Psychology Exam 2

Parts of chapter 4, chapter 5, and parts of chapter 6

behavior genetics

study of relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

“nurture works best on what nature endows”

chromosomes

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

46 total, 26 pairs

XX- female XY-male

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up chromosomes

genes

biochemical units of heredity that make up chromosomes

synthesize protein

genes

threadlike coils of DNA

identical twins

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two

monozygote

fraternal twins

develop from two separate fertilized eggs

dizygote

identical twins

don’t always have the same number of copies of genes

identical twins

show greater similarity with extraversion and neuroticism (personality)

fraternal twins

do not exhibit similarities when separated comparable to separated identical twins

adoptive children

more similar to their genetic relatives than their environmental or nurture relatives

adoptive parents

least likely to influence the personality traits of their adopted kids

temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reaction and intensity

apparent from first weeks of life and persist into adulthood

developmental psychology

the study of changes (physical, cognitive, social) that occur as an individual matures

zygote

conception to 2 weeks

fertilized egg

embryo

2 weeks to 9 weeks

heart beat!

fetus

9 weeks to birth (about 40 weeks)

developing baby

teratogens

agent, such as chemical or virus, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome—FAS

physical and cognitive abnormalities to baby because the mother drinks alcohol during pregnancy

baby’s brain

brain development in mother’s womb grew nerve cells at a rate of ¼ million per minute

infant brain

size increases rapidly in the early days after birth

baby’s brain

nature and nurture together sculpt synapses as babies grow

3-6 years

rapid frontal lobe growth

early childhood

critical period for language

infancy

average baby weighs 7.3 lbs

babies prefer to look at faces

back to sleep position

associated with later crawling but not walking

reduces SIDS

grasping reflex

clinging response

rooting reflex

touch cheek/mouth and they will turn to food

maturation

biological growth processes that enables orderly changes

not effected by experience very much

cognition

mental activities associated with thinking, knowing

Jean Piaget

claims intellectual progression reflects an unceasing struggle to make sense of our experience

Jean Piaget

studied child cognition

cognition develops in 4 stages

schema

mindset/framework built through assimilation and accommodation

assimilation

melt in/integrate

connect to something pre-existing

ex: toddler calling all 4 legged animals dogs

accommodation

make room for, adjust, refine understanding

assimilation and accommodation

produce intellectual growth

scaffolding/builds schema

Piaget’s 4 stages of cognitive development

1- sensorimotor

2- preoperational

3- concrete operations

4- formal operations

Piaget’s 4 stages of cognitive development

children’s maturing brains build schemas which are used and adjusted through assimilation and accommodation

children are active thinkers

sensorimotor stage

birth to 2 years old

develop fear and object permanence at 8 months old

object permanence

the awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

preoperational stage

2 to 7 years old

children learn to use language but cannot yet perform the mental operations on concrete logic

start asking why?

egocentrism

focused on self

pretend play is a sign of the immergence out of

concrete operations stage

7 to 11 years old

children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

math, classification/sequencing

conservation

conservation

understanding properties stay the same despite changes in the form/look of object

formal operations stage

11 years and onwards

children are no longer limited to the concrete reasoning based on actual experience, they can think abstractly

Lev Vygotsky

claimed that by age 7 children are able to think and solve problems with words

Lev Vygotsky

claimed the language of a child’s culture is internalized (inner speech) which is used to help control behaviors and emotions

Autism Spectrum Disorder—ASD

disorder that appears in childhood that is marked by deficiencies in communication, social interaction, or repetitive behaviors/rigid interests

spectrum disorder

attachment

emotional tie with another person

stranger anxiety

displayed around 8 months of age

Harlow’s monkeys

results show:

-we need loving and nurturing

-attachment is based more on comfort than nutrition

imprinting

process by which certain animals form strong attachments in early life

critical period

specific time in development when certain skills/abilities are most easily learned

Mary Ainsworth

“The Strange Situation”

secure attachment- 60% of infants

insecure attachment- 40% of infants, marked anxiety

securely attached

children who approach life with a sense of basic trust according to Erikson

basic trust

belief that you are being taken care of (based on parenting)

trust gives you strength to grow

child abuse

includes the physical and mental injury, sexual abuse, negligent treatment, or mistreatment of children under 18

abuse

the greater the ____ greater the odds of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse disorder

30% of abused become abusive

abuse

contributing factors:

-parents have unrealistic expectations

-overburdened and stressed parents

-more likely if child is handicapped

parenting styles

-authoritative (democratic)

-permissive

-negligent

-authoritarian

authoritative

-parents are realistic, demanding, responsive

-parents hold authority but are loving and kind

-there are rules but there can be discussion

-kids grow up with the healthiest self esteem

permissive

-unrestrained, few demands or punishments

-kids are in charge

-kids lack responsibility, boundaries, maturity

negligent

-absent, unresponsive, uninvolved, inattentive

-parents don’t seek a relationship with kid

-child has lower self esteem and struggles with trust

authoritarian

-drill sergeants

-micro manage

-kids struggle with authority figures

adolescence

transition period from puberty to social independence— “season of storm and stress”

Kohlberg’s stages of moral development

preconventional, conventional, and postconventional

preconventional

before age 8

about self

fear based

conventional

early adolescence

social order

postconventional

adolescence and beyond

behavior reflects personal ethics

Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development

crisis at each stage

identity

sense of self

intimacy

the ability to form close loving relationships built on trust

Franz Anton Mesmer

1733-1815

German

believed the body was filled with magnetic fluids and that we got sick when these fluids were misaligned

mesmerism

the process of putting patients in a bath filled with water and iron and using a magnet to realign the body’s magnetic fluids

hypnosis

state of consciousness resulting from a narrowed focus on attention

hypnosis

characterized by a heightened suggestibility with a sublime form of cooperation

uses of hypnosis

quitting smoking, weight loss, stress management, phobias, pain management, memory, IBS, asthma, entertainment

dissociation

a split in consciousness which allows some thoughts and behaviors to occur simultaneously (day dreaming, deep meditation)

posthypnotic suggestion

suggestion made during hypnosis

meditation

the focusing of attention to clear the mind, relaxation

extrasensory perception

perceive things a part from natural senses

ESPs

telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis

telepathy

mind-to-mind connection

clairvoyance

perceiving remote things

precognition

perceiving future events

psychokinesis

moving objects with your mind (aka telekinesis)

parapsychology

study of paranormal psychology

lack of reproduceable ESP phenomenas, not research supported

subliminal message

messages presented below absolute threshold of awareness

used in marketing

18-30

age of physical peak

early adulthood

age 20s-30s

middle adulthood

age mid 30s/early 40s to 65ish (retirement)

late adulthood

age after 65

theories for aging

-cell breakdown

-predetermined biological clock

-combination of two

life expectancy

-70 years (world wide)

-women on average live 4 ½ years longer than men (5:1 by age 100)

keys to long life

exercise, good eating habits, good sleeping habits, low stress, healthy relationships, faith practice

positive feelings

these feelings increase after mid adulthood

ageism

prejudice or discrimination or bias because of age

assumed cognitive decline and treating them as such

health changes

obesity (slowed metabolism), chronic illness (heart disease, diabetes, arthritis), cognitive decline,

alzheimer’s disease

progressive decline in memory and other cognitive abilities, often onset after 80

marked by neural plaque

acetylcholine is scarce (deteriorating)

menopause

a woman’s sex hormones sharply reduce (age 40s-50s)