83 Key Terms for Lifespan Development

accommodation

adjustment of a schema by changing a scheme to accommodate new information different from what was already known

adolescence

period of development that begins at puberty and ends at early adulthood

adrenarche

maturing of the adrenal glands

advance directive

a written legal document that details specific interventions a person wants (see living will)

assimilation

adjustment of a schema by adding information similar to what is already known

attachment

long-standing connection or bond with others

authoritarian parenting style

parents place a high value on conformity and obedience, are often rigid, and express little warmth to the child

authoritative parenting style

parents give children reasonable demands and consistent limits, express warmth and affection, and listen to the child’s point of view

avoidant attachment

characterized by child’s unresponsiveness to parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not care if parent leaves

cephalocaudal development
pattern of growth from the head down; also referred to as development from head to toe

cognitive development

domain of lifespan development that examines learning, attention, memory, language, thinking, reasoning, and creativity

cognitive empathy

ability to take the perspective of others and to feel concern for others

conception

when a sperm fertilizes an egg and forms a zygote

concrete operational stage

third stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; from about 7 to 11 years old, children can think logically about real (concrete) events

conservation

idea that even if you change the appearance of something, it is still equal in size, volume, or number as long as nothing is added or removed

continuous development

view that development is a cumulative process: gradually improving on existing skills

critical (sensitive) period

time during fetal growth when specific parts or organs develop

developmental milestone

approximate ages at which children reach specific normative events

discontinuous development

view that development takes place in unique stages, which happen at specific times or ages

disorganized attachment

characterized by the child’s odd behaviour when faced with the parent; type of attachment seen most often with kids that are abused

do not resuscitate (DNR)

a legal document stating that if a person stops breathing their heart stops, medical personnel such as doctors and nurses are not to take steps to revive or resuscitate the patient

egocentrism

preoperational child’s difficulty in taking the perspective of others

embryo

multi-cellular organism in its early stages of development

emerging adulthood

newly defined period of lifespan development from 18 years old to the mid-20s; young people are taking longer to complete college, get a job, get married, and start a family

fine motor skills

use of muscles in fingers, toes, and eyes to coordinate small actions

formal operational stage

final stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; from age 11 and up, children are able to deal with abstract ideas and hypothetical situations

gonadarche

maturing of the sex glands

gross motor skills

use of large muscle groups to control arms and legs for large body movements

health care proxy

a legal document that appoints a specific person to make medical decisions for a patient if they are unable to speak for themselves

hospice

service that provides a death with dignity; pain management in a humane and comfortable environment; usually outside of a hospital setting

intergenerational trauma

trauma that is so significant, it impacts not only the Survivors, but subsequent generations (e.g., children and grandchildren)

living will

a written legal document that details specific interventions a person wants; may include health care proxy

menarche

beginning of menstrual period; around 12–13 years old

mitosis

process of cell division

motor skills

ability to move our body and manipulate objects

nature

genes and biology

newborn reflexes

inborn automatic response to a particular form of stimulation that all healthy babies are born with

normative approach

study of development using norms, or average ages, when most children reach specific developmental milestones

nurture

environment and culture

object permanence

idea that even if something is out of sight, it still exists

permissive parenting style

parents make few demands and rarely use punishment

physical development

domain of lifespan development that examines growth and changes in the body and brain, the senses, motor skills, and health and wellness

placenta

structure connected to the uterus that provides nourishment and oxygen to the developing baby

prenatal care

medical care during pregnancy that monitors the health of both the mother and the fetus

preoperational stage

second stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; from ages 2 to 7, children learn to use symbols and language but do not understand mental operations and often think illogically

primary sexual characteristics

organs specifically needed for reproduction

proximodistal development
tendency for growth to start in the centre of the body and move outwards to the extremities

psychosexual development

process proposed by Freud in which pleasure-seeking urges focus on different erogenous zones of the body as humans move through five stages of life

psychosocial development

domain of lifespan development that examines emotions, personality, and social relationships

psychosocial development

process proposed by Erikson in which social tasks are mastered as humans move through eight stages of life from infancy to adulthood

resistant attachment

characterized by the child’s tendency to show clingy behaviour and rejection of the parent when the parent attempts to interact with the child

reversibility

principle that objects can be changed, but then returned back to their original form or condition

schema

(plural = schemata) concept (mental model) that is used to help us categorize and interpret information

secondary sexual characteristics

physical signs of sexual maturation that do not directly involve sex organs

secure attachment

characterized by the child using the parent as a secure base from which to explore

secure base

parental presence that gives the infant/toddler a sense of safety as they explores their surroundings

sensorimotor stage

first stage in Piaget’s theory of cognitive development; from birth through age 2, a child learns about the world through senses and motor behaviour

socioemotional selectivity theory

social support/friendships dwindle in number, but remain as close, if not more close than in earlier years

spermarche

first penile ejaculation

stage of moral reasoning

process proposed by Kohlberg; humans move through three stages of moral development

temperament

innate traits that influence how one thinks, behaves, and reacts with the environment

teratogen

biological, chemical, or physical environmental agent that causes damage to the developing embryo or fetus

uninvolved parenting style

parents are indifferent, uninvolved, and sometimes referred to as neglectful; they don’t respond to the child’s needs and make relatively few demands

zygote

structure created when a sperm and egg merge at conception; begins as a single cell and rapidly divides to form the embryo and placenta