Term
|
Definition
| Fineness of visual discrimination. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The action possibilities that a situation offers an organism with certain motor capabilities. Discovery of affordances plays a major role in perceptual differentiation. |
|
|
Term
| Define amodal sensory properties: |
|
Definition
| Information that is not specific to a single modality but that overlaps two or more sensory systems, such as rate, rhythm, duration, intensity, temporal synchrony (for vision and hearing), and texture and shape (for vision and touch). |
|
|
Term
| Define cephalocaudal trend: |
|
Definition
| An organized pattern of physical growth and motor control that proceeds from head to tail. |
|
|
Term
| What is classical conditioning? |
|
Definition
| A form of learning that involves associating a neutral stimulus with a stimulus that leads to a reflexive response. Once the nervous system makes the connection between the two stimuli, the new stimulus will produce the behaviour by itself. |
|
|
Term
| What is the conditioned response? |
|
Definition
| CR - In classical conditioning, a response similar to the reflexive response evoked by the unconditioned stimulus that, following learning, is produced by the conditioned stimulus. |
|
|
Term
| What is an unconditioned response? |
|
Definition
| In classical conditioning, a reflexive response that is produced by an unconditioned stimulus. |
|
|
Term
| What is a conditioned stimulus? |
|
Definition
| In classical conditioning, a neutral stimulus that, through pairing with an unconditioned stimulus, leads to a new, conditioned response. |
|
|
Term
| What is an unconditioned stimulus? |
|
Definition
| In classical conditioning, a stimulus that leads to a reflexive response. |
|
|
Term
| What is contrast sensitivity? |
|
Definition
| A general principle accounting for early pattern preferences, which states that if babies can detect a difference in contrast between two or more patterns, they will prefer the one with more contrast. |
|
|
Term
| What is the differentiation theory? |
|
Definition
| The view that perceptual development involves the detection of increasingly fine-grained, invariant features in the environment. |
|
|
Term
| What is the dynamic systems theory of motor development? |
|
Definition
| A theory that views new motor skills as reorganizations of previously mastered skills, which lead to more effective ways of exploring and controlling the environment. Each new skill is a joint product of central nervous system development, the body's movement possibilities, the child's goals, and environmental supports for the skill. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In classical conditioning,decline of the conditioned response as a result of presenting the conditioned stimulus enough times without being paired with the unconditioned stimulus. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A gradual reaction in the strength of a response due to repetitive stimulation. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Learning by copying the behaviour of another person. Also called modelling or observation learning. |
|
|
Term
| Define intermodal perception: |
|
Definition
| Perception that combines simultaneous input from more that one modality, or sensory system, resulting in an integrated whole. |
|
|
Term
| What are invariant features? |
|
Definition
| Features that remain stable in a constantly changing perceptual world. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Specialized cells in motor areas of the cerebral cortex in primates that fire identically when a primate hears or sees an action and when it carries out that action on its own. |
|
|
Term
| What is the Neonatal Behavioural Assessment Scale (NBAS)? |
|
Definition
| A test used to assess the behavioural status of the newborn by evaluating baby's reflexes, muscle tone, state changes, responsiveness to physical and social stimuli, and other reactions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| NON-RAPID-EYE-MOVEMENT SLEEP - A regular sleep state in which the body is almost motionless and heart rate, breathing, and brain-wave activity are slow and regular. |
|
|
Term
| What is operant conditioning? |
|
Definition
| A form of learning in which a spontaneous behaviour is followed by a stimulus that changes the probability that the behaviour will occur again. |
|
|
Term
| What is the pincer grasp? |
|
Definition
| A well coordinated grasp that emerges at the end of the first year, involving thumb and index finger opposition. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The poorly coordinated, primitive reaching movements of newborn babies. |
|
|
Term
| Define proximodistal trend: |
|
Definition
| An organized pattern of physical growth and motor control that proceeds from the center of the body outward. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In operant conditioning, removal of a desirable stimulus or presentation of an unpleasant stimulus, either of which decreases the occurrence of a response. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| RAPID-EYE-MOVEMENT SLEEP - An irregular sleep pattern in which electrical brain-wave activity is similar to that of the waking state; eyes dart beneath the eye lids, heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing are uneven; and slight body movements occur. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Following habituation, an increase in responsiveness to a new stimulus. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An inborn, automatic response to a particular form of stimulation. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In operant conditioning, a stimulus that increases the occurrence of a response. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Perception of an objects shape as stable, despite the changes in shape projected on the retina. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Perception of an objects size as stable, despite changes in the size of its retinal image. |
|
|
Term
| Define states of arousal: |
