Unit 6 Vocab

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 Symptom

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.

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.

Answer 10

schema

Question 11

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas.

Answer 11

assimilation

Question 12

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

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.

Answer 13

sensorimotor stage

Question 14

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

Answer 14

object permanence

Question 15

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.

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.

Answer 16

conservation

Question 17

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

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.

Answer 18

theory of mind

Question 19

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.

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.

Answer 20

formal operational stage

Question 21

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

Answer 21

scaffold

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.

Answer 22

autism spectrum disorder

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 of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development.

Answer 25

critical period

Question 26

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

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

Answer 29

insecure attachment

Question 30

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

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

Answer 31

basic trust

Question 32

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

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.

Answer 35

aggression

Question 36

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

Answer 36

relational aggression

Question 37

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

Answer 37

role

Question 38

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

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.

Answer 40

social learning theory

Question 41

the acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.

Answer 41

gender typing

Question 42

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics.

Answer 42

androgyny

Question 43

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

Answer 43

transgender

Question 44

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

Answer 44

adolescence

Question 45

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

Answer 45

puberty

Question 46

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 46

identity

Question 47

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

Answer 47

social identity

Question 48

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

Answer 48

intimacy

Question 49

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 49

emerging adulthood

Question 50

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.

Answer 50

X chromosome

Question 51

the sex chromosome typically found only in males. When paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child.

Answer 51

Y chromosome

Question 52

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.

Answer 52

testosterone

Question 53

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

Answer 53

primary sex characteristics

Question 54

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

Answer 54

secondary sex characteristics

Question 55

the first ejaculation

Answer 55

spermarche

Question 56

the first menstrual period.

Answer 56

menarche

Question 57

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

Answer 57

intersex

Question 58

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).

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.

Answer 60

cross-sectional study

Question 61

research that follows and retests the same people over time.

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 formerly called dementia.

Answer 62

neurocognitive disorders (NCDs)

Question 63

a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques, often with 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.

Answer 64

social clock