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very low birthweight (VLBW)

answer

A body weight at birth of less than 3 pounds, 5 ounces (1,500 grams). (p. 110)

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ultrasound

answer

An image of a fetus (or an internal organ) produced by using high-frequency sounds waves. (Also called sonogram.) (p. 92)

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threshold effect

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A situation in which a certain teratogen is relatively harmless in small doses but becomes harmful once exposure reaches a certain level (the threshold). (p. 103)

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teratogens

answer

Agents and conditions, including viruses, drugs and chemicals, that can impair prenatal development and result in birth defects or even death. (p. 102)

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small for gestational age (SGA)

answer

A term for a baby whose birthweight is significantly lower than expected, given the time since conception. For example, a 5-pound (2,265 -gram) newborn is considered SGA if born on time but not SGA if born two months early. (Also called small-for-dates.) (p.111)

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reflex

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An unlearned, involuntary action or movement that responds to a stimulus. A reflex occurs without conscious thought. (p. 113)

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preterm

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A birth that occurs 3 or more weeks before the full 38 weeks of the typical pregnancy--that is at 35 or fewer weeks after conception. (p. 111)

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postpartum depression

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A new mother's feelings of inadequacy and sadness in the days and weeks after giving birth. (p. 116)

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parent-infant bond

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The strong, loving connection that forms as parents hold, examine, and feed their newborn. (p. 116)

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parental alliance

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Cooperation between a mother and a father based on their mutual commitment to their children. In a parental alliance, the parents support each other in their shared parental roles. (p. 116)

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low birthweight (LBW)

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A body weight at birth of less than 5.5 pounds (2,500 grams). (p. 110)

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kangaroo care

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A form of newborn care in which mothers (and sometimes fathers) rest the baby between their breasts, like a kangaroo that carries her immature newborn in a pouch on her abdomen. (p. 117)

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implantation

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The process, beginning about 10 days after conception, in which the developing organism burrows into the placenta that lines the uterus where it can be nourished and protected as it continues to develop. (p. 90)

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germinal period

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The first two weeks of prenatal development after conception characterized by rapid cell division and the beginning of cell differentiation. (p. 89)

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fetus

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The name for a developing human organism from the start of the ninth week after conception until birth. (p. 92)

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fetal period

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The stage of prenatal development from the ninth week after conception until birth, during which the fetus gains about 7 pounds (more than 3,000 grams) and organs become more mature, gradually able to function on their own. (p. 89)

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fetal alcohol syndrome

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A cluster of birth defects, including abnormal facial characteristics, slow physical growth, and retarded mental development, that may occur in the child of a woman who drinks alcohol while pregnant. (p. 108)

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extremely low birthweight (ELBW)

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A body weight at birth of less than 2 pounds, 3 ounces (1,000 grams). (p. 110)

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embryonic period

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The stage of prenatal development from approximately the third through the eighth week after conception, during which the basic forms of all body structures, including internal organs, develop. (p. 89)

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embryo

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The name for a developing human organism from about the third through the eighth week after conception. (p. 91)

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doula

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A woman who helps with the birth process. Traditionally in Latin America, a doula was the only professional who attended childbirth. Now doulas are likely to arrive at the woman's home during early labor and later work alongside a hospital's staff. (p. 100)

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couvade

answer

Symptoms of pregnancy and birth experienced by fathers. (p. 115)

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attachment

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According to Ainsworth, an affectional tie that an infant forms with a caregiver--a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time. (p. 97)

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cesarean section (c-section)

answer

A surgical birth, in which incisions through the mother's abdomen and uterus allow the fetus to be removed quickly, instead of being delivered through the vagina. (Also simply called section.) (p. 97)

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cerebral palsy

answer

A disorder that results from damage to the brain's motor centers. People with cerebral palsy have difficulty with muscle control, so their speech and/or body movements are impaired.

