Developmental Psychology

Question 1

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

Answer 1

developmental psychology

Question 2

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

Answer 2

zygote

Question 3

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

Answer 3

embryo

Question 4

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Answer 4

fetus

Question 5

(literally, “monster makers”)
agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

Answer 5

teratogens

Question 6

physical and cognitive 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 6

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

Question 7

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner

ex: a fetus adapts to a vibrating device placed on the mother’s abdomen; over time it seems to get bored of the action

Answer 7

habituation

Question 8

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience

Answer 8

maturation

Question 9

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

Answer 9

cognition

Question 10

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

ex: attributes associated with a certain word; when you think of your best friend you may think kind, funny, sympathetic, etc

Answer 10

schema

Question 11

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

ex: when a child learns what a dog is, they begin calling all four-legged animals a dog

Answer 11

assimilation

Question 12

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

ex: by adding new characteristics to distinguish dogs from cats and other four-legged animals, we increase our cognitive understanding

Answer 12

accommodation

Question 13

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

ex: taking 5 senses into account: touching, grasping, mouthing
-issues with stranger danger
-object permanence developing

Answer 13

sensorimotor stage

Question 14

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

ex: 3 month old Bobby lacks this ability; every time his mother or father leaves the room he cries because he thinks they are gone

Answer 14

object permanence

Question 15

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

ex: able to represent things with words and images but too young to perform mental operations; a 5 year old cannot understand that two differently sized glasses could contain the same amount of milk (lacks concept of conservation)

Answer 15

preoperational stage

Question 16

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

ex: Sally watches as two identical glasses are filled with the same amount of milk; when the milk in one glass gets poured into a taller glass, she can’t understand it’s still the same amount

Answer 16

conservation

Question 17

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

ex: Allie, age 4, shows her grandfather her two matching cards while playing a game- yet they are still facing her; because she can see them, she believes he can as well

Answer 17

egocentrism

Question 18

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

ex: children come to understand what made a playmate angry, when a sibling will share, and what might make a parent buy a toy; they begin to tease, empathize, and persuade

Answer 18

theory of mind

Question 19

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

ex: understanding and simplifying math equations, comprehending more complicated jokes, improving concept of conservation

Answer 19

concrete operational stage

Question 20

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

ex: imagining realities and symbols, ponder hypothetical propositions and consequences, moral reasoning

Answer 20

formal operational thinking

Question 21

a framework that offers children temporary support as they develop higher levels of thinking

ex: by giving children new words and mentoring them, parents, teachers, and other children provide a step to help children attain higher cognitive development/better thinking

Answer 21

scaffold (ing)

Question 22

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

ex: can’t tell others’ emotions or thoughts well, trouble socializing

Answer 22

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Question 23

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

Answer 23

stranger anxiety

Question 24

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

Answer 24

attachment

Question 25

an optimal period early in the life an organism when exposure to certain stimuli ex: baby chicks' period falls shortly after they have hatched when the first moving object they see is their mother; they will follow her from now on

Answer 25

critical period

Question 26

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life ex: the chicks with their mother; if they hadn't seen her and had seen perhaps a human instead, they would've followed the human

Answer 26

imprinting

Question 27

a procedure for studying child-caregiver attachment; a child is placed in an unfamiliar environment while their caregiver leaves and then returns, and the child's reactions are observed

Answer 27

strange situation

Question 28

demonstrated by infants who comfortably explore environments in the presence of their caregiver, show only temporary distress when the caregiver leaves, and find comfort in the caregiver's return

Answer 28

secure attachment

Question 29

demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness ex: these infants are less likely to explore and may cling to their mother; their distress is not just temporary when she leaves the room, it's lasting

Answer 29

insecure attachment

Question 30

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity (how someone behaves ex: a person who throws things and hits others as a child may grow up to be angry

Answer 30

temperament

Question 31

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 ex: Derek's parents are sensitive, loving caregivers which causes him to form a lifelong attitude of trust rather than fear

Answer 31

basic trust

Question 32

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question, "Who am I?" ex: aware of self, comparing ourselves to others

Answer 32

self-concept

Question 33

in psychology, the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male and female

Answer 33

sex

Question 34

in psychology, the socially influenced characteristics by which people define boy, girl, man, and woman

Answer 34

gender

Question 35

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally ex: insults, slapping

Answer 35

aggression

Question 36

an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person's relationship or social standing ex: gossiping or excluding

Answer 36

relational aggression

Question 37

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave ex: wives are expected to devote themselves to husbands and potential children even if it means putting their own needs to the side

Answer 37

role

Question 38

a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females ex: men are expected to be unemotional and insensitive while women are considered too sensitive and not tough

Answer 38

gender role

Question 39

our sense of being male, female, or some combination of the two

Answer 39

gender identity

Question 40

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished ex: Sherri tells her son "big boys don't cry", therefore he bottles his emotions throughout life

Answer 40

social learning theory

Question 41

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics

Answer 41

androgyny

Question 42

an umbrella term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth-designated sex ex: Dylan Mulvaney

Answer 42

transgender

Question 43

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

Answer 43

adolescence

Question 44

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

Answer 44

puberty

Question 45

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

Answer 45

identity

Question 46

the "we" aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships ex: jocks, cheerleaders, band kids, theatre kids, etc

Answer 46

social identity

Question 47

in Erikson's theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in young adulthood

Answer 47

intimacy

Question 48

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 ex: Anna just started college but has yet to get a job or move out of her parents' house. She is technically an adult, but does not have full adult responsibilities.

Answer 48

emerging adulthood

Question 49

the sex chromosomes found in both males and females; females typically have two of these while males typically have one; this from each parent produces a female child

Answer 49

X chromosome

Question 50

the sex chromosome typically found only in males; when paired with the other from the mother, it produces a male child

Answer 50

Y chromosome

Question 51

the most important male sex hormone; both males and females have it, but the additional in males stimulates the growth of the male sex organs during the fetal period and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty

Answer 51

testosterone

Question 52

the body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

Answer 52

primary sex characteristics

Question 53

non reproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair

Answer 53

secondary sex characteristics

Question 54

the first ejaculation in a boy's life, usually around age 14

Answer 54

spermarche

Question 55

the first menstrual period in a girl's life, usually around age 12 1/2++

Answer 55

menarche

Question 56

a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes ex: Bob was born as a genetic male with male hormones and testes but no penis; he was raised as a girl because his parents were unaware of anything different

Answer 56

intersex

Question 57

a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); it depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections

Answer 57

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

Question 58

our enduring sexual attraction, usually toward members of our own sex (homosexual) or the other sex (heterosexual); variations include attraction toward both sexes (bisexual)

Answer 58

sexual orientation

Question 59

the time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

Answer 59

menopause

Question 60

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time ex: a study contains a group of kindergartners, middle aged people, and 70+

Answer 60

cross-sectional study

Question 61

research that follows and retests the same people over time ex: seeing how well kindergartners can take a test then retesting them two years later

Answer 61

longitudinal study

Question 62

acquired (not lifelong) disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer's disease, brain injury or disease, or substance abuse' in older adults, neurocognitive disorders were formally called dementia

Answer 62

neurocognitive disorders (NCDS)

Question 63

a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques often onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities

Answer 63

Alzheimer's disease

Question 64

the culturally preferred timing of social events such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement ex: leaving home at 18, getting married around 25 or younger, having children in late 20s or early 30s are all expectations that differ in each culture

Answer 64

social clock