myers ap psychology unit 9 vocab

developmental psychology

a branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the lifespan

zygote

the fertilized egg, it enters a 2 week period of rapid growth and develops into an embryo

embryo

the developing human from 2 weeks through the second month

fetus

the developing human from the second month of pregnancy until birth

teratogens

agents that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman's heavy drinking. can cause head deformation

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

maturation

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

cognition

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

schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

accommodation

adapting our schemas to incorporate new information

sensorimotor stage

0-2 years, during which infants know the world mostly in terms of sensory impressions and motor activities

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when we do not perceive them

preoperational stage

2-6 years, a child learns to use language but does not yet understand the mental operations of concrete logic

conservation

the principle that properties such as mass, volume, and number remain the same despite changes in the form of objects

egocentrism

the preoperational child's difficulty taking another persons point of view

theory of mind

peoples ideas about their own and others mental states, and about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

autism spectrum disorder

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

concrete operational stage

7-11 years, children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operational stage

12-adulthood, people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, starts at 8 months of age

attachment

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

critical period

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

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period

temperament

a person's characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

basic trust

a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy. formed during infancy by good experiences with good caregivers

self-concept

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

gender

the socially constructed roles and characteristics cy which a culture defines male and female

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior that intended to hurt or destroy

gender role

a set of expected behaviors for males or females

role

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

gender identity

our sense of being male and female

social learning theory

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

gender typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculine of feminine role

transgender

a term describing people whose gender identity or expression differs from that associated with their birth sex

adolescence

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

identity

our sense of self. an adolescent's task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles

social identity

the "we" aspect of our self-concept, the part of our answer to who we are that comes from group memberships

intimacy

the ability to form close, loving relationships, a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

emerging adulthood

a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence and responsible adulthood

x chromosome

the sex chromosome found in both men and women

y chromosome

the sex chromosome found in only men, when paired with an x chromosome, it produces a male child

testosterone

the most important of male sex chromosomes. stimulates growth of sex organs n the fetus and male sex characteristics through puberty

puberty

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

[primary sex characteristics

the body structures that make reproduction possible

secondary sex characteristics

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

menarche

the first menstrual period

AIDS

a life threatening STD caused by HIV that depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infection

sexual orientation

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either ones own sex, the other sex, or both sexes

menopause

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

cross-sectional study

a study in which people of different ages are compared to one another

longitudinal study

research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period

social clock

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