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Brazelton Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale (NBAS)

answer

A test often administered to newborns that measures responsiveness and records 46 behaviors, including 20 reflexes. (p. 113)

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behavioral teratogens

answer

Agents and conditions that can harm the prenatal brain, impairing the futures child's intellectual and emotional functioning. (p. 102)

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Apgar scale

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A quick assessment of a newborn's health. The baby's color, heart rate, reflexes, muscle tone, and respiratory effort are given a score of 0, 1, or 2 twice--at one minute and five minutes after birth--and each time the total of all fives scores is compared with the maximum score of 10 (rarely attained). (p. 97)

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anoxia

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A lack of oxygen that, if prolonged, can cause brain damage or death. (p. 112)

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age of viability

answer

The age (about 22 weeks after conception) at which a fetus may survive outside of the mother's uterus if specialized medical care is available. (p. 93)

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wasting

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The tendency for children to be severely underweight for their age as a result of malnutrition. (p. 148)

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transient exuberance

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The great but temporary increase in the number of dendrites that occurs in an infant's brain during the first two year's of life. (p. 129)

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synapse

answer

The intersection between the axon of one neuron and the dendrites of other neurons. (p. 128)

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stunting

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The failure of children to a normal height for their age due to severe and chronic malnutrition. (p. 147).

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shaken baby syndrome

answer

A life-threatening injury that occurs when an infant is forcefully shaken back and forth, a motion that ruptures blood vessels in the brain and breaks neural connections. (p. 132)

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sensation

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The response of a sensory system (eyes, ears, skin, tongue, nose) when it detects stimulation. (p. 134)

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self-righting

answer

The inborn drive to remedy a developmental deficit; literally, to return to sitting or standing upright, after being tipped over. People of all ages have self-righting impulses, for emotional as well as physical imbalance. (p. 132).

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REM Sleep

answer

Rapid eye movement sleep, a stage of sleep characterized by flickering eyes behind closed lids, dreaming, and rapid brain waves. (p. 125)

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protein-calorie malnutrition

answer

A condition in which a person does not consume sufficient food of any kind. This deprivation can result in several illnesses, severe weight loss, and even death. (p. 147).

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prefrontal cortex

answer

The area of cortex at the front of the brain that specializes in anticipation, planning, and impulse control. (p. 132).

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perception

answer

The mental processing of sensory information when the brain interprets a sensation. Perception occurs in the cortex. (p. 134).

question

percentile

answer

A point on a ranking scale of 0 to 100. The 50th percentile is the midpoint, half the people in the population being studied rank higher and half rank lower. (p. 124)

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neurons

answer

The billions of nerve cells in the central nervous system, especially the brain. (p. 127)

question

motor skills

answer

The learned abilities to move some part of the body, in actions ranging from a large leap to a flicker of the eyelid. (The word motor here refers to movement of muscles. ) (p. 137)

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marasmus

answer

A disease of severe protein-calorie malnutrition during early infancy, in which growth stops, body tissues waste away, and the infant eventually dies. (p. 148).

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kwashiorkor

answer

A disease of chronic malnutrition during childhood, in which a protein deficiency makes the child more vulnerable to other diseases, such as measles, diarrhea, and influenza. (p. 149)

question

head-sparing

answer

A biological mechanism that protects the brain when malnutrition affects body growth. The brain is the last part of the body to be damages by malnutrition. (p. 124)

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gross motor skills

answer

Physical abilities involving large body movements, such as walking and jumping. (The word gross here means "big".) (p. 137)

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fine motor skills

answer

Physical abilities involving small body movements, especially of the hands and fingers, such as drawing and picking up a coin. (The word fine here means "small".) (p. 138)

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experience-expectant brain functions

answer

Brain functions that require certain basic common experiences (which an infant can be expected to have) in order to develop normally. (p. 131)

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experience-dependent brain functions

answer

Brain functions that depend on particular, variable experiences and that therefore may or may not develop in a particular infant (p. 131)

