Chapter 3- Developing Through the life span

Question 1

Branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

Answer 1

developmental psychology

Question 2

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

Answer 2

chromosomes

Question 3

a molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

Answer 3

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

Question 4

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA

Answer 4

genes

Question 5

the genetic transfer of characteristics from parents to offspring

Answer 5

heredity

Question 6

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism’s chromosomes

Answer 6

genome

Question 7

every external influence, from prenatal nutrition to social support in later life

Answer 7

environment

Question 8

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

Answer 8

interaction

Question 9

the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without DNA change

Answer 9

epigenetics

Question 10

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

Answer 10

zygote

Question 11

the developing human organism from about 2-weeks after fertilization through the second month

Answer 11

embryo

Question 12

twins who develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical siblings

Answer 12

identical twins (monozygotic twins

Question 13

twins who develop from separate fertilized eggs. they are genetically no closer than non-twin brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment

Answer 13

fraternal twins (dizygotic twins)

Question 14

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Answer 14

fetus

Question 15

an agent, such as a chemical or virus, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Answer 15

teratogen

Question 16

physical and mental abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking. in severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features

Answer 16

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Question 17

a simple, automatic response to a sensory stimulus

Answer 17

reflex

Question 18

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Answer 18

temperament

Question 19

biological growth processes leading to orderly changes in behavior, mostly independent of experience

Answer 19

maturation

Question 20

a period early in life when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences is needed for proper development

Answer 20

critical period

Question 21

all the mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

Answer 21

cognition

Question 22

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Answer 22

schema

Question 23

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Answer 23

assimilation

Question 24

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Answer 24

accommodation

Question 25

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to nearly 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

Answer 25

sensorimotor stage

Question 26

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Answer 26

object permanence

Question 27

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to 6 or 7 years of age) in which a child learns to use language but cannot yet perform the mental operations of concrete logic

Answer 27

preoperational stage

Question 28

the principle (which Piaget believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties such as mass, volumes, and number remain the same despite changes in shapes

Answer 28

conservation

Question 29

the Piaget’s theory, the preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

Answer 29

egocentrism

Question 30

people’s ideas about their own and others’ mental states - about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

Answer 30

theory of mind

Question 31

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Answer 31

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Question 32

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

Answer 32

concrete operational stage

Question 33

in Paiget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

Answer 33

formal operational stage

Question 34

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

Answer 34

stranger anxiety

Question 35

an emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver, showing distress on separation

Answer 35

attachment

Question 36

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; said to be formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers

Answer 36

basic trust

Question 37

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

Answer 37

adolescence

Question 38

the period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

Answer 38

puberty

Question 39

our sense of self; according to Erik Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and blending various roles

Answer 39

identity

Question 40

the “we” aspect of our self concept; the part of our answer to “who am I?” that comes from our group memberships

Answer 40

social identity

Question 41

in Erikson’ theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in early adulthood

Answer 41

intimacy

Question 42

a period from about age 18 to the mid-twenties, when many in Western cultures are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults

Answer 42

emerging adulthood

Question 43

the end of menstruation. in everyday use, it can also mean the biological transition a woman experiences from before until after the end of menstruation

Answer 43

menopause

Question 44

the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement

Answer 44

social clock