Developmental psychology
The branch of psychology that studies how people change over the lifespan
Chromosome
A long, threadlike structure composed of twisted parallel strands of DNA; found in the nucleus of the cell
Gene
The basic unit of heredity that directs the development of a particular characteristic; the individual unit of DNA instructions on a chromosome
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
The chemical basis of heredity; carries the genetic instructions in the cell
Genotype
The underlying genetic makeup of a particular organism, including the genetic instructions for traits that are not actually displayed
Phenotype
The observable traits or characteristics of an organism as determined by the interaction of genetics and environmental factors
Dominant gene In a pair of genes, the gene containing genetic instructions that will be expressed whether paired with another dominant gene or with a recessive gene
Recessive gene
In a pair of genes, the gene containing genetic instructions that will not be expressed unless pair with another recessive gene
Sex chromosomes
Chromosomes designated as X or Y that determine biological sex; the 23 rd pair of chromosomes in humans
Sex-linked recessive characteristics
Traits determined by recessive genes located on the X chromosome; in males, these characteristics require only one recessive gene to be expressed
Prenatal stage
The stage of development before birth; divided into the germinal, embryonic, and fetal periods
Germinal period
The first two weeks of prenatal development
Embryonic period
The second period of prenatal development, extending from the third week through the eighth week
Teratogens
Harmful agents or substances that can cause malformations or defects in an embryo or fetus
Fetal period
The third and longest period of prenatal development, extending from the ninth week until birth
Temperament
Inborn predispositions to consistently behave and react in a certain way
Attachment
The emotional bond that forms between an infant and caregiver(s), especially his or her parents
Comprehension vocabulary
The words that are understood by an infant or child
Production vocabulary
The words that an infant or child understands and can speak
Sensorimotor stage
In Piaget’s theory, the first stage of cognitive development, from birth to about age 2; the period during which the infant explores the environment and acquires knowledge through sensing and manipulating objects
Object permanence
The understanding that an object continues to exist even when it can no longer be seen
Preoperational stage
In Piaget’s theory, the second stage of cognitive development, which lasts from about age 2 to age 7; characterized by increasing use of symbols and prelogical thought process
Symbolic thought
The ability to use words, images, and symbols to represent the world
Egocentrism
In Piaget’s theory, the inability to take another person’s perspective or point of view
Irreversibility
In Piaget’s theory,the inability to mentally reverse a sequence of events or logical operations
Centration
In Piaget’s theory, the tendency to focus,or center, on only once aspect of a situation and ignore other important aspects of the situation
Conservation
In Piaget’s theory, the understanding that two equal quantities remain equal even though the form or appearance is rearranged, as long as nothing is added or subtracted
Concrete operational stage
In Piaget’s theory, the third stage of cognitive development, which lasts from about age 7 to adolescence; characterized by the ability to think logically about concrete objects and situations
Formal operational
In Piaget’s theory, the fourth stage of cognitive development, which lasts from adolescence through adulthood; characterized by the ability to think logically about abstract principles and hypothetical situations
Information-processing model of cognitive development
The model that views cognitive development as a process that is continuous over the lifespan and that studies the development of basic mental processes such as attention, memory, and problem solving
Adolescence
The transitional stage between late childhood and the beginning of adulthood, during which sexual maturity is reached
Identity
A person’s definition or description of himself or herself, including the values, beliefs, and ideals that guide the individual’s behavior
Moral reasoning
The aspect of cognitive development that has to do with how an individual reasons about moral decisions
Menopause
The natural cessation of menstruation and the end of reproductive capacity in women
Activity theory of aging
The psychosocial theory that life satisfaction in late adulthood is highest when people maintain the level of activity the displayed earlier in life
Authoritarian parenting style
Parenting style in which parents are demanding and unresponsive toward their children’s needs or wishes
Permissive parenting style
Parenting style in which parents are extremely tolerant and not demanding; permissive-indulgent parents are responsive to their children, whereas permissive indifferent parents are not
Authoritative parenting style
Parenting style in which parents set clear standards for their children’s behavior but are also responsive to their children’s needs and wishes
Induction
A discipline technique that combines parental control with explaining why a behavior is prohibited
Mary D. Salter Ainsworth ( )
American psychologist who devised the Strange Situation procedure to measure attachment; contributed to attachment theory
Renee Baillargeon (b. 1954)
Canadian-born psychologist whose studies of cognitive development during infancy using visual rather than manual tasks challenged beliefs about the age at which object permanence first appears
Noam Chomsky (b. 1928)
American linguist who proposed that people have an innate understanding of the basic principles of language, which he called a “universal grammar.”
Erik Erikson ( )
German-born American psychoanalyst who proposed an influential theory of psychological development throughout the lifespan
Lawrence Kohlberg ( )
American psychologist who proposed an influential theory of moral development
Jean Piaget ( )
Swiss child psychologist whose influential theory proposed that children progress through distinct stages of cognitive development
Lev Vygotsky ( )
Russian psychologist who stressed the importance of social and cultural influences in cognitive development