Psychological Terms and Concepts

A set of flashcards that covers key vocabulary terms and concepts related to psychology, development, and human behavior.

A-not-B error

Tendency of 8- to 12-month-old infants to search for a hidden object in the place they last found it (A) rather than in its new hiding place (B).

Acceptance–responsiveness

A dimension of parenting capturing the extent to which parents are supportive, sensitive to their children’s needs, and willing to provide affection and praise when their children meet their expectations.

Accommodation

In Piaget’s cognitive-developmental theory, the process of modifying existing schemes to incorporate or adapt to new experiences. Contrast with assimilation. In vision, a change in the shape of the eye’s lens to bring objects at differing distances into focus

Active gene–environment correlation

Phenomenon where children’s genotypes influence the kinds of environments they seek out and experience.

Action

Motor activity prompted by sensory and/or perceptual information

Adolescence

Transitional period between childhood and adulthood that begins with puberty and ends when the individual has acquired adult competencies and responsibilities; roughly ages 10 to 18 or later.

Adolescent egocentrism

Characteristic of adolescent thought that involves difficulty differentiating between one's own thoughts and feelings and those of others.

Adaption

In Piaget's theory, the inborn tendency to adjust to the demands of the environment consisting of assimilation and accommodation.

Affordances

In Gibson’s ecological theory of perception, characteristics of an object that reveal what it has to offer humans.

Age effects

Effects of getting older or of developing, contrasting with cohort effects.

Aging

Positive, negative, and neutral changes in the mature organism as defined by developmentalists.

Androgyny

A gender–role orientation blending both positive masculine-stereotyped and positive feminine-stereotyped traits.

Anorexia nervosa

A life-threatening eating disorder characterized by failure to maintain a normal weight, fear of weight gain, and distorted body image.

Antisocial behavior

Behavior that violates social norms and laws, harming others or society.

Authoritarian parenting

A restrictive style combining high demandingness-control and low acceptance-responsiveness.

Autonomy versus shame and doubt

Psychosocial conflict in which toddlers attempt to demonstrate independence during Erikson's second stage.

Behaviorism

Psychological perspective that emphasizes controlled observations of behavior rather than on speculations about unconscious motives.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Psychotherapy that identifies and changes distorted thinking and maladaptive emotions and behavior.

Concrete operations stage

Piaget's third stage of cognitive development, lasting from about age 7 to 11, when logical operations and reasoning about real objects occur.

Crisis intervention

Immediate and short-term psychological care aimed at helping individuals to cope with traumatic events.

Dementia

Progressive loss of cognitive capacities, affecting memory and judgment, often associated with aging.

Developmental norm

The age at which half of a large group of infants or children master a skill.

Epigenetic effects

Ways environmental influences can alter gene expression, affecting personality and behavior.

Executive functions

Higher-level cognitive processes carried out in the prefrontal cortex, including planning and goal-setting.

Family stress model

Model addressing how economic hardship negatively impacts mental health, parenting styles, and child development.

Fluid intelligence

Aspect of intelligence involving reasoning and problem-solving in novel situations.

Generational squeeze

Middle-aged adults balancing responsibilities for both younger and older generations in the family.

Intimacy versus isolation

Psychosocial conflict during young adulthood where individuals seek meaningful relationships or remain unconnected.

Self-esteem

Overall evaluation of one’s worth based on self-concept assessment.

Zone of proximal development

Vygotsky’s term for the difference between what a learner can accomplish independently and with guidance.