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Lifespan Development

Key Terms

Lifespan DevelopmentKey Terms

Key Terms

animism
belief that objects are alive and possess consciousness
associative play
children begin focusing on and engaging with another person while playing, such as by assisting one another
autobiographical memory
memories of our individual life experiences and events
centration
tendency for preoperational children to focus on one characteristic of an object or situation at a time
code-switching
practice of alternating between two or more languages or language varieties within one conversation
conservation
cognitive ability to understand that changing the appearance of a substance does not alter its mass, number, or volume
cooperative play
children fully engage in both a play partner and the activity
dyspraxia
developmental coordination disorder in which children have difficulty executing typical movements
egocentrism
preoperational children’s tendency to have limited logical reasoning abilities because they perceive things from only their own point of view, according to Piaget’s stage theory of cognitive development
false belief
children’s belief that other people have the same knowledge they themselves possess
fine motor skill
precise movements of the hands and fingers
food desert
geographic area where fresh food is not readily available
gross motor skill
large body movements of the head, torso, arms, and legs
literacy
ability to read, write and understand information
macronutrients
nutrient-rich carbohydrates, proteins, and fats needed for energy
night terrors
intense fear or terror that occurs during deep sleep
onlooker play
children observe others at play but do not become physically involved
operation
logical and reversible mental action
parallel play
children engage in similar play in close proximity but still play separately
pragmatics
social cues learned in language
preoperational stage
stage in which children begin to represent their thoughts and ideas using symbols such as words and images; the second stage in Piaget’s stage theory of cognitive development
scaffolding
process of providing temporary learning support when tasks are just outside a person’s range of ability
semantics
a feature of language concerned with meaning and logic
sociocultural theory of cognitive development
theory of development proposed by Vygotsky that emphasizes the role of social and cultural factors on individual cognitive development
solitary play
(also, independent play) children play alone focusing on their own activity
stunting
impaired growth in height, often due to malnutrition
symbolic representation
representation of thoughts and ideas using symbols, such as words and images
syntax
rules used in language to construct full sentences
theory of mind
awareness that our beliefs and perspectives are different from other people’s
unoccupied play
children observe their environment and perform random movements
zone of proximal development (ZPD)
range of activities that cannot be completed alone but can be accomplished with the aid of a more skilled adult or peer
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