|
Definition
| Different degrees of sleep and wakefulness. |
|
|
Term
| What is the statistical learning capacity? |
|
Definition
| An infant's ability to analyze the speech stream for regularly occurring sound sequences, through which they acquire a stock of speech structures for which they will later learn meanings. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sudden Infant Death Syndrome - The unexpected death, usually during the night, of an infant under one year of age that remains unexplained after thorough investigation. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The clumsy grasp of an infant, in which the fingers close against the palm. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An apparatus used to study depth perception of infants. Consists of a plexiglass covered table and a central platform, from which babies are encouraged to crawl. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Hormones released primarily by boys testes, and in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands, that influence the pubertal growth spurt and stimulate muscle growth, body and facial hair, and male sex characteristics. |
|
|
Term
| What is brain plasticity? |
|
Definition
| The capacity of various parts of the cerebral cortex to take over functions of damaged regions. Declines as hemispheres of the cerebral cortex lateralize. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A return to a genetically influenced growth path once negative environmental conditions improve. |
|
|
Term
| What does the cerebellum do? |
|
Definition
| A brain structure that aids in balance and control of body movement. |
|
|
Term
| What does the cerebral cortex do? |
|
Definition
| The largest, most complex structure of the human brain, and the one that contains the greatest number of neurons and synapses that makes possible the unique intelligence of our species. |
|
|
Term
| What is the corpus callosum? |
|
Definition
| The large bundle of fibres connecting the two hemispheres. |
|
|
Term
| What is the distance curve? |
|
Definition
| A growth curve that plots the average size of a sample of children at each age, indicating typical yearly progress toward maturity. |
|
|
Term
| What is the dominant cerebral hemisphere? |
|
Definition
| The hemisphere of the cerebral cortex responsible for skilled motor action and where other important abilities are located. In right handed individuals, the left hemisphere is dominant. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Growth centers in the bones where new cartilage cells are produced and gradually harden. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Hormones released by girls' ovaries that cause the breasts, uterus, and vagina to mature, the body to take on feminine proportions, and fat to accumulate. Estrogens also contribute to regulation of menstrual cycle. |
|
|
Term
| What is experience-dependent brain growth theory? |
|
Definition
| Growth and refinement of established brain structures as a result of specific learning experiences that vary widely across individuals and cultures. |
|
|
Term
| What is experience-expectant brain growth theory? |
|
Definition
| The young brain's rapidly developing organization, which depends on ordinary experiences - opportunities to see and touch objects, to hear language and other sounds, and to move about and explore the environment. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Cells that are responsible for myelination of neural fibres, improving the efficiency of message transfers. |
|
|
Term
| What does GH stand for and why is it important? |
|
Definition
| Growth Hormone - A pituitary hormone that affects the development of all body tissues except the central nervous system and genitals. |
|
|
Term
| What does the hippocampus control? |
|
Definition
| The inner brain structure that plays a vital role in memory and in images of space we use to help us find our way. |
|
|
Term
| What does the hypothalamus control? |
|
Definition
| A structure located at the base of the brain that initiates and regulates pituitary secretions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A disease caused by a diet low in protein that usually appears after weaning, between 1 and 3, with symptoms including an enlarged belly, swollen feet, hair loss, and irritable, listless behaviour. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Specialization of functions in the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A disease usually appearing in the first year of life, caused by a diet low in all essential nutrients, that leads to a wasted condition of the body. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The coating of neural fibres with an insulating fatty sheath, myelin, that improves the efficiency of message transfer. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Nerve cells that store and transmit information. |
|
|
Term
| What are neurotransmitters? |
|
Definition
| Chemicals released by neurons that cross the synapse to send messages to other neurons. |
|
|
Term
| What is nonorganic failure to thrive? |
|
Definition
| A growth disorder, usually present by 18 months of age, that is caused by lack of affection and stimulation. Infants show signs of marasmus despite the absence of an organic cause. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A greater-than-20-percent increase over healthy body weight, based on body mass index, a ratio of wright to height associated with body fat. |
|
|
Term
| What does the pituitary gland control? |
|
Definition
| A gland located at the base of the brain that releases hormones affecting physical growth. |
|
|
Term
| What is programmed cell death? |
|
Definition
| Death of many surrounding neurons as neural fibres and their synapses increase rapidly, which makes room for these connective structures. |
|
|
Term
| What is psychosocial dwarfism? |
|
Definition
