Glossary
- Page ID
- 233993
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)| Words (or words that have the same definition) | The definition is case sensitive | (Optional) Image to display with the definition [Not displayed in Glossary, only in pop-up on pages] | (Optional) Caption for Image | (Optional) External or Internal Link | (Optional) Source for Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Eg. "Genetic, Hereditary, DNA ...") | (Eg. "Relating to genes or heredity") |  |
The infamous double helix | https://bio.libretexts.org/ | CC-BY-SA; Delmar Larsen |
| Word(s) | Definition | Image | Caption | Link | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| accommodation | adjusting schemes to fit new information | ||||
| Adolescence | 12 - 18 years | ||||
| Ages and Stages | a term used to describe the periods of childhood development | ||||
| assimilation | incorporating new information into existing schemes | ||||
| autonomy | independence; self-regulation | ||||
| Behaviorist Theory | primarily concerned with behaviors that are observable and measurable; emphasizes changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner | ||||
| Case studies | refer to investigations in which a single child or small group of children are studied. Case studies are far more in-depth and detailed than longitudinal studies, include the related contextual conditions in which development is observed, and draw upon data from multiple sources. | ||||
| Causation | describes a relationship among two or more variables in which one occurs as the direct result of another. One thing causes another. | ||||
| cephalocaudal pattern of growth | growth from the head down | ||||
| chronosystem | the dimension of time; the transitions and shifts in one's lifespan | ||||
| classical conditioning | involves learning a new behavior via the process of association; classical conditioning involves associating an unassociated signal (such as a particular sound) with a naturally occurring response or involuntary behavior (such as salivation or blinking) | ||||
| cognition | thinking; process of acquiring knowledge | ||||
| Concrete Operational Stage | the stage in which children are capable of operational thought and begin to be capable of thinking logically | ||||
| conservation | refers to the concept that even if surface attributes of an object changes (such as shape), its mass, volume, and number stay the same. If you flatten a ball of playdough into a pancake, the amount of playdough has not changed—only the shape. | ||||
| constructivist theory | a learning theory based on the belief that people construct their own knowledge or understandings as the result of experiences and reflection | ||||
| Continuous development | refers to the idea that development occurs as the result of a continual maturation process | ||||
| Correlation | describes the relationship among two or more variables that appear to be related to one another, but one does not cause the other | ||||
| Cross-Sectional Studies | refer to studies in which comparisons are made in the abilities and behaviors of two or more groups of children, each group being of a different age | ||||
| despair | loss of hope | ||||
| domains of development | a term referring to the primary areas of development in which change occurs: (1) Physical/Biological, (2) Cognitive, (3) Social, (4) Emotional | ||||
| Developmentally Appropriate Practice, DAP | refers to a framework designed to promote young children’s optimal learning and development. To make decisions that reflect best practices, educators take into consideration what they know about: (1) child development and learning, (2) each child as an individual, (3) each child’s social and (4) cultural context | ||||
| Developmental Psychology | the study of how and why humans change throughout the lifespan | ||||
| Discontinuous development | refers to the idea that development occurs in distinct stages, each stage being fundamentally different from the preceding or following stages | ||||
| doulas | professionals who support a woman before, during and after labor | ||||
| Early Childhood | 3 - 5 years | ||||
| Ecological Theory | states that human development is influenced by the different types of environmental systems | ||||
| egocentrism | refers to the state in which children are not able to take the perspective of others | ||||
| exosystem | indirect influences | ||||
| fine motor skills | small muscle activities | ||||
| fixed mindset | a mindset in which people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits | ||||
| Formal Operational Stage | stage in which adolescents and adults are able to reason logically and systematically, and develop more complex concepts through the addition of knowledge | ||||
| generativity | a sense of productivity and accomplishment | ||||
| genetic epistemology | the study of the origins and development of knowledge | ||||
| gestation | the process or period of developing inside the womb from conception to birth | ||||
| gross motor skills | large muscle activities | ||||
| growth mindset | a mindset in which people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work | ||||
| holophrase hypothesis | one word implies a whole sentence | ||||
| Humanistic Theory | a theory of development which examines the “whole person” and uniqueness of individuals | ||||
