Ap Psych physical and cogn

stability

the concept that certain personality traits, behaviors, or cognitive abilities of an individual tend to remain relatively consistent and unchanging over a significant period of time throughout their life

change

the process of altering or modifying something, signifying a shift from one state to another within an individual

zygote

the single cell formed when a sperm fertilizes an egg

embryo

the stage or prenatal development that occurs between the second week and the eighth week of conception

fetus

the developing human organism from approximately 9 weeks after conception until birth

germinal stage

(14 days in length) lasts from conception to implantation of the zygote in the lining of the uterus. During this time, the organism begins cell division and growth. After the fourth doubling, differentiation of the cells begins cell division and growth.

placenta

the organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy, providing nourishment and oxygen to the growing fetus through the umbilical cord

teratogen

a substance, agent, or process that can cause developmental abnormalities in a fetus

fetal alcohol syndrome

a set of developmental abnormalities, including cognitive impairments, behavioral issues. and sometimes physical features that can occur in a child when a pregnant woman consumes alcohol, causing damage to the developing fetus’s brain, leading to lifelong effects on learning, behavior, and social interaction

habituation

a psychological phenomenon that describes how people and animals decrease their response to a stimulus after repeated exposure

maturation

the process of growing and changing throughout life, including physical, mental, and behavior development

synaptic pruning

a natural process in the brain that removes extra neurons and synapses to improve brain efficiency

frontal lobes

the part of the brain that controls behavior, emotions, and personality

neural conection/networks

the connection between neurons in the brain

association areas

regions of the cerebral cortex that integrate information from other parts of the brain

hippocampus

a part of your brain that’s responsible for your memory and learning

cerebellum

a vital part of the brain that is primarily responsible for motor control

puberty

a period of physical, emotional, and social change that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood

adolescence

the period of human development between the start of puberty and the end of physiological maturity. This includes heighted emotional responses, mood changes, and learning about feelings and emotions. Social changes are increased focus on peers and desire for social acceptance.

pre frontal cortex

part of the brain that controls higher-level cognitive functions, such as memory, attention, and decision making

menopause

the transitional period in a woman’s life when her ovaries start producing less of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. This process can impact a woman’s mental health, including her mood, anxiety, and sleep.

life expectancy

the average number of years a person is expected to live

birth rate

the number of lives birth per 1,000 people in a population over a specific period of time

sex

a person’s biological characteristics, such as chromosomes, hormones, and reproductive organs

gender

a social construct that refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and identities associated with a person’s sex

intersex

a term used to describe people who have sex characteristics that vary from the typical male or female model

aggression

a negative social behavior that involves intentionally harming another person

relational aggression

a type of aggression intended to harm others through deliberate manipulation of their social standing and relationships

interdependent connections

a state of mutual reliance between people, where each person’s actions impact the others

klinefelter syndrome

a genetic disorder that only affects males
occurs when a boy is born with one or more extra X chromosomes, which causes a boy to produce less testosterone than the average amount

turner’s syndrome

a chromosomal condition that describes girls and women with common features that are caused by complete or partial absence of the second sex chromosome

testosterone

the major sex hormone in males

androgens

hormones responsible for sexual development in males and reproduction

estrogen

female sex hormones that are primarily produced in the ovaries

estradial

a hormone that affects sexual motivation and mood, and is also responsible in maturing and regulating the female reproductive system

primary sex characteristics

the physical traits and organs that are essential for reproduction

secondary sex characteristics

physical traits that are related to sex but not directly involved in reproduction such as breasts on women and beards on men

gender role

the prescribed behaviors, attitudes and characteristics associated with one’s gender status as a female or a male

gender identity

a person’s internal sense of their gender, which can be different from their biological sex

social learning theory

the idea that people learn new behaviors primarily by observing and imitating others

gender typing

the process by which a child identifies as a gender and adopts the associated behaviors, values, and appearance

early adulthood

the period of human development that typically occurs between the ages of 20 and 39

middle adulthood

a transitional period of life that involves physical, psychological, and social changes

middle adulthood

the period of life that is generally considered to be the ages 40-65

late adulthood

the period of life from ages 65-death

schemas

concepts that help us make sense of the world

gender schemas

our experiences of male-female characteristics that help us think about our gender-identity

assimilation

the process of incorporating new information into existing knowledge or beliefs

accommodation

the process of changing existing ideas or mental frameworks to incorporate new information or experiences

sensorimotor stage

the first stage of cognitive development in a child’s life, (ages 0-2). During this phase, children utilize skills and abilities they were born with to learn about their environment

object permanence

the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are not visible

conservation

the ability to understand that the quantity of an object remains the same even when its appearance changes

egocentrism

a cognitive bias that describes the tendency to focus on one’s own perspective and needs

hypothetical thinking

the ability to imagine what might happen in the future or how the past might have been different

metacognition

the process of thinking about one’s own thoughts and thought process

zygotsky - zone of proximal development and scaffolding

the gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with help

theory of mind

the ability to understand that other people have their own thoughts, beliefs, desires, and intentions

preoperational stage

a stage of cognitive development in children that occurs between the ages of 2-7. During this stage, children use intuitive rather than logical reasoning; believing inanimate objects posses human feelings/emotions.

concrete operational stage

a stage of cognitive development in children that occurs between the ages of 7-11. During this stage, children develop conservatism, learn how to classify objects, think logically, and mathematics

formal operational stage

a stage of cognitive development in children that occurs between the ages of 12+. During this stage, children use abstract reasoning about hypothetical events/situations, consider logical possibilities, and moral reasoning