AP PSYCH - UNIT 6 TERMS

zygote

the fertilized egg; it enters a 2-week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

embryo

the developing human organism from about 2 week after fertilization through the second month

fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

monster maker; 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 abnormalities in children caused by pregnant woman’s heavy drinking

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation

maturation

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

schema

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

accommodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

sensorimotor stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from birth to about 2 years of age) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

preoperational stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage (from about 2 to about 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

conservation

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

egocentrism

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

theory of mind

people’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states -- about their feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

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

concrete operational stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (from about 6 or 7 to 11 years of age) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operational stage

in Piaget’s theory, the stage of cognitive development (normally beginning about age 12) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants commonly display, beginning by about 8 months of age

attachment

an emotional tie with another person

critical period

an optimal period early in the life of an organism 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

according to Erik Erikson, a sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy

self-concept

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

gender

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

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

gender role

a set of expected behaviors for males and for females

role

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

gender identity

our sense of being male or 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 or feminine role

transgender

an umbrella 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

social identity

the “we” aspect of our self-concept

intimacy

in Eriksons’s theory, the ability to form close, loving relationships; a primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

emerging adulthood

for some people in modern cultures, 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 (females have two, males have one; an X chromosome from each parent produces a female child)

Y chromosome

the sex chromosome found only in males (when paired with an X chromosome from the mother, it produces a male child)

testosterone

the most important of the male sex hormones

puberty

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

primary sex characteristics

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

secondary sex characteristics

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

menarche

the first menstrual period

AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome)

a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by the human immunodeficiency virus; depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infection

sexual orientation

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s 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 reproduces declines

cross-sectional study

a study in which people of different ages are compared with 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