| A growth disorder, usually appearing between 2 and 15 years of age and caused by extreme emotional deprivation, characterized by very short stature, decreased growth hormone secretion, immature skeletal age, and serious adjustment problems, which help distinguish psychosocial dwarfism from normal shortness. |
|
|
Term
| What is reticular formation? |
|
Definition
| A structure in the brain stem that maintains alertness and consciousness. |
|
|
Term
| What are the secular trends in physical growth? |
|
Definition
| Changes in body size and rate of growth from one generation to the next. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An estimate of physical maturity based on development of the bones of the body. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The gaps between neurons, across which chemical messages are sent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Loss of synapses by seldom-stimulated neurons, thereby returning them to an uncommitted state so they can support future development. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A hormone released by the thyroid gland that is necessary for brain development and for growth hormone to have its full impact on body size. |
|
|
Term
| What is the velocity curve? |
|
Definition
| A growth curve that plots the average amount of growth at each yearly interval for a sample of children, revealing the exact timing of growth spurts. |
|
|
Term
| What is a longitudinal study? |
|
Definition
| Same participants studied repeatedly at different ages. |
|
|
Term
| What is a cross-sectional study? |
|
Definition
| People of differing ages all studied at the same time. |
|
|
Term
| What is a sequential study? |
|
Definition
| Same groups of different-aged people studied repeatedly as they change ages. |
|
|
Term
| What is a microgenetic study? |
|
Definition
| Same participant studied repeatedly over a short period as they master a task. |
|
|
Term
| What are children's research rights? |
|
Definition
- Protection from harm
- Informed consent
- Privacy
- Knowledge of results
- Beneficial treatments - if the treatment is proven beneficial it must also be offered to the placebo group after study |
|
|
Term
| Define behaviour modification: |
|
Definition
| Procedures that combine conditioning and modelling to eliminate undesirable behaviours and increase desirable ones. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An approach that regards directly observable events - stimuli and responses - as the appropriate focus of study and that views the development of bahaviour as taking place through classical and operant conditioning. |
|
|
Term
| What is child development? |
|
Definition
| A field devoted to understanding constancy and change from conception through adolescence. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| In ecological systems theory, temporal changes in children's environments, which produce new conditions that affect development. These changes can be imposed externally or arise from within the child. |
|
|
Term
| What is the cognitive-developmental theory? |
|
Definition
| An approach introduced by Piaget that views children as actively constructing their own knowledge as they manipulate and explore their world and that regards cognitive development as taking place in stages. |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by a collectivist society? |
|
Definition
| Societies in which people define themselves as part of a group and stress group goals over individual goals. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Unique combinations of personal and environmental circumstances that can result in different paths of development. |
|
|
Term
| Define continuous development: |
|
Definition
| A view that development is a process of gradually adding more of the same types of skills that were there to begin with. |
|
|
Term
| What is developmental cognitive neuroscience? |
|
Definition
| An area of investigation that brings together researchers from psychology, biology, neuroscience, and medicine to study the relationship between changes in the brain and the developing child's cognitive processes and behaviour patterns. |
|
|
Term
| Define developmental science: |
|
Definition
| An interdisciplinary field devoted to the study of all changes humans experience throughout the lifespan. |
|
|
Term
| What is discontinuous development? |
|
Definition
| The view that development is a process in which new ways of understanding and responding to the world emerge at different times. |
|
|
Term
| What is the dynamic systems perspective? |
|
Definition
| A view that regards the child's mind, body and physical and social worlds as dynamic, integrated systems. A change in any part of the system leads the child to reorganize his behaviour so that the components of the system work together again, but in a more complex and effective way. |
|
|
Term
| What is the ecological systems theory? |
|
Definition
| Bronfenbrenner. Views the child as developing within a complex system of relationships affected by multiple levels of surrounding environment, from the immediate family and school to broad cultural values and programs. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An approach concerned with the adaptive, or survival, value of behaviour and its evolutionary history. |
|
|
Term
| What is evolutionary developmental psychology? |
|
Definition
| An approach that seeks to understand the adaptive value of species-wide cognitive, emotional, and social competencies as those competencies change with age. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Social settings that do not contain children, but that affect the children's experiences in immediate settings. Ex: parents workplace, health and welfare services in the community, parents social networks. |
|
|
Term
| What is an individualistic society? |
|
Definition
| Societies in which people think of themselves as separate entities and are largely concerned with their own personal needs. |
|
|
Term
| Define information processing: |
|
Definition
