The transmission of behaviors broadly defined between generations through the mechanisms of instruction, teaching, observational learning, imitation and their combinations, resulting in the accumulation of knowledge and traditions reflected, for example, in child-rearing practices. Thus, unlike biological evolution, it abides by Lamarckian principles. Transmission can occur vertically (from parent to offspring), horizontally (between members of …
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Crying peak
Epidemiological studies, carried out mainly in Western societies, have found a peak in minutes of infant crying per 24 hours at around 5-6 weeks of age. However, the same phenomenon has also been found in non-Western cultures and in preterm infants of the same corrected age, which suggest it is a universal feature of early …
Crystallized intelligence
The ability to use knowledge and problem-solving methods acquired through learning and experience to resolve a current problem. It has been argued that the Scholastic Aptitude Test assesses crystallised intelligence as do the verbal sub-tests of IQ batteries. Based on factor analysis, it was part of a theory of intelligence put forward by Raymond B. …
Crying
Vocal, facial and other bodily behaviors that are often interpreted as signs of distress, and which in early infancy is often accompanied by characteristic patterns of movement and posture. An interesting, and as yet unresolved issue, is whether the non-vocal components of crying (e.g., facial movements) develop prenatally in the human. See Behavioral state, Colic, …
Crossed random effects
Effects may berequired in models when the data being analyzed have been obtained by recordingoutcomes for a sample of participants responding to a sample of stimuli. In arepeated-measures design study, where all participants respond to all stimuli,observations are nested both by participants (there are multiple responseobservations per participant) and by stimulus items (there are multipleresponse …
Cruising
A locomotor milestone in which the infant walks sideways with support. See Crawling, Gross motor abilities, Locomotion, Walking
Cross-modal matching
The integration of information from different perceptual systems (e.g.,, the mapping of visuo-spatial coordinates onto proprioceptive information about the position of the body in space). See Active intermodal matching, Amodal, Cross-modal coordination, Developmental integration, Intermodal coordination, Intersensory redundancy hypothesis, Intersensory perceptual narrowing, Perceptual development, Proprioception
Cross-sectional design
A study that cuts across a population to compare different groups. It may compare the sexes or different social groups, but typically is used to compare different age groups. See Child psychology, Cohort, Cohort effect, Developmental research, Longitudinal studies, Prediction and explanation, Prodiction and retrodiction, Prospective control
Cross-modal coordination
Coordination of information that is picked up by different sensory modalities. For example, cross-modal coordination allows humans to recognize that a person’s face (visual modality) and voice (auditory modality) go together. There are cross-modal connections among all five sensory modalities (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch). See Active intermodal matching, Amodal, Categorical perception, Cross-modal matching, …
Cross-cultural psychology
A methodological approach to the study of the relationships among (human) behavior and cultural context. It is an important methodology for testing the universality of human behavior and development, perhaps its main aim. There are two other aims: to discover variations in behavior and development that are not present in one’s own culture, and to …