human growth and dev
climacteric
Relatively abrupt change in the body, brought about by changes in hormonal balances.
alarm reaction
Selye's term for a "call to arms" of the body's defensive forces.
authoritarian parents
Baumrind's term for parents are who demanding and want instant obedience as the most desirable child trait
authoritative parents
Baumrind's term for parents who respond to their children's needs and wishes; believing in parental control, they attempt to explain the reasons for it to their children.
commitment
(1) According to Wilson, people devote their lives to objectified ideas; they are willing under any circumstances to help those who have done the same; (2) Sternberg's term for the strongly held conviction that one will stay with another, regardless of the cost. (3) Third phase in Perry's theory, in which the individual realizes that certainty is impossible but that commitment to a certain position is necessary, even without certainty.
apgar
A scale to evaluate a newborn's basic life signs administered 1 minute after birth and repeated at 3-, 5-, and 10-minute intervals; it uses five life signs: heart rate, respiratory effort, muscle tone, reflex irritability, skin color
accumulation of errors
As cells die, they must synthesize new proteins to make new cells. As this is done, occasionally an error occurs. Over time, these errors mount up and may finally grow serious enough to cause organ failure.
apnea
Brief periods when breathing is suspended.
alleles
Different forms of a gene.
cooing
Early language sounds that resemble vowels.
Adult Attachment Interview (AAI)
Evaluates adults' responses to questions about attachment.
centration
Feature of preoperational thought—the centering of attention on one aspect of an object and the neglecting of any other features.
cryopreservation
Freezing embryos for future use.
crawling
Locomotion whereby the infant's abdomen touches the floor and the weight of the head and shoulders rests on the elbows.
climacterium
Loss of reproductive ability.
biological death
Occurs when it is no longer possible to discern an electrical charge in the tissues of the heart and lungs.
authoritarian parenting
Parents strive for complete control over their children's behavior by establishing complex sets of rules.
autoimmunity
Process by which the immune system in the body rejects the body's own tissue.
autosexuality
Stage at which the child becomes aware of sexual pleasure and consciously experiments with masturbation.
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Technique for reviving an individual's lungs and heart that have ceased to function.
bioecological model
The belief that the interactions between person and environment are best explained by systems analysis.
accumulation of metabolic waste
Waste products resulting from metabolism build up in various parts of the body.
culture
The values, beliefs, and behaviors characteristic of a large group of people— for example, those of Hispanic origin.
aging by program
Theory that all animals seem to die when their "program" dictates.
biopsychosocial theory of homosexuality
Theory that some factor in a person's DNA affects temperament, which affects sexual orientation.
Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale
Device to assess an infant's behavior; examines both neurological and psychological responses.
antigens
Substances in the blood that produce antibodies, which kill them.
adoption
To take a child of other parents voluntarily as one's own.
chromosome failure
Biological changes such as enlarged breasts in males and abnormal body hair in females.
breech birth
Birth in which the baby is born feet first, buttocks first, or in a crosswise position (transverse presentation).
chlamydia
Bacterial infection that may cause infertility; now the most common STI, there often are no symptoms.
constructed knowledge
Belenky's fifth phase of women's thinking; characterized by an integration of the subjective and procedural ways of knowing (Perry's types 3 and 4).
attachment
Behavior intended to keep a child (or adult) in close proximity to a significant other.
artificialism
Children attribute human life to inanimate objects; a form of Piagetian preoperational thinking.
animism
Children consider inert objects as alive and conscious; a form of Piagetian preoperational thinking.
cystic fibrosis
Chromosomal disorder producing a malfunction of the exocrine glands.
cross-sectional studies
Compares groups of individuals of various ages at the same time in order to investigate the effects of aging.
AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
Condition caused by the HIV virus, which can invade a newborn baby's immune system, thus making it vulnerable to infections and life-threatening illnesses.
anoxia (lack of oxygen)
Condition involving lack of oxygen, which possibly can cause fetal brain damage or death, even during birth.
activity theory
Human beings who are able to keep up the social activity of their middle years are considered the most successful.
bully
Cruel, bossy person who has aggressive reaction patterns and considerable physical strength.
ageism
Prejudice that the elderly are inferior to those who are younger.
bulimia nervosa
Disorder is characterized by "episodic binge eating accompanied by an awareness that the eating pattern is abnormal, fear of not being able to stop eating voluntarily, and depressed mood and self-deprecating thoughts following the eating binges."
controlled scribbling
Drawing in which children carefully watch what they are doing, when before they looked away (random scribbling).
