448 Glossary
observable behaviors.
Things people do and say or
the way they act. (2)
obstetricians.
Medical doctors who specialize in
pregnancy and birth. (4)
occupation.
The job a person does for a
living. (15)
operant conditioning.
Behaviors that continue
when reinforced. (2)
operations.
Formal or logical processes that are
organized mental processes. (7)
osteoarthritis.
The most common form of arthritis,
which is caused by the chronic breakdown of
cartilage in the joints. (12)
osteoporosis.
Progressive bone loss when calcium is
depleted, causing bones to become brittle and more
porous. (11)
overweight.
A high amount of body fat in relation to
lean body mass. (8)
oxygen deprivation.
When the baby’s flow of
oxygen is somehow interrupted during the birth
process. (4)
P
Palmar grasp.
When a baby scrapes up an object
using all of the fingers into the palm of the hand. (5)
parallel play.
Play that occurs alongside another
toddler with little reciprocal interaction. (6)
parental generativity.
Giving back to future
generations by participating in children’s lives
through passing on knowledge, skills, and cultural
values. (11)
parent educators.
Teachers or trainers who
focus their content on parenting knowledge and
skills. (16)
paternity leave.
Paid or unpaid time off from work
that fathers may take after the birth or adoption of a
child. (3)
patriarch.
The oldest and most influential male family
member. (12)
pedagogy.
Teacher- or parent-directed learning. (1)
peer pressure.
Influence a group of people has on an
individual in the same age group. (9)
pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
An infection
of the uterus and fallopian tubes caused by some
STIs that can lead to infertility. (4)
perimenopause.
The time proceeding menopause
when hormonal shifts begin and menstrual cycles
become less regular. (11)
periphery.
The outer edges of the center field of
vision. (12)
permissive parenting style.
A type of parenting
that gives children control of situations with few
limits. (7)
personal fable.
Thinking pattern related to cognitive
function that often occurs during adolescence when
they distort and inflate the opinion of themselves
and their own importance. (9)
phonology.
Refers to the sounds that make up
words. (7)
physical abuse.
Inflicting injury through beating,
hitting, shaking, biting, punching, kicking, or by
other means. (14)
physical dependency.
Develops when the body
becomes reliant on the presence of a drug in the
system to properly function. (9)
physical development.
The changes in size, body
composition, chemical make-up, and height that
occur as humans develop from birth through older
adulthood. (1)
physical neglect.
Failure to provide such basic
needs as food, clothing, shelter, or appropriate
supervision. (14)
pincer grasp.
Picking up items using a coordinated
motion of thumb and forefinger. (5)
pituitary gland.
Small organ at the base of the brain
that releases hormones that regulate growth and
reproduction. (9)
placenta.
A mass attached to the uterus and the
umbilical that provides nutrients from the mother to
the baby. (4)
plaque.
Fatty substance that clogs veins and
arteries. (11)
playgroups.
Parent-child groups that focus on
socialization. (13)
portfolio.
A dynamic, ever-growing, and changing
collection of work that illustrates a person’s abilities
and achievements. (15)
postconventional morality.
Kohlberg’s final stage
of moral development in which adults begin to
care about the local community, environment, and
society as a whole. (10)
postformal stage.
Cognitive stage of development
in which adults appear to be better at dealing with
complex questions they may never fully answer.
(10)
postpartum depression.
A mother’s intense
sadness and oftentimes emotional withdrawal
from others after giving birth. (5)
postpartum period.
The time mothers need for
both physical and psychological adjustment
after giving birth. Usually lasts six weeks. (5)