Developmental Psychology Overview

The study of how and why biological, physical, cognitive, emotional, and social abilities develop throughout childhood.

A developmental debate about whether traits remain constant or change throughout life.

Debate on the relative importance of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) in development.

Brain growth from prenatal period to 6 months, reaching 50% of adult brain size.

Substances that can cause atypical development if exposed to the fetus.

Developmental problems caused by prenatal alcohol exposure.

Brain's ability to form and maintain connections between neurons

Elimination of unused synapses in the brain.

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are hidden from view.

The tendency for infants to reach for an object in a familiar location (A) even after seeing it hidden in a new location (B).

The act of repeatedly reaching for a hidden object in the same place, even though it has been moved.

The first stage of Piaget's theory of cognitive development, from birth to 2 years old, where infants learn through sensory experiences and motor actions.

The second stage of Piaget's theory, from 2 to 7 years old, where children begin to use symbols and language, but still struggle with logical thinking and perspective-taking.

The inability to see or understand things from another person's point of view.

A test used to assess egocentrism where children are asked to describe what a person on the other side of a model can see.

A test where children are shown two identical objects (e.g., two rows of coins) and then one object is transformed (e.g., spread out), to see if children understand that the underlying amount remains the same.

The third stage of Piaget's theory, from 7 to 12 years old, where children gain the ability to perform logical operations on concrete objects and understand concepts like conservation.

The final stage of Piaget's theory, from 12 years old and up, where adolescents develop abstract thinking, hypothetical reasoning, and scientific reasoning.

Logical mental rules that can be applied to solve problems.

The idea that children actively construct their understanding of the world through their experiences and interactions.

A theory that describes the four stages of cognitive development in children, from infancy to adulthood.

Piaget's theory revolutionized the way we understand child development and cognitive processes, emphasizing active learning and individual construction of knowledge.

Piaget's theory has been criticized for underestimating children's abilities, not fully accounting for cultural influences, and suggesting that development is more gradual than stages.

The ability to understand that others have different thoughts, feelings, and beliefs than our own.

A test that measures theory of mind by asking children to predict what someone else will do based on their incorrect belief about a situation.

An early form of understanding other people's minds, often demonstrated by looking time at surprising or unexpected events.

A set of mental skills responsible for planning, organizing, managing time, and controlling impulses.

The ability to resist temptations or distractions and control impulses.

The ability to hold information in mind for a short period of time and use it to solve problems.

The ability to adapt to new rules or situations and change your thinking.

A classic experiment that tests how well children can delay gratification, showcasing their ability to use executive functions to resist immediate rewards.

The idea that children learn by interacting with others, building knowledge through communication and relationships.

The gap between what a child can do alone and what they can achieve with help from a more knowledgeable person.

When children use the emotional reactions of others to guide their own actions.

Just because a child understands a concept doesn't mean they can easily perform the action related to it.

Piaget didn't fully consider the role of other people in a child's cognitive development.

Infants as young as four months old understand object permanence and have expectations about how objects should behave.

Objects in motion only interact when they touch each other.

Newborns show preference for face stimuli compared to scrambled or blank images.

A simplified, exaggerated way of speaking to infants that helps them understand and process actions.

The ability to understand the mental states of oneself and others.

A test where children are asked to predict where someone will look for an object, even if they know the object has been moved.

A test where children are asked what someone on the other side of a model can see, to assess their ability to understand perspectives.

Even 3-year-olds understand what others can see, but they struggle to judge how things look from another's viewpoint until age 4.

While his theory has been revised, Piaget's work laid the foundation for our understanding of cognitive development in children.

A test that measures a child's understanding of what others should know by how long they look at a surprising event.

Having thoughts and feelings about the world, like believing something is true, wanting a specific thing, or having a specific emotion.

The study of how people think about others and the social world, including understanding emotions, intentions, and social situations.

By observing how they respond to situations where someone's belief is different from reality, or how they predict someone's actions based on their beliefs.

It helps understand others' thoughts, but it doesn't mean we always accurately understand their feelings or motivations.

Demonstrating an understanding of others' beliefs through verbal communication, like explaining why someone might look in the wrong place for something.

Mental abilities that allow you to control your actions, set goals, stay focused, and track your progress.

Inhibition (resisting impulses), Working Memory (holding information in mind), and Shifting (adapting to new situations).

Repeating the same action even when it's no longer appropriate.

A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication challenges, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviors.

Struggling to understand others' thoughts, feelings, and perspectives.

Difficulty copying actions, especially those without clear physical effects.

Brain cells that activate when you perform an action AND when you watch someone else perform it.

A strong and often overwhelming experience for individuals with ASD.

Individuals with ASD may have some abilities intact while struggling with others related to understanding actions.