Ch. 11 Terms Flashcards
(25 cards)
acculturation
the process of adjusting to a new culture while retaining some aspects of one’s culture of origin.
attachment
an emotional bond with a specific person that is enduring across space and time.
attachment theory
theory based on John Bowlby’s work that posits that children are biologically predisposed to develop attachments to caregivers as a means of increasing the chances of their own survival.
disorganized/disoriented attachment
a type of insecure attachment in which infants or young children have no consistent way of coping with the stress of the Strange Situation. Their behavior is confused or even contradictory, and they often appear dazed or disoriented.
ethnic and racial identity
the beliefs and attitudes an individual has about the ethnic or racial groups to which they belong.
identity
a description of the self that is often externally imposed, such as through membership in a group.
identity achievement
an integration of various aspects of the self into a coherent whole that is stable over time and across events.
identity diffusion
period in which the individual does not have firm commitments regarding the issues in question and is not making progress toward developing them.
identity foreclosure
period in which the individual has not engaged in any identity experimentation and has established a vocational or ideological identity based on the choices or values of others.
imaginary audience
the belief, stemming from adolescent egocentrism, that everyone else is focused on the adolescent’s appearance and behavior.
insecure/avoidant attachment
a type of insecure attachment in which infants or young children seem somewhat indifferent toward their caregiver and may even avoid the caregiver. If the infant gets upset when left alone, he or she is as easily comforted by a stranger as by a parent.
insecure/resistant attachment
a type of insecure attachment in which infants or young children are clingy and stay close to their caregiver rather than exploring their environment. In the Strange Situation, insecure/resistant infants tend to become very upset when the caregiver leaves them alone in the room. When their caregiver returns, they are not easily comforted and both seek comfort and resist efforts by the caregiver to comfort them.
internal working model of attachment
the child’s mental representation of the self, of attachment figure(s), and of relationships in general that is constructed as a result of experiences with caregivers. The working model guides children’s interactions with caregivers and other people in infancy and at older ages.
moratorium
period in which the individual is exploring various occupational and ideological choices and has not yet made a clear commitment to them.
parental sensitivity
caregiving behavior that involves the expression of warmth and contingent responsiveness to children, such as when they require assistance or are in distress.
personal fable
a form of adolescent egocentrism that involves beliefs in the uniqueness of one’s own feelings and thoughts.
secure attachment
a pattern of attachment in which infants or young children have a positive and trusting relationship with their attachment figure. In the Strange Situation, a securely attached infant may be upset when the caregiver leaves but may be happy to see the caregiver return, recovering quickly from any distress. When children are securely attached, they can use caregivers as a secure base for exploration.
secure base
refers to the idea that the presence of a trusted caregiver provides an infant or toddler with a sense of security that makes it possible for the child to explore the environment.
self-concept
a conceptual system made up of one’s thoughts and attitudes about oneself.
self-esteem
an individual’s overall subjective evaluation of his or her worth and the feelings he or she has about that evaluation.
sexual identity
one’s sense of oneself as a sexual being.
sexual orientation
a person’s preference in regard to males or females as objects of erotic feelings.
sexual-minority youth
young people who experience same-sex attractions.
social comparison
the process of comparing aspects of one’s own psychological, behavioral, or physical functioning to that of others in order to evaluate oneself.