cellular differentiation
Embryonic cells are destined for specific functions and thus differentiate themselves.
anima
Female side of the personality; males tend to repress it until later in life.
assisted reproduction technologies (ART)
Fertilization occurs with help and outside the woman's body.
chorionic villi sampling (CVS)
Fetal testing procedure in which a catheter (small tube) is inserted through the vagina to the uterine villi, and a small section is suctioned into the tube.
amniotic sac
Fluid-filled uterine sac that surrounds the embryo/fetus.
anal stage
Freud's belief that the anus is the main source of pleasure during the years 1 1/2 to 3 years.
androgyny
Functional level of gender-role identifications that incorporates male and female qualities.
crowds
Groups known for certain values, attitudes, or activities.
aggression
Hostile or destructive behavior directed at another person.
babbling
Infant produces sounds approximating speech between 5 and 6 months.
coordination of secondary schemes
Infants combine secondary schemes to obtain a goal; term associated with Piaget's theory.
autonomy
Infants' realization that they have a share in controlling their interactions with others.
child abuse
Infliction of injury to a child; commonly includes physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, and neglect.
artificial insemination by donor (AID)
Injection of sperm into woman.
crystallized intelligence
Involves perceiving relationships, educing correlates, reasoning, abstracting, concept of attainment, and problem solving.
battered child syndrome
Kempe and associates' term for classic physical abuse of children.
collagen
Major connective tissue in the body; it provides the elasticity in our skin and blood vessels.
animus
Male side of the personality; females tend to repress it until later in life.
competence
Measure of children's level of self-esteem; related to scholastic competence, athletic competence, peer popularity, physical appearance, and behavior.
absorbent mind
Montessori's term for a child's ability to absorb experiences from the environment (0-6 years).
creeping
Movement on hands and knees; the trunk does not touch the ground; creeping appears from 9 months in most youngsters.
crossover
Older men become more like women, and older women become more like men.
closed adoption
Natural parents knew nothing about the adopting parents.
brain death
Occurs when the brain fails to receive a sufficient supply of oxygen for a short period of time (usually 8 to 10 minutes).
adaptation
One of the two functional invariants in Piaget's theory.
assimilation
Piaget's term to describe the manner in which we incorporate data into our cognitive structures.
concrete operational period
Piaget's third stage of cognitive development, during which children begin to employ logical thought processes with concrete material.
anticipatory images
Piaget's term for images (which include movements and transformation) that enable the child to anticipate change.
cognitive structures
Piaget's term to describe the basic tools of cognitive development.
accommodation
Piaget's term to describe the manner by which cognitive structures change.
classification
Process by which children in the concrete operational period can group objects with some similarities within a larger category.
amniocentesis
Process of fetal testing that entails inserting a needle through the mother's abdomen, piercing the amniotic sac, and withdrawing a sample of the amniotic fluid.
cross-linkage theory
Proteins that make up a large part of cells are composed of peptides. When cross-links are formed between peptides, the proteins are altered, often for the worse.
capacitation
Removal of layer surrounding sperm.
adolescent egocentrism
Reversion to the self-centered thinking patterns of childhood that sometimes occurs in the teen years.
afterbirth
Stage three of the birth process, during which the placenta and other membranes are discharged.
chromosomes
Stringlike bodies that carry the genes; they are present in all body cells.
bilingual immersion
Students are taught partly in English and partly in their own language.
cholesterol
Substance in the blood (including HDLs and LDLs) that may adhere to the walls of the blood vessels, restricting the flow of blood and causing strokes and heart attacks.
cesarean section
Surgery performed to deliver the baby through the abdomen if for some reason the child cannot come through the birth canal.
anorexia nervosa
Syndrome of self-starvation that mainly affects adolescent and young adult females.
blastocyst
The fertilized egg when it reaches the uterus (about 7 days after conception).
biopsychosocial interactions
The idea that development proceeds by the interaction of biological, psychological, and social forces.
clinical death
The individual is dead when his or her respiration and heartbeat have stopped.
continuity
The lasting quality of experiences; development proceeds steadily and sequentially.
basal metabolism rate (BMR)
The minimum amount of energy an individual tends to use when in a resting state.
bend-and-bond response
The more typically female response to threats is to seek a compromise, rather than the male response of "fight-or-flight."
cytogenetics
The study of chromosomes.
conservation
The understanding that an object retains certain properties, no matter how its form changes.
convergent thinking
Thinking used to find one correct answer.
color blindness
Usually X-linked red/ green color blindness.
au pair
Young woman from another country who provides child care services.