84.
self-concept: a sense of one's identity and personal worth
85.
sperm: the male reproductive cell
86.
spina bifida: a neural tube defect in which the child is born with a hole in the tube surrounding the spinal cord.
87.
Strange Situation: Ainsworth's method for assessing infant attachment to the mother, based on a series of brief separations and reunions with the mother in a playroom situation.
88.
stranger anxiety: fear of strangers that infants commonly display; beginning about 8 months of age.
89.
sucking reflex: rhythmic sucking in response to stimulation of the tongue or mouth
90.
sudden infant death syndrome: the sudden and unexplained death of infants that usually occurs when they are asleep in their cribs
91.
symbolic representations: symbols that stand for names and experiences; specifically the words in a language.
92.
temperament: a characteristic style of behavior or disposition.
93.
teratogen: an environmental influence or agent that may harm the developing embryo or fetus
94.
theory of mind: people's ideas about their own and other's mental states- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts and the behavior these might predict.
95.
toddler: autonomy vs. shame and doubt
96.
trust vs. mistrust: if needs are dependably met, infants develop a sense of basic trust.
97.
ultrasound imaging: a technique for using high-pitched sound waves to form an image of the fetus in the womb.
98.
uterus: the female reproductive organ in which the fertilized ovum becomes implanted and develops to term.
99.
zone of proximal development: In Vygotsky's theory, the range between children's present level of knowledge the their potential knowledge state if they receive proper guidance and instruction.
100.
zygote: a fertilized egg cell
