Psych Vocab Unit 9

Developmental Psychology- the scientific study of how and why human beings develop over the course of their life

Zygote- a eukaryotic cell formed by a fertilization event between two gametes

Embryo- an unborn or unhatched offspring in the process of development

Fetus- an unborn offspring of a mammal, in particular an unborn human baby more than eight weeks after conception

Teratogens- a drug or other substance capable of interfering with the development of a fetus, causing birth defects

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome- a congenital syndrome caused by excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy, characterized by retardation of mental development and of physical growth, particularly of the skull and face of the infant

Habituation- the diminishing of a physiological or emotional response to a frequently repeated stimulus

Maturation- the action or process of maturing

Cognition- the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses

Schema- a representation of a plan or theory in the form of an outline or model

Assimilation- the process by which a person or a group's language and/or culture come to resemble those of another group

Accommodation- a term developed by psychologist Jean Piaget to describe what occurs when new information or experiences cause you to modify your existing schemas

Object Permanence- he understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be observed

Conservation- the action of conserving something, in particular

Egocentrism- having or regarding the self or the individual as the center of all things

Theory of Mind- the ability to attribute mental states—beliefs, intents, desires, pretending, knowledge, etc.—to oneself and others and to understand that others have beliefs, desires, intentions, and perspectives that are different from one's own

Autism- a mental condition, present from early childhood, characterized by difficulty in communicating and...