AP Psych Unit 3 (3.1-3.6)

Developmental Psychology

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

What are the two studies that developmental psychologists use?

cross-sectional and longitudinal studies

What are the three major issues within developmental psychology?

nature/nurture influence on development, continuity vs. stages, and stability vs. change

Jean Piaget

created the stages of cognitive development

Lawrence Kohlberg

created stages of moral development

Erik Erikson

created stages of psychosocial development

Temperament

emotional reactivity and intensity

Zygote

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

Embryo

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

Fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Teratogens

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 a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking; in severe cases, signs include a small, out-of-proportion head and abnormal facial features

Habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; as infants gain familiarity with repeated exposure to a visual stimulus, their interest wanes and they look away sooner

Maturation

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

Adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence; mature sexually

What does adolescence begin with?

puberty-a surge of hormones which triggers a series of bodily changes

What does early maturation look like for boys?

stronger/more athletic as a teen; tend to be more popular, self-assured, and independent but also more at risk for alcohol use, delinquency, and premature sexual activity

What does early maturation look like for girls?

if her body and hormones feel off from emotions and her friends, she might associate with older girls or get teased/sexually harassed

What ages are classified as early adulthood?

20s and 30s

What is classified as middle adulthood?

40s to age 65

What is classified as late adulthood?

after 65

Menopause

when women stop their period and can no longer reproduce (age 50)

Death-deferral phenomenon

people are more likely to die right after Christmas or a milestone

Gender

the socially influenced characteristics by which people define girl/woman and boy/man

Aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

How does biology influence our sex differences?

genetically (by our differing sex chromosomes) and physiologically (our differing concentrations of sex hormones

What is sex determined by?

sperm (from dad)

Intersex

a condition present at birth due to unusual combinations of male and female chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy; possessing biological sexual characteristics of both sexes

Gender roles

a set of expected behaviors for males and females

Gender identity

our sense of being of male or female or some combination of the two

Social learning theory

the theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished (boys don’t cry, good mommy to dolls)

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

Sexual orientation

an enduring sexual attraction toward members of either one’s sex (homosexual), the other sex (heterosexual), or both sexes (bisexual)

AIDS

acquired immune deficiency syndrome; a life-threatening, sexually transmitted infection caused by HIV; AIDS depletes the immune system, leaving the person vulnerable to infections

What are things that affect teenage sexual activity/ having unprotected sex?

lack of communication about birth control, impulsivity, alcohol, and media making teens think everyone is having sex

What are things that predict sexual restraint?

high intelligence, religious engagement, father presence, and participation in service learning programs

Schemas

a concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

Assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms of our existing schemas

Accomodate

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

Theory of mind

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

Autism Spectrum Disorder

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

What does Jonathan Haidt believe?

morality is rooted in moral intuitions (we feel disgusted when people do degrading or subhuman things; we feel happy and warm when people do things like be generous, courageous, and sompassionate)

Neurocognitive disorders

acquired (not lifelong) disorders marked by cognitive deficits; often related to Alzheimer’s disease, brain injury or disease, or substance abuse (dementia)

Alzheimer’s diesase

a neurocognitive disorder marked by neural plaques, often with onset after age 80, and entailing a progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities

Language

our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

What is the structure of language?

phonemes (smallest distinctive sound unit), morphemes (smallest unit that carries meaning), and grammar

Grammar

a system of rules that enables us to communicate with and understand others (includes semantics and syntax)

Aphasia

impairment of language

Broca’s area

controls language expression-usually left frontal lobe, directs muscle movement involved in speech

Wernicke’s area

language reception-usually left temporal lobe, involved in language comprehension and expression

Linguistic determination

Whorf’s hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Bilingual advantage

better executive control over language (inhibit one while using the other) and can ignore irrelevant information better

Attachment

an emotional tie with another person; shown in younger children by seeking closeness to the caregiver and distress on separation

Harlows’ monkey experiment

the baby monkeys became attached to the blanket instead of the food source

Imprinting

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

What does secure attachment look like?

playing comfortably and happily with their mother in the room, becoming distressed when she leaves, and upon her return, wanting contact with her

What does insecure attachment look like?

anxiety or avoidance of trusting relationships, being less likely to explore the room and may cling to mother, crying loudly, being very upset, or seeming indifferent to their mother’s departure and return

Temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

What does insecure attachment lead to?

anxious attachment or avoidant attachment

Authoritarian parenting style

imposes rules and expect obedience

Permissive parenting style

submit to children’s desires, making few demands and use little punishment

Negligent parenting style

uninvolved, not demanding or responsive, inattentive

Authoritative parenting style

both demanding and responsive, exert control and enforce rules but explain them, encourage open discussion about rules and allow exceptions

What did William Damon believe?

the key task of adolescence is to achieve a purpose (something personally meaningful beyond oneself)

What is intimacy according to Erikson?

loving relationships

Emerging adulthood

a period from about age 18 to the mid-twenties, when many in Western cultures are no longer adolescents but have not yet achieved full independence as adults

Social clock

the culturally preferred timing of social events