PSY2450 Exam 1 Study Guide Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key concepts, theorists, research designs, and biological terms from the PSY2450 Exam 1 Study Guide.

Exam 1 Structure (PSY2450)

An examination consisting of multiple choice and true/false questions, where each question is worth $1\text{ point}$.

Exam 1 Chapter Weighting

The exam distribution where Chapters 1 and 2 are more heavily represented in total question count than Chapters 3 and 5.

Nature "vs." Nurture Debate

A foundational controversy in developmental psychology framed by biological maturation on one side and experiential learning on the other.

Maturation and Learning

Biological unfolding and experiential acquisition, representing the nature and nurture sides of development, respectively.

Lifespan Perspective

A contemporary framework that changed the traditional conceptualization of how human development occurs over time.

Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model of Development

A heavily weighted developmental theory covering multiple ecological levels, located in the Chapter 1 PowerPoint or Chapter 2 of the 8th edition textbook.

G. Stanley Hall

A prominent early developmental psychologist whose core ideas and theories are examined in Chapter 1.

Neuroplasticity

A neural developmental concept introduced in Chapter 1 regarding the brain's capacity for change.

Research Designs (Chapter 1)

Core investigation methods discussed in class, including survey research, case studies, correlational designs, experimental designs, and quasi-experimental designs.

Cross-Sectional, Longitudinal, and Sequential Designs

The three major developmental research designs distinguished by how they assess age groups, cohorts, and time of measurement.

Fundamental Developmental Disagreements

Five major issues on which developmental psychologists disagree: activity-passivity, continuity-discontinuity, nature-nurture, goodness-badness of human nature, and universality-context specificity.

Freud’s Psychoanalytic Approach

A theory of psychosexual development centered on the id vs. ego vs. superego dynamic, ordered psychosexual stages, and defense mechanisms.

Id vs. Ego vs. Superego

The structural components of personality whose relationship forms a central focus of Freud's psychoanalytic theory.

Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages

A sequence of developmental stages proposed by Erikson representing his psychosocial perspective and take on Freud.

B.F. Skinner

An influential learning theorist associated with operant conditioning whose graduate student mentored the course instructor.

Conditioning Acronyms (UCS, UCR, CS, CR)

Key classical conditioning components representing unconditioned stimulus, unconditioned response, conditioned stimulus, and conditioned response.

Operant Conditioning Consequences

Behavior modification mechanisms categorized into positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.

Bandura’s Social Learning Theory Key Terms

Core concepts in Albert Bandura's philosophy, including latent learning, vicarious reinforcement, human agency, self-efficacy, and reciprocal determinism.

Piaget’s Four Stages of Cognitive Development

A cognitive developmental framework detailing specific cognitive milestones in each stage and how children move through them.

Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

The foundational theory of biological evolution outlining main arguments regarding adaptation and species heredity.

Species Heredity and Cultural Evolution

Two evolutionary concepts contrasting biological transmission across a species with learned social transmission over time.

Meiosis vs. Mitosis

Two distinct cellular division processes compared in Chapter 3 responsible for gamete formation and general cell replication, respectively.

Karyotype, Genotype, