| artificial intelligence | Human intelligence simulated by machines; a specific field of computer science.
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| attachment | Behavior intended to keep a child (or adult) in close proximity to a significant other.
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| axons | Branchlike ends of neurons that send electrochemical signals between cells.
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| babbling | Infants' production of sounds approximating speech between 5 and 7 months.
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| circular reactions | Piaget's term for infants' motor activity that is repeated in developing stages.
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| cooing | Early language sounds that resemble vowels.
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| coordination of secondary schemes | Piaget's term for when infants combine secondary schemes to obtain a goal.
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| crawling | Movement on hands and knees; the trunk does not touch the ground.
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| creeping | Movement whereby the infant's abdomen touches the floor and the weight of the head and shoulders rests on the elbows.
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| dendrites | Branchlike ends of neurons that receive and conduct the electrochemical signals between the cells.
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| egocentric speech | The form of speech in which children carry on lively conversations with themselves or others.
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| egocentrism | Piaget's term for the child's focus on self in early phases of cognitive development.
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| ethology | Scientific field that stresses behavior is strongly influenced by biology and is linked to evolution.
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| failure to thrive (FTT) | Medical term for infants whose weight gain and physical growth fall far below average during the first years of life.
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| fast mapping | Children's use of surrounding context to understand words' meaning.
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| goodness of fit | Concept coined by Chess and Thomas (1977) that describes the match between a child's temperament and his/her environment.
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| habituation | A decrease in an infant's attention.
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| holophrases | One word that can communicate many meanings and ideas.
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| infantile amnesia | The inability to remember events from early in life.
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| inner speech | Internal speech that often accompanies physical movements, guiding behavior.
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| internalization of schemes | Children's use of symbols to think about real events without actually experiencing them.
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| myelin | Sheath of insulation around axons that facilitates communication between neurons.
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| naive psychology | Vygotsky's stage in which children explore objects and label objects as they acquire the grammar of their speech.
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| neurons | Nerve cells that transmit information with electrochemical signals.
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| New York Longitudinal Study | Long-term study by Chess and Thomas of the personality characteristics of children.
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| object permanence | Refers to children gradually realizing that there are permanent objects around them, even when these objects are out of sight.
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| perception | The process of obtaining and interpreting information from stimuli.
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| phonology | Sounds of a language.
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| pragmatics | Ability to communicate with others.
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| preintellectual speech | Vygotsky's category for cooing, crying, babbling, and bodily movements that develop into more sophisticated forms of speech.
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| primary circular reactions | Infants' actions that are focused on their own bodies and reflexes.
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| reciprocal interactions | Interactions that shape relationships with others.
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| REM (rapid eye-movement) sleep | A period of deep sleep marked by eye movements; when vivid dreams occur.
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| respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) | Problem common with premature babies; caused by lack of a substance that keeps air sacs in the lungs open.
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| secondary circular reactions | Piaget's term for infants' activities that are directed toward objects and events outside themselves.
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| semantics | Meaning of words and sentences.
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| sensitive responsiveness | The ability to recognize the meaning of a child's behavior.
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| sensorimotor period | The first 2 years of life.
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| strange situation | Measure designed to assess the quality of attachment.
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| sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) | Unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, usually between 2 and 4 months of age.
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| synapse | A small gap between neurons.
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| syntax | The way in which words are put together to construct sentences.
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| telegraphic speech | Initial multiple-word utterances, usually two or three words.
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| temperament | Individual differences; unique and stable styles of behaving.
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| tertiary circular reaction | Piaget's term for repetition with variation; the infant is exploring the world's possibilities.
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| word spurt | Rapid increase of vocabulary from 18 months to 3 years.
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