Like I'm 5: Acceleration is skipping ahead; enrichment is getting more interesting stuff at your level.

Attachment (definition) — Textbook Style: Attachment is the emotional bond between a child and a specific caregiver.

Attachment (definition) — Like I'm 5: Attachment is when your caregiver makes you feel safe and loved.

Contact Comfort — Textbook Style: Contact comfort refers to the need for tactile comfort (e.g., Harlow’s monkey studies) as a basis for attachment.

Contact Comfort — Like I'm 5: Hugs and warm touch make babies feel safe — that's contact comfort.

Ainsworth Strange Situation — Textbook Style: The Strange Situation is a structured observation to assess attachment patterns between infants and caregivers.

Ainsworth Strange Situation — Like I'm 5: It's a test where mom leaves and returns to see how the baby reacts to measure closeness.

Secure Attachment Pattern — Textbook Style: Secure attachment: child uses caregiver as home base, shows distress when separated, greets caregiver on return.

Secure Attachment Pattern — Like I'm 5: Secure kids cry when mom leaves and are happy when she comes back — they trust her.

Avoidant Attachment Pattern — Textbook Style: Avoidant attachment: child shows little distress on separation and avoids caregiver upon return.

Avoidant Attachment Pattern — Like I'm 5: Avoidant kids act like they don’t want much from the caregiver when they come back.

Textbook Style: Ambivalent: child is distressed on separation and both seeks and resists contact on reunion (mixed reactions).

Like I’m 5: These kids get very upset but might be mad when mom returns — mixed feelings.

Textbook Style: Disorganized: inconsistent, contradictory behaviors like approaching without looking; associated with highest insecurity.

Like I’m 5: These kids act confused about the caregiver — sometimes they come close but look away.

Textbook Style: Reactive attachment disorder is difficulty forming normal attachments due to severe early neglect or disrupted caregiving.

Like I’m 5: If a baby didn’t have a steady caregiver, they might find it really hard to trust people later.

Textbook Style: Mirror neurons fire when an action is performed and when the same action is observed in others — implicated in imitation and empathy.

Like I’m 5: Mirror neurons are brain cells that light up when you do something and when you see someone else do it, helping you copy and understand.

Textbook Style: Theory of mind is understanding that others have their own thoughts, beliefs, and intentions distinct from one’s own.

Like I’m 5: It’s knowing other people can think differently than you do — like knowing someone else doesn’t know your secret.

Textbook Style: Stranger anxiety is caution shown by infants when encountering unfamiliar people.

Like I’m 5: When babies get shy or scared around new people, that’s stranger anxiety.

Separation anxiety is distress shown when a usual caregiver departs.

When a child cries because mom left, that’s separation anxiety.

Social referencing is seeking emotional cues from others to interpret uncertain events.

If a baby looks to mom to see if a new toy is scary, they’re doing social referencing.

Emotional self-regulation is the ability to adjust emotions to desired intensity, improving across childhood and adolescence.

It’s learning to calm down when you’re mad or sad.

Disengagement theory suggests aging involves gradual withdrawal from society.

This idea says older people slowly step back from roles and activity.

Activity theory claims successful aging happens when people maintain activities and social interactions.

Keeping busy and staying with friends helps people feel good as they age.

Continuity theory says people need to keep desired levels of involvement to maintain well-being in old age.

Sticking to things you like helps you feel yourself as you get older.

Personality is the enduring pattern of characteristics that make a person unique, beginning in infancy.

Identity vs Identity Confusion — Textbook Style: Adolescents seek to form a clear sense of self vs confusion about role/identity.

Identity vs Identity Confusion — Like I’m 5: Teens try different things to figure out who they are.

Intimacy vs Isolation — Textbook Style: Young adulthood focuses on forming close relationships vs becoming isolated.

Intimacy vs Isolation — Like I’m 5: Adults try to make close friends and partners; if not, they may feel alone.

Generativity vs Stagnation — Textbook Style: Middle adulthood involves contributing to family/society (generativity) vs stagnation.

Generativity vs Stagnation — Like I’m 5: Adults want to help the next generation and feel useful.

Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt — Textbook Style: Autonomy vs shame/doubt (toddler) — children develop independence when encouraged.

Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt — Like I’m 5: When toddlers are let to try things, they feel proud and independent.

Initiative vs Guilt — Textbook Style: Initiative vs guilt (preschool) — children balance desire to act and morality; successful initiative leads to leadership and purpose.

