PSY 200 chapter 4 vocab

the process through which we change or modify existing schemata to accommodate new experiences

discrimination or prejudice against an individual based on physical age

the process through which we fit ---or assimilate--new experiences into existing schemata

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development, lasting from ages 7 to 11.  Children acquire the capacity to perform a number of mental operations but still lack the ability for abstract reasoning.

strong emotional ties formed to one or more intimate companions

in Kohlberg's theory of moral development, the stage in which actions are judged to be right or wrong based on whether they maintain or disrupt the social order

a research design in which people of different ages are compared at the same time

Physically based loses in mental functioning

the age-related physical, intellectual, social, and personal changes that occur throughout an individual's lifetime.

the tendency to see the world from one's own unique perspective only; a characteristic of thinking in a preoperational period of development

the period of prenatal development lasting from implantation to the end of the 8th week

the period of prenatal development lasting from the 9th week until birth

Piaget's last stage of cognitive development; thought processes become adult-like, and people gain mastery over abstract thinking

specific patterns of behavior that are consistent with how society dictates males and females should act

the period in prenatal development from conception to implantation of the fertilized egg in the wall of the uterus

the decline in responsiveness to a stimulus that is repeatedly presented

a research design in which the same people are studied or tested repeatedly over time

the period during which a woman's menstrual cycle slows down and finally stops

the ability to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate actions

the ability to recognize that objects still exist when they're no longer in sight

a sense of who one is an individual and how well one measures up against peers

Kohlberg's highest level of moral development, in which moral actions are judged based on the basis of a personal code of ethics that is general and abstract and that may not agree with societal norms

In Kohlberg's theory, the lowest level of moral development, in which decisions about right and wrong are made primarily in terms of external consequences

Piaget's second stage of cognitive development, lasting from ages 2 to about 7; children begin to think symbolically but often lack the ability to perform mental operations such as conservation.

the ability to recognize that the physical properties of an object remain the same despite superficial changes in an object's appearance

the period during which a person reaches sexual maturity and is potentially capable of producing offspring

Piaget's first stage of cognitive development, lasting from birth to about 2 years of age; schemata revolve around sensory and motor abilities

gradually subjecting a child to a stressful situation and observing his or her behavior toward the parent or caregiver.  This test is used to classify children according to type of attachment--secure, resistant, avoidant, or disorganized/disoriented

a child's general level of emotional reactivity

environmental agents--such as disease organisms or drugs--that can potentially damage the developing embryo or fetus.

the fertilized human egg, containing 23 chromosomes from the father and 23 chromosomes from the mother