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dendrite

answer

A fiber that extends from a neuron and receives electrochemical impulses transmitted from other neurons via their axons. (p. 128)

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co-sleeping

answer

A custom in which parents and their children (usually infants) sleep together in the same room. (p. 126)

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cortex

answer

The outer layers of the brain in humans and other mammals. Most thinking, feeling, and sensing involve the cortex. (Sometimes called the neocortex.) (p. 128)

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binocular vision

answer

The ability to focus the two eyes in a coordinated manner in order to see one image. This ability is absent at birth. (p. 136)

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axon

answer

A fiber that extends from a neuron and transmits electrochemical impulses from that neuron to the dendrites of other neurons. (p. 128)

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visual cliff

answer

An experimental apparatus that gives an illusion of a sudden drop-off between one horizontal surface and another. (p. 161)

question

tertiary circular reactions

answer

The third of three types of feedback loops In sensorimotor intelligence, this one involving active exploration and experimentation. Infants explore a range of new activities, varying their responses as a way of learning about the world. (p. 157).

question

sensorimotor intelligence

answer

Piaget's term for the way infants think--by using their senses and motor skills--during the first period of cognitive development. (p. 153)

question

secondary circular reactions

answer

The second of three types of feedback loops in sensorimotor intelligence, this one involving people and objects. Infants respond to other people, to toys, and to any other object they can touch or move. (p. 155)

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reminder session

answer

A perceptual experience that is intended to help a person recollect an idea, a thing, or an experience, without testing whether the person remembers it at the moment. (p. 164)

question

primary circular reactions

answer

The first of three types of feedback loops in sensorimotor intelligence, this one involving the infant's own body. The infant senses motion, sucking, noise, and other stimuli, and tries to understand them. (p. 154)

question

people preference

answer

A universal principle of infant perception, consisting of an innate attraction to other humans, which is evident in visual, auditory, tactile, and other preferences. (p. 162)

question

object permanence

answer

The realization that objects (including people) still exist when they can no longer be seen, touched, or heard. (p. 155)

question

naming explosion

answer

A sudden increase in an infant's vocabulary, especially in the number of nouns, that begins at about 18 months of age. (p. 169)

question

"little scientist"

answer

The stage-five toddler (age 12 to 18 months) who experiments without anticipating results, using trial and error in active and creative exploration. (p. 157)

question

language acquisition device (LAD)

answer

Chomsky's term for a hypothesized mental structure that enables humans to learn language, including the basic aspects of grammar, vocabulary, and intonation. (p. 174)

question

information-processing theory

answer

A perspective that compares human thinking processes, by analogy, to computer analysis of data, including sensory input, connections, stored memories, and output. (p. 160)

question

implicit memory

answer

Unconscious or automatic memory that is usually stored via habits, emotional responses, routine procedures, and various sensations. (p. 165)

question

holophrase

answer

A single word that is used to express a complete, meaningful thought. (p. 169)

question

habituation

answer

The process of getting used to an object of event through repeated exposure to it. (p. 158)

question

grammar

answer

All the methods--word order, verb forms, and so on--that languages use to communicate meaning, apart from the words themselves. (p. 171)

question

fMRI

answer

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, a measuring technique in which the brain's electrical excitement indicates activation anywhere in the brain; fMRI helps researchers locate neurological responses to stimuli. (p. 158)

question

explicit memory

answer

Memory that is easy to retrieve on demand (as in a specific test), usually with words. Most explicit memory involves consciously learned words, data and concepts. (p. 165)

question

dynamic perception

answer

Perception that is primed to focus on movement and change. (p. 162)

question

deferred imitation

answer

A sequence in which an infant first perceives something that someone else does and then performs that same action a few hours or even days later. (p. 157)

question

child-directed speech

answer

The high-pitched, simplified, and repetitive way adults speak to infants. (Also called baby talk or motherese.) (p. 168)

question

babbling

answer

The extended repetition of certain syllables, such as ba-ba-ba, that begins when babies are between 6 and 9 months old. (p. 168)

