(1) Unit 6 Notecards

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2

the developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. In severe cases, signs include a small, out

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

in Piaget's theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

in Piaget's theory, the preoperational child's difficulty taking another's point of view

people's ideas about their own and others' mental states—about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

in Piaget's theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to their caregiver and showing distress on separation

an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question, "Who am I?"