Untitled Flashcards Set

Developmental Psychology

The study of physical, cognitive, and social changes throughout the lifespan.

Zygote

A fertilized egg that undergoes rapid cell division for about two weeks.

Embryo

The developing human organism from about 2 weeks to 9 weeks after fertilization.

Fetus

The developing human from 9 weeks after conception to birth.

Teratogens

Harmful substances that can cause birth defects or developmental issues.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS)

A condition caused by heavy alcohol use during pregnancy.

Habituation

Decreased responsiveness to repeated stimuli.

Maturation

Biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior.

Cognition

All mental activities related to thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating.

Schema

A mental framework that organizes and interprets information.

Assimilation

Interpreting new experiences using existing schemas.

Accommodation

Adjusting or creating new schemas to incorporate new information.

Sensorimotor Stage

Piaget's first stage (birth to 2 years) where infants learn through senses and actions.

Object Permanence

The awareness that objects continue to exist even when out of sight.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage (ages 2-7) marked by the use of words and images but lacking logical reasoning.

Conservation

The principle that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape.

Egocentrism

A child's difficulty in taking another's perspective.

Theory of Mind

The ability to infer others’ mental states.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A developmental disorder marked by challenges in social interaction and communication.

Concrete Operational Stage

Piaget’s third stage (ages 7-11), when logical thinking develops.

Formal Operational Stage

Piaget’s fourth stage (ages 12 and up), involving abstract reasoning.

Stranger Anxiety

The fear of unfamiliar people, emerging around 8 months.

Attachment

A strong emotional bond between a child and caregiver.

Critical Period

A specific timeframe early in life crucial for normal development.

Imprinting

The process by which some animals form strong attachments early in life.

Temperament

A person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.

Basic Trust

A sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy, developed through secure attachment.

Self-Concept

A person's understanding and evaluation of themselves.

Gender

The social and cultural traits typically associated with being male or female.

Aggression

Behavior intended to harm someone.

Gender Role

Cultural expectations about how men and women should behave.

Role

Expectations about social behavior in different contexts.

Gender Identity

A person’s sense of being male or female.

Social Learning Theory

The theory that we learn gender roles by observing others.

Gender Typing

The process by which a child adopts traditional male or female roles.

Transgender

Term for individuals whose gender identity differs from their birth-assigned sex.

Adolescence

The transitional stage from childhood to adulthood.

Identity

A person’s sense of self, formed by integrating various roles and experiences.

Social Identity

The aspect of self-concept that comes from group memberships.

Intimacy

The ability to form close, loving relationships.

Emerging Adulthood

A phase in Western cultures marked by gradual independence.

X Chromosome

The sex chromosome found in both men and women.

Y Chromosome

The sex chromosome found only in males.

Testosterone

The primary male sex hormone.

Puberty

The period of sexual maturation when capable of reproduction.

Primary Sex Characteristics

Body structures directly involved in reproduction.

Secondary Sex Characteristics

Non-reproductive traits like breast development and voice deepening.

Menarche

A girl’s first menstrual period.

AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

A disease caused by HIV that weakens the immune system.

Sexual Orientation

An enduring pattern of sexual attraction to males, females, or both.

Menopause

The biological transition in women when menstrual cycles end.

Cross-Sectional Study

A research method that compares different ages at one time.

Longitudinal Study

A research method that follows the same people over time.

Social Clock

The culturally preferred timing for major life events.

Jean Piaget

Swiss psychologist known for his theory of cognitive development.

Lev Vygotsky

Russian psychologist emphasizing social interaction in cognitive development.

Konrad Lorenz

Studied imprinting in animals.

Harry Harlow

Conducted experiments on attachment in monkeys.

Margaret Harlow

Assisted in attachment research with Harry Harlow.

Mary Ainsworth

Developed the 'Strange Situation' experiment for attachment styles.

Diana Baumrind

Identified three parenting styles: authoritarian, permissive, authoritative.

Carol Gilligan

Criticized Kohlberg’s moral development theory for overlooking female reasoning.

Albert Bandura

Proposed social learning theory and reciprocal determinism.

Lawrence Kohlberg

Created a three-stage theory of moral development.

Erik Erikson

Developed psychosocial stages of development.

Sigmund Freud

Founder of psychoanalysis, developed theories on the unconscious.

Personality

An individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting.

Free Association

A technique in which a patient says whatever comes to mind.

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory attributing thoughts and actions to unconscious motives.

Unconscious

Reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, and memories.

Id

The primitive part of personality operating on the pleasure principle.

Ego

The rational part of personality that mediates between the id and reality.

Superego

The part of personality that represents internalized ideals.

Psychosexual Stages

Freud's theory of childhood development with specific conflicts.

Oedipus Complex

Theory that boys develop sexual desires for their mother.

Identification

Incorporating same-sex parent's values into one's superego.

Fixation

A lingering focus on a psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflicts.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious tactics used to reduce anxiety by distorting reality.

Repression

A defense mechanism that banishes anxiety-inducing thoughts.

Psychodynamic Theories

Modern theories emphasizing unconscious motives and childhood experiences.

Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung’s theory of shared inherited memories.

Projective Test

A test revealing the unconscious by analyzing ambiguous stimuli.

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective test where people create stories about pictures.

Rorschach Inkblot Test

A test where responses to inkblots are analyzed.

False Consensus Effect

The tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs.

Terror-Management Theory

Theory suggesting that thoughts of death trigger anxiety.

Humanistic Theories

Personality theories emphasizing personal growth and free will.

Self-Actualization

Maslow’s motivation to fulfill one’s potential.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Total acceptance that fosters a positive self-concept.

Self-Concept

A person's understanding of who they are.

Trait

A characteristic pattern of behavior.

Personality Inventory

A questionnaire designed to assess personality traits.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

The most widely used personality test.

Empirically Derived Test

A test created by selecting questions that discriminate between groups.

Social-Cognitive Perspective

The view that personality is influenced by interactions with the environment.

Behavioral Approach

A perspective focusing on how behavior is shaped by learning and environment.

Reciprocal Determinism

Bandura’s concept that behavior, cognition, and environment interact.

Positive Psychology

Study of human strengths and thriving.

Self

The center of personality that organizes thoughts and actions.

Spotlight Effect

The tendency to overestimate how much others notice us.