| An approach that views the human mind as a symbol-manipulating system in which information flows and that regards cognitive development as a continual process. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Cultural values, laws, customs, and resourcess that influence experiences and interactions at inner levels of the environment. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A genetically determines, naturally unfolding course of growth. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Connections between children's immidiate settings, or microsystems. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The innermost level of the environment, consisting of activities and interaction patterns in the child's immediate surroundings. |
|
|
Term
| What is the nature-nurture controversy? |
|
Definition
| Disagreement among theorists about whether the genetic or environmental factors are more important influences on development. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Rousseau's view of the child as naturally endowed with a sense of right and wrong and an innate plan for orderly, healthy growth. |
|
|
Term
| What is the normative approach? |
|
Definition
| An approach in which measures of behaviour are taken on large numbers of individuals, and age-related averages are computed to represent typical development. |
|
|
Term
| What is the psychoanalytic perspective? |
|
Definition
| An approach to personality development, introduced by Freud, in which children move through a series of stages in which they confront conflicts between biological drives and social expectations. The way these conflicts are resolved determines the person's ability to learn, get along with others, and cope with anxiety. |
|
|
Term
| What is the psychosexual theory? |
|
Definition
| Freud's theory, which emphasizes that how parents manage their child's sexual and aggressive drives in the first few years is crucial for healthy personality development. |
|
|
Term
| What is the psychosocial theory? |
|
Definition
| Erikson's theory, which emphasizes that at each Freudian stage, individuals not only develop a unique personality but also acquire attitudes and skills that help them become active, contributing members of society. Recognizes the life span nature and the impact of culture. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Laws and government programs aimed at improving current conditions. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The ability to adapt effectively in the face of threats to development. |
|
|
Term
| What is a sensitive period? |
|
Definition
| A time that is optimal for certain capacities to emerge and in which the individual is especially responsive to environmental influences. |
|
|
Term
| What is the social learning theory? |
|
Definition
| A theory that emphasizes the role of modelling, otherwise known as imitation or observational learning, in the development of behaviour. Its most recent revision stresses the importance of thinking in social learning and is called social-cognitive theory. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Any planned set of actions by a group, institution, or governing body directed at attaining a social goal. |
|
|
Term
| What is the sociocultural theory? |
|
Definition
| Vygotsky's theory, in which children acquire ways of thinking and behaving that make up a community's culture through cooperative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A qualitative change in thinking, feeling, and behaving that characterizes a specific period of development. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Locke's view of the child as a "blank slate" whose character is shaped by experience. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An orderly, integrated set of statements that describes, explains, and predicts behaviour. |
|
|
Term
| What is age of viability? |
|
Definition
| The age at which the fetus can first survive if born early. Occurs sometime between 22 and 26 weeks. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
ALCOHOL RELATED NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER
- The least severe form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, involving brain injury, but with normal growth and absence of facial abnormalities. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Each of two or more forms of a gene located at the same place on a chromosome. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The inner membrane that encloses the prenatal organism in amniotic fluid, which helps keep the temperature constant and provides a cushion against jolts caused by the mothers movements. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A rating system used to assess a newborn baby's physical condition immediately after birth in the basis of five characteristics: heart rate, respiratory effort, reflex irritability, muscle tone and colour. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The 22 matching chromosomes in each human cell. |
|
|
Term
| Define behavioural genetics: |
|
Definition
| A field devoted to uncovering the contributions of nature and nurture to the diversity in human traits and abilities. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The tendency of heredity to restrict the development of some characteristics to just one or a few outcomes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A heterozygous individual who can pass a recessive trait to his or her offspring. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The outer membrane that forms a protective covering around the prenatal organism. It sends out tiny hairlike villi, from which the placenta begins to develop. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Rod like structures in the cell nucleus that store and transmit genetic information. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| During meiosis, the exchange of genes between chromosomes next to each other. |
|
|
Term
| What is dominant-recessive inheritance? |
|
Definition
