Glossary

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

Developmental Psychology

the study of how and why humans change throughout the lifespan

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:
child development and learning
each child as an individual
each child’s social and cultural context

Discontinuous development

refers to the idea that development occurs in distinct stages, each stage being fundamentally different from the preceding or following stages

domains of development

a term referring to the primary areas of development in which change occurs:
Physical/Biological
Cognitive
Social
Emotional

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

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The Whole Child: Development in the Early Years Copyright © 2023 by Deirdre Budzyna and Doris Buckley is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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