Unit 5: Part 2 + Unit 6: Developmental Psychology Flashcards Preview

AP Psychology > Unit 5: Part 2 + Unit 6: Developmental Psychology > Flashcards

Flashcards in Unit 5: Part 2 + Unit 6: Developmental Psychology Deck (87)
Loading flashcards...
1
Q

intelligence

A

the ability to learn from experience, solve problems, and use knowledge to adapt to new situations.

2
Q

general intelligence

A

according to Spearman and others, underlies all mental abilities and is therefore measured by every task on an intelligence test.

3
Q

factor analysis

A

a statistical procedure that identifies clusters of related items (called factors) on a test; used to identify different dimensions of performance that underlie a person’s total score.

4
Q

savart syndrome

A

a condition in which a person otherwise limited in mental ability has an exceptional specific skill, such as in computation or drawing.

5
Q

grit

A

in psychology, grit is passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals.

6
Q

emotional intelligence

A

the ability to perceive, understand, manage, and use emotions.

7
Q

intelligence test

A

a method for assessing an individual’s mental aptitudes and comparing them with those of others, using numerical scores.

8
Q

achievement test

A

a test designed to assess what a person has learned.

9
Q

aptitude test

A

a test designed to predict a person’s future performance; aptitude is the capacity to learn.

10
Q

mental age

A

a measure of intelligence test performance devised by Binet; the level of performance typically associated with children of a certain chronological age. Thus, a child who does as well as an average 8-year-old is said to have a mental age of 8.

11
Q

Stanford-Binet

A

the widely used American revision (by Terman at Stanford University) of Binet’s original intelligence test.

12
Q

intelligence quotient (IQ)

A

defined originally as the ratio of mental age (ma) to chronological age (ca) multiplied by 100 (thus, IQ = ma/ ca × 100). On contemporary intelligence tests, the average performance for a given age is assigned a score of 100.

13
Q

Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale

A

the WAIS and its companion versions for children are the most widely used intelligence tests; they contain verbal and performance (nonverbal) subtests.

14
Q

standardization

A

defining uniform testing procedures and meaningful scores by comparison with the performance of a pretested group.

15
Q

normal curve

A

the bell-shaped curve that describes the distribution of many physical and psychological attributes. Most scores fall near the average, and fewer and fewer scores lie near the extremes.

16
Q

reliability

A

the extent to which a test yields consistent results, as assessed by the consistency of scores on two halves of the test, on alternative forms of the test, or on retesting.

17
Q

validity

A

the extent to which a test measures or predicts what it is supposed to. (See also content validity and predictive validity.)

18
Q

content validity

A

the extent to which a test samples the behavior that is of interest.

19
Q

predictive validity

A

the success with which a test predicts the behavior it is designed to predict; it is assessed by computing the correlation between test scores and the criterion behavior. (Also called criterion-related validity.)

20
Q

cohort

A

a group of people sharing a common characteristic, such as from a given time period.

21
Q

crystallized intelligence

A

our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; tends to increase with age.

22
Q

fluid intelligence

A

our ability to reason speedily and abstractly; tends to decrease with age, especially during late adulthood.

23
Q

cross-sectional study

A

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time.

24
Q

longitudinal study

A

research that follows and retests the same people over time.

25
Q

intellectual disability

A

a condition of limited mental ability, indicated by an intelligence test score of 70 or below and difficulty adapting to the demands of life. (Formerly referred to as mental retardation.)

26
Q

down syndrome

A

a condition of mild to severe intellectual disability and associated physical disorders caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21.

27
Q

heritability

A

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes. The heritability of a trait may vary, depending on the range of populations and environments studied.

28
Q

developmental psychology

A

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

29
Q

zygote

A

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

30
Q

embryo

A

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

31
Q

fetus

A

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth.

32
Q

teratogens

A

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

33
Q

fetal alcohol syndrome

A

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.

34
Q

maturation

A

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

35
Q

cognition

A

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

36
Q

schema

A

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information.

37
Q

assimilation

A

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.

38
Q

accommodation

A

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information.

39
Q

sensorimotor stage

A

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.

40
Q

object permanence

A

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived.

41
Q

preoperational stage

A

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 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.

42
Q

conservation

A

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.

43
Q

egocentrism

A

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

44
Q

theory of mind

A

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

45
Q

concrete operational stage

A

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

46
Q

formal operational stage

A

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

47
Q

scaffold

A

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

48
Q

autism spectrum disorder

A

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.

49
Q

stranger anxiety

A

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

50
Q

attachment

A

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

51
Q

critical period

A

an optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development.

52
Q

imprinting

A

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during early life.

53
Q

strange situation

A

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.

54
Q

secure attachment

A

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.

55
Q

insecure attachment

A

demonstrated by infants who display either a clinging, anxious attachment or an avoidant attachment that resists closeness.

56
Q

temperament

A

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

57
Q

basic trust

A

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.

58
Q

self-concept

A

all our thoughts and feelings about ourselves in answer to the question, “Who am I?”

59
Q

sex

A

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

60
Q

gender

A

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

61
Q

agression

A

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.

62
Q

relational aggression

A

an act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing.

63
Q

role

A

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

64
Q

gender role

A

a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females.

65
Q

gender identity

A

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

66
Q

social learning theory

A

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished.

67
Q

gender typing

A

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.

68
Q

androgyny

A

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics.

69
Q

transgender

A

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

70
Q

adolescence

A

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

71
Q

puberty

A

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

72
Q

identity

A

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

73
Q

social identity

A

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

74
Q

intimacy

A

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

75
Q

emerging adulthood

A

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.

76
Q

X chromosome

A

the sex chromosome found in both males and females. Females typically have two X chromosomes; males typically have one. An X chromosome from each parent produces a female child.

77
Q

`testosterone

A

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

78
Q

primary sex characteristics

A

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

79
Q

secondary sex characteristics

A

nonreproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair.

80
Q

spermarche

A

the first ejaculation.

81
Q

menarche

A

the first menstrual period.

82
Q

intersex

A

a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes.

83
Q

sexual orientation

A

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

84
Q

menopause

A

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

85
Q

neurocognitive disorders

A

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 formerly called dementia.

86
Q

Alzheimer’s disease

A

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

87
Q

social clock

A

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