question

affordance

answer

An opportunity for perception and interaction that is offered by a person, place, or object in the environment. (p. 161)

question

working model

answer

In cognitive theory, a set of assumptions that the individual uses to organize perceptions and experiences. For example, a person might assume that other people are trustworthy and be surprised by evidence that this working model of human behavior is erroneous. (p. 189)

question

trust versus mistrust

answer

Erikson's first psychosocial crisis. Infants learn basic trust if their basic needs (for food, comfort, attention, and so on) are met. (p. 187)

question

temperament

answer

Inborn differences between one person and another in emotions, activity, and self-regulation. Temperament originates in genes and prenatal development and is affected by early experiences. (p. 183)

question

synchrony

answer

A coordinated, rapid, and smooth exchange of responses between a caregiver and an infant. (p. 193)

question

stranger wariness

answer

A infant's expression of concern--a quiet stare, clinging to familiar person, or sadness--when a stranger appears. (p. 180)

question

Strange Situation

answer

A laboratory procedure for measuring attachment by evoking infants' reactions to stress in eight episodes, lasting three minutes each. (p. 197)

question

still-face technique

answer

An experimental practice in which an adult keeps his or her face unmoving and expressionless in face-to-face interaction with an infant. (p. 194)

question

social smile

answer

A smile evoked by a human face, normally evident in infants about 6 weeks after birth. (p. 180)

question

social referencing

answer

Seeking information about how to react to an unfamiliar or ambiguous object or event by observing someone else's expressions and reactions. That other person becomes a social reference. (p. 198)

question

social learning

answer

Learning that is accomplished by observing others--both what they do and how other people react to that behavior. (p. 188)

question

separation anxiety

answer

An infant's distress when a familiar caregiver leaves, most obvious between 9 and 14 months. (p. 181)

question

self-awareness

answer

One's realization that he or she is a distinct individual, whose body, mind, and actions are separate from those of other people. (p. 181)

question

secure attachment (type B)

answer

A relationship in which an infant obtains both comfort and confidence from the presence of his of her caregiver. (p. 196)

question

proximal parenting

answer

Care giving practices that involve being physically close to a baby, with frequent holding and touching. (p. 190)

question

insecure-resistant/ambivalent attachment (type C)

answer

A pattern of attachment in which anxiety and uncertainty are evident, as when an infant becomes very upset at separation from the caregiver and both resists and seeks contact on reunion. (p. 196)

question

insecure-avoidant attachment (type A)

answer

A pattern of attachment in which an infant avoids connection with the caregiver, as when an infant seems not to care about the caregiver's presence, departure, or return. (p. 196)

question

goodness of fit

answer

A similarity of temperament and values that produces a smooth interaction between an individual and his or her social context, including family, school, and community. (p. 185)

question

family day care

answer

Child care that occurs in the home of someone to whom the child is not related and who usually cares for several children of various ages. (p. 200)

question

ethnotheory

answer

A theory that underlies the values and practices of a culture but is not usually apparent to the people within the culture. (p. 189)

question

distal parenting

answer

Care giving practices that involve remaining distant from a baby, providing toys, food, and face-to-face communication with minimal holding and touching. (p. 190)

question

disorganized attachment (type D)

answer

A type of attachment that is marked by an infant's inconsistent reactions to the caregiver's departure and return. (p. 196)

question

center day care

answer

Child care that occurs in a place especially designed for the purpose, where several paid adults care for many children. Usually, the children are grouped by age, the day-care center is licensed, and providers are trained and certified in child development. (p. 201)

question

autonomy versus shame and doubt

answer

Erikson's second crisis of psychological development. Toddler's either succeed or fail in gaining a sense of self-rule over their own actions and bodies. (p. 187)

question

attachment

answer

According to Ainsworth, an affectional tie that an infant forms with a caregiver--a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time. (p. 195)

Developmental Psychology Section 1 Terms – Flashcards

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