Piaget's Stages
The stage (birth-2) where infants learn via senses and motor actions.
Sensorimotor Stage
Vygotsky’s term for tailored support provided to help a learner gain new skills
Scaffolding
The smallest distinct units of sound in a language (e.g., the "c" in "cat").
Phonemes
Identity status where one commits to values without exploring alternatives.
Identity Foreclosure
Harmful substances (like alcohol) that can cause birth defects
Teratogens
The understanding that objects continue to exist even when hidden.
Object Permanence
The range between what a learner can do alone vs. with guidance (ZPD)
Zone of Proximal Development
The smallest units of meaning in a language, such as prefixes or suffixes
Morphemes
Parenting style with high expectations but also high warmth and support
Authoritative Parenting
Research that studies the same individuals repeatedly over an extended time.
Longitudinal Research
The struggle to see things from another person's point of view
Egocentrism
Knowledge and skills accumulated over time through education and experience
Crystallized Intelligence
Early speech stage using concise, two-word phrases like "want cookie"
Telegraphic Speech
Identity status of active exploration with no final commitment
Identity Moratorium
The biological growth process leading to orderly, genetic-based changes
Maturation
Understanding that volume remains the same despite changes in shape.
Conservation
The capacity to reason and solve novel problems abstractly
Fluid Intelligence
Grammatical error like saying "I goed to the park" instead of "went".
Overgeneralization
Strict parenting that prioritizes obedience and discipline with limited warmth
Authoritarian Parenting
Research studying different age groups at the same point in time.
Cross-Sectional Research
The final stage (12+) where individuals develop abstract and hypothetical logic.
Formal Operational Stage
Decline in cognitive functioning characterized by memory loss and impaired judgment
Dementia
The set of rules governing word arrangement to form meaningful sentences
Syntax
Adolescent belief that one's experiences are unique and they are invulnerable
Personal Fable
Experimental setup used to study the development of depth perception in infants
Visual Cliff