AP Psych 3.1-3.6 Early Development Quiz Terms

Teratogens

Agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS):

Physical and cognitive function deficits in children caused by their birth mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy. Symptoms include a small, out of proportion head and distinct facial features. Alcohol has an epigenetic effect, meaning it leaves chemical marks on DNA that switches genes abnormally.

Habituation:

Decreasing responsiveness with repetition. As infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a stimulus, their interest decreases and they look away sooner.

Examples: Wearing a perfume everyday for several weeks that you no longer notice the smell.

Maturation:

Biological growth (nature) processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by experience. Genes and scenes interact.

Adolescence:

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

Puberty:

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

Menopause

The time of natural cessation of menstruation. This is when a woman’s ability to reproduce declines.

Intersex:

Processing male and female biological sexual characteristics at birth.

23 chromosomes from mom and 23 from dad= 46 Total

Relational Aggression:

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

Women are more likely to do this (Girl bullying).

Spermarche

First ejaculation… at age 14…

Menarche:

The first menstrual period.

Gender Roles:

A set of expected behaviors and traits for men and women.

Gender Identity:

One’s sense of gender: being male, female, or neither regardless of whether this identity matches our sex assigned at birth.

Gender Typing:

The acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role. Culture’s also differ in their conceptualizations of gender.

Examples: When a girl wears pink because she’s a girl or when a boy attributes himself to the male identity by playing with trucks and avoids girly dolls.

Androgyny:

Blending traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine physiological traits. These people are more flexible with their actions and career choice, resillient, accepting, and adaptable.

Asexual:

Having no sexual attraction to others (Only 1% are this).

Sexual Orientation:

Sexual attraction to another person

Straight/ Heterosexual

Pan

Jimbo

Alexa

Schema:

A concept or mental mold that organizes information and experiences.

Ex: We have schemas for everything from simple objects: desk and cat, to complex concepts like love and friendship.

Assimilation:

Incorporating our new experiences into our existing schemas. Making things the same.

Ex: A child with a dog at home referring to a horse as a “dog.”

Accommodation:

Correcting our current schemas/ understandings to make room for new information.

Ex: A child learning that a horse is different than a dog.

Theory of Mind:

People’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states— about their feelings, perceptions, and behaviors these might predict.

Example: A preschooler understand what made a playmate angry, what might make their parents buy a toy, and how they make others feel.

Linguistic Determinism (Whorf):

Whorf’s extreme hypothesis that language governs the way a person’s cognitive processes and thinking.

Ex: People who use languages with no past tense cannot readily think about the past. Thinking about a shade of blue that someone cannot name.

Linguistic Relativism:

The idea that language influences the way a person sees the world.

Examples: Your mom speaks Japanese when she’s angry, and Cantonese when she’s even more angry.

Attachment:

An emotional tie with other people which is shown in young children seeking closeness with their caregivers.

Imprinting:

The process by which certain animals or infants form strong attachments during early life.

EX: A duckling saw their mom as the first moving object and therefore followed her everywhere.

Basic Trust:

A sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; It is said to be formed during infancy with responsive caregivers.

Self-Concept:

All our thoughts and feelings about ourselves.

Question: “Who am I?”

Temperament:

A person’s emotional reactivity and intensity.

Ex: A baby who is difficult, cries, and is intense compared to a calm cheerful one.

Social Identity:

The “we” aspect of our self concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I"? that comes from our group memberships.
Example: I am a jock. I am FGLI.