| A pattern of inheritance in which , under heterozygous conditions, the influence of only one allele is apparent. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The prenatal organism from 2-8 weeks after conception. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Development resulting from ongoing, bidirectional exchanges between heredity and all levels of the environment. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER
- A range of physical, mental, and behavioural outcomes caused by prenatal alcohol exposure. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
- The most severe form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, distinguished by slow physical growth, facial abnormalities, and brain injury; usually seen in children whose mothers consumed large amounts of alcohol during most or all of their pregnancy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The prenatal organism from the 9th week to the end of the pregnancy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Sex cells, sperm or ova, which contain half as many chromosomes as regular body cells. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A segment of DNA that contains hereditary instructions. |
|
|
Term
| Define genetic counseling: |
|
Definition
| A communication process designed to help couples assess their chances of giving birth to a baby with a hereditary disorder and choose the best course of action in view of risks and family goals. |
|
|
Term
| What is the genetic-environment correlation? |
|
Definition
| The idea that heredity influences the environments to which individuals are exposed. |
|
|
Term
| What is genomic imprinting? |
|
Definition
| A pattern of inheritance in which alleles are imprinted, or chemically marked, in such a way that one pair member is activated, regardless of its makeup. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An individual's genetic makeup. |
|
|
Term
| Define heritability estimate: |
|
Definition
| A statistic that measures the extent to which individual differences in complex traits in a specific population are due to genetic factors. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Having two different alleles at the same place on a pair of chromosomes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Having two identical alleles at the same place on a pair of chromosomes. |
|
|
Term
| What is incomplete dominance? |
|
Definition
| A pattern of inheritance in which both alleles are expressed in the phenotype, resulting in a combined trait, or one that is intermediate between the two. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The number of deaths in the first year of birth for every 1000 live births. |
|
|
Term
| What are kinship studies? |
|
Definition
| Studies comparing the characteristics of family members to establish the importance of heredity in complex human characteristics. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| White downy hair that covers the entire body of the fetus, helping the vernix stick to the skin. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process of cell division through which gametes are formed and in which the number of chromosomes in each cell is halved. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process of cell duplication, in which each new cell receives an exact copy of the original chromosomes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Genes that enhance or dilute the effects of other genes. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A sudden and permanent change in a segment of DNA. |
|
|
Term
| What is neonatal mortality? |
|
Definition
| The rate of death within the first month of life. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A type of genetic-environmental correlation in which individuals actively choose environments that complement their heredity. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
PARTIAL FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME
- A form of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder characterized by facial abnormalities and brain injury, but less severe than fetal alcohol syndrome; usually seen in children whose mothers drank alcohol in smaller quantities during pregnancy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An individual's directly observable physical and behavioural characteristics, which are determined by both genetic and environmental factors. |
|
|
Term
| Define polygenic inheritance: |
|
Definition
| A pattern of inheritance in which many genes determine a characteristic that varies on a continuum of people. |
|
|
Term
| What are prenatal diagnostic methods? |
|
Definition
| Medical procedures that permit detection of developmental problems before birth. |
|
|
Term
| What is range of reaction? |
|
Definition
| Each person's unique, genetically determined response to a range of environmental conditions. |
|
|
Term
| What is Rh factor incompatibility? |
|
Definition
| A condition that arises when the Rh protein is present in the fetus's blood but not in the mother's, causing the mother to build up antibodies. If these enter the fetus's system, they destroy red blood cells, reducing the oxygen supply to organs and tissues. |
|
|
Term
| What are sex chromosomes? |
|
Definition
| The twenty-third pair of chromosomes, which determine the sex of the baby. In females XX, in males XY. |
|
|
Term
| What is meant by small-to-date infants? |
|
Definition
| Infants, either full-term or pre-term, whose birth weight is below normal considering the length of the pregnancy. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An environmental agent that causes damage during the prenatal period. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A white, cheeselike substance, covering the fetus, preventing the skin from chapping due to constant exposure to amniotic fluid. |
|
|
Term
| What is X-linked inheritance? |
|
Definition
| A pattern of inheritance in which a recessive gene is carried on the X chromosome. Males are most likely to be affected. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The newly fertilized cell formed by the union of sperm and ovum at conception. |
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|