Initiative vs Guilt — Like I’m 5: Kids try new things; if adults support them they feel brave, otherwise guilty.

Industry vs Inferiority — Textbook Style: Industry vs inferiority (ages 6–12) focuses on competence in tasks and school.

Industry vs Inferiority — Like I’m 5: Kids who succeed at school tasks feel confident; if not, they feel less capable.

Like I’m 5: Personality is what makes you, you — like being shy or funny.

Textbook Style: Temperament refers to patterns of emotionality and arousal that are stable individual differences.

Like I’m 5: Temperament is how easily a baby gets upset or stays calm — their basic mood.

Textbook Style: Easy babies are adaptable, with regular bodily functions and positive moods.

Like I’m 5: Easy babies smile, sleep well, and go with the flow.

Textbook Style: Difficult babies are slow to adapt, negative in mood, and irregular in body functions.

Like I’m 5: Difficult babies cry a lot and don’t like change.

Textbook Style: Slow-to-warm babies are inactive, withdraw from new situations, and adapt slowly.

Like I’m 5: These babies need time to get used to new people and places.

Textbook Style: Goodness of fit means development depends on match between child temperament and environment demands.

Like I’m 5: If a baby’s personality matches how parents care for them, things go better.

Textbook Style: Trust vs mistrust (infancy) — infants develop trust if needs are met.

Like I’m 5: If a baby’s cared for, they learn the world is safe.

Like I’m 5: Self-concept is what you think about yourself — like “I am kind” or “I like drawing.”

Collectivistic Orientation — Textbook Style: Collectivistic orientation emphasizes group goals, roles, and interdependence.

Collectivistic Orientation — Like I’m 5: This culture values “we” more than “me.”

Individualistic Orientation — Textbook Style: Individualistic orientation emphasizes personal autonomy, independence, and self-expression.

Individualistic Orientation — Like I’m 5: This culture cares a lot about being your own person.

Race Dissonance — Textbook Style: Race dissonance is psychological tension when one’s self-perception conflicts with societal perceptions about race.

Race Dissonance — Like I’m 5: If a kid feels proud of their race but others treat them differently, that conflict can be race

Like I’m 5: Knowing what you feel and why you do things is self-awareness.

Theory of Mind in Infants (emergence) — Textbook Style: Infants show emerging theory of mind abilities—understanding others have separate thoughts and intentions.

Theory of Mind in Infants (emergence) — Like I’m 5: Babies slowly learn that other people have thoughts that can be different from theirs.

Compliant Agents — Textbook Style: Compliant agents are those who follow instructions or social norms (often children obeying authority).

Compliant Agents — Like I’m 5: Compliant kids listen and do what grown-ups ask.

Self-Concept — Textbook Style: Self-concept is the overall understanding and image a person has about themselves.

Textbook Style: Late adulthood involves reviewing life and accepting it (integrity) or feeling regret (despair).

Like I’m 5: Older people look back on life and either feel proud or sad about missed chances.

Textbook Style: Midlife crisis is a period of uncertainty often when people realize life is finite.

Like I’m 5: Some adults around middle age feel confused about what they want.

Textbook Style: Later adulthood requires redefining identity beyond work roles.

Like I’m 5: When people retire they figure out who they are without their job.

Textbook Style: Older adults learn to cope with physical decline by focusing beyond bodily limits.

Like I’m 5: Instead of worrying about aches, older people focus on what they can still enjoy.

Textbook Style: Older adults face their mortality and seek meaning beyond self-concerns.

Like I’m 5: Older people think about big life meaning rather than only themselves.

Textbook Style: Traits are enduring personality dimensions along which people differ.

Like I’m 5: Traits are the long-lasting ways people tend to act (like shy or outgoing).

Textbook Style: Self-awareness is recognizing one’s own emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Textbook Style: Identity achievement = explored options and made commitments — mature identity status.

Like I'm 5: A teen tried different things and decided who they want to be — that's identity achievement.

Textbook Style: Identity foreclosure = commitment without exploration, often following others' expectations.

Like I'm 5: Choosing a future because your family wanted it without trying other options.

Textbook Style: Moratorium = active exploration without making a commitment yet.

Like I'm 5: A teen trying many things but not deciding yet is in moratorium.

Textbook Style: Identity diffusion = neither exploration nor commitment; lack of direction.

Like I'm 5: Not trying to find out who you are and not choosing is diffusion.

Textbook Style: Emerging adulthood is the period from about 18 to 29 when identity exploration and instability are common.

Like I'm 5: Young adults explore jobs, love, and who they want to be during this time.