| identity | those characteristics which define each individual | ||||
| identity crisis | a period of confusion in which a person’s identity is insecure | ||||
| industry | hard word; application of skill | ||||
| Infancy | birth - 16 months | ||||
| inferiority | the sense that something is not as good as something else | ||||
| initiative | the power to act with intention and self-regulation toward a desired outcome. | ||||
| integrity | the state of being whole and complete | ||||
| intimacy | close familiarity or friendship | ||||
| involution | when the uterus returns to pre-pregnancy size | ||||
| isolation | the state of being separate and alone, without relation to others | ||||
| Longitudinal Studies | refer to studies in which a large group of children is studied over time in order to look at specific changes that occur | ||||
| macrosystem | the culture of an individual | ||||
| mesosytem | the relationships between the microsystems in one's life | ||||
| microsystem | the setting in which we have direct social interactions with people and social agents | ||||
| Middle Childhood | 5 - 12 years | ||||
| mindset | self-perception or self-theory | ||||
| nature vs. nurture | refers to the debate within developmental psychology concerned with examining whether certain characteristics and aspects of behavior are primarily the result of biological programming (nature) or whether they are learned and the product of experience (nurture) | ||||
| Negative reinforcers | the removal of an unfavorable outcome used to increase behavior (ex. a child doing something in order to stop being nagged or yelled at) | ||||
| neurons | brain cells | ||||
| object permanence | the concept that objects continue to exist when they are out of sight | ||||
| operant conditioning | also involves learning a new behavior via the process of association, but in this case involves voluntary behavior which is either encouraged via the use of positive reinforcers, or discouraged via the use of negative reinforcers or punishers. | ||||
| operation | refers to the logical manipulation of information | ||||
| oxytocics | synthetic hormones used to stimulate contractions and speed up labor | ||||
| positive reinforcer | a favorable outcome used to encourage (increase) a specific behavior (ex. a child doing something to get praise or a sticker) | ||||
| Prenatal Period | conception – birth | ||||
| Preoperational Stage | the stage in which children become capable of representational thought (ex. drawing, pretending, language) but cannot yet understand adult logic or mentally manipulate information | ||||
| proximodistal pattern of development | growth starts at the center of the body and moves to the extremities | ||||
| psychosocial theory | describes growth and change throughout life, focusing on social interaction and conflicts that arise during different stages of development | ||||
| punisher | an unfavorable consequence used to discourage (decrease) a specific behavior | ||||
| resilience | the ability to effectively cope with and overcome adversity | ||||
| response | the reaction that occurs as a result of a specific stimulus | ||||
| risk | exposure to an adverse situation, which may be unwelcome, unpleasant, or even detrimental | ||||
| role-confusion | mixed ideas and feelings about the specific ways in which one will fit into society | ||||
| scaffolding | structuring learning encounters in order to support and foster a child's emerging capabilities | ||||
| Sensorimotor Stage | the stage in which a child is concerned with gaining motor control and learning about physical objects; all interactions are either sensory (ex. seeing, hearing) or motor (ex. grasping, pulling) | ||||
| Social Cognitive Theory | a learning theory based on the idea that people learn by observing and interacting with others | ||||
| Sociocultural Theory | a learning theory which examines the relationship between the social world and cognitive development, specifically focused on the significance of culture and the role of language | ||||
| somnambulism | sleep walking | ||||
| stagnation | a sense of dissatisfaction due to a perceived of lack of productivity; a sense of being still rather than moving forward | ||||
| stimulus | an event which brings about a specific reaction or result | ||||
| Sudden Infant Death Syndrome | when an infant stops breathing and dies without apparent cause | ||||
| tabula rasa | refers to the view that children are born with no biological predispositions; it then becomes the responsibility of parents, educators and society to write upon the minds of children by providing them with experiences. | ||||
| telegraphic speech | two word toddler speech | ||||
| temperament | behavioral style and characteristic emotional response | ||||
| teratogen | anything that causes a birth defect | ||||
| Toddlerhood | 16 months - 3 years | ||||
| transitional object | an object like a teddy bear that helps a child to be independent, especially at bedtime | ||||
| trust | as defined by Erikson, is an essential belief in the reliability of others, as well as a fundamental sense of one's own trustworthiness | ||||
| umbilical cord | connects the baby to the placenta | ||||
| Zone of Proximal Development | referring to the difference between a child's existing abilities and what he or she can learn under the guidance of an adult or a more capable peer |