Textbook Style: Cultural assimilation model holds individuals should assimilate into a unified dominant culture.

Like I'm 5: It says everyone should fit into one big culture and lose other differences.

Textbook Style: Pluralistic model suggests society has diverse, coequal groups that keep their cultural features.

Like I'm 5: Different groups keep their own traditions but all live together equally.

Textbook Style: Bicultural identity means integrating aspects of both one's own culture and the dominant culture.

Like I'm 5: A person can use both their family's culture and the country's culture together.

Textbook Style: Social clock = societal expectations about the timing of life events (marriage, career, etc.).

Like I'm 5: Society has an idea of when people should do big things, like get married or graduate.

Textbook Style: Career consolidation = building stability and commitment in one's career after initial establishment.

Like I'm 5: After trying jobs, someone settles into a career and becomes good at it.

Textbook Style: Self-esteem = overall sense of self-worth or value.

Like I'm 5: Self-esteem is how much you like and value yourself.

Textbook Style: Social identity theory explains how group memberships shape self-concept and behavior.

Like I'm 5: We think about ourselves partly based on the groups we belong to (like team or family).

Textbook Style: Enterprising — risk-taking, leadership, good for management or politics.

Like I’m 5: Enterprising types like leading and taking charge.

Textbook Style: Artistic — creative, prefer art-related work.

Like I’m 5: Artistic types love making art and being creative.

Textbook Style: Communal professions emphasize nurturance, empathy, and caregiving (people-oriented).

Like I’m 5: Communal professions include jobs like nurse or teacher that care for others.

Like I’m 5: These people like working with tools and hands-on stuff.

Textbook Style: Intellectual — like theory and abstract thought; good for science and math careers.

Like I’m 5: Intellectual types like thinking and solving tricky problems.

Textbook Style: Social — good with people, strong verbal skills, suited for teaching or counseling.

Like I’m 5: Social types like helping and talking to people.

Textbook Style: Conventional — prefer structured tasks; examples include clerks, secretaries, bank tellers.

Like I’m 5: Conventional types like neat, organized jobs with clear rules.

Like I’m 5: Kids say “I want to be an astronaut” because it sounds cool, not because of real planning.

Textbook Style: Tentative period = adolescence explores preferences and abilities more seriously.

Like I’m 5: Teens start thinking more about what jobs might fit them.

Textbook Style: Realistic period = people make practical career choices based on experience and self-knowledge.

Like I’m 5: Now people pick jobs that actually fit their skills and life.

Textbook Style: Realistic types: practical, physical, good with tools; social skills moderate.

Textbook Style: Social reality refers to how others act, think, feel, and view the world — a shared social understanding.

Like I’m 5: Social reality is what people around you think is normal.

Textbook Style: Downward comparisons = comparing yourself to someone less competent to boost self-esteem.

Like I’m 5: Comparing yourself to someone who’s doing worse to feel better.

Textbook Style: Fantasy period = children choose careers based on imagination and superficial ideas.

Like I’m 5: Kids say “I want to be an astronaut” because it sounds cool, not because of real planning.

Textbook Style: Agentic professions emphasize assertiveness, independence, leadership (task-oriented).

Like I’m 5: Jobs where you lead and make decisions, like manager or CEO.

Textbook Style: Extrinsic motivation = doing something for external rewards or pressures.

Like I’m 5: Doing homework only for candy or praise.

Textbook Style: Intrinsic motivation = doing something because it’s enjoyable or satisfying itself.

Like I’m 5: Playing because it’s fun, not for a prize.

Textbook Style: Burnout = emotional and physical exhaustion from chronic stress, decreased accomplishment, cynicism.

Like I’m 5: Feeling very tired, fed up, and like nothing you do matters.

Textbook Style: Advantages: easier and cheaper to administer to many people at once.

Like I’m 5: Testing a whole class at once saves time and money.

Textbook Style: Disadvantages: limited question types, less motivation, more distractions, potential bias.

Like I’m 5: Group tests can be noisy, and some people get distracted or the test might be unfair.

Textbook Style: Can a test be reliable without being valid?

Moderate intellectual disability: likely needs supervision and may not progress beyond elementary-level academics.

 Someone with moderate disability often needs more help and may do simpler school tasks.

Severe intellectual disability: significant limits requiring intensive support across life domains.

 Severe means someone needs lots of help in daily life.

Profound disability: very little speech or motor control, requires 24-hour care.

 Profound means a person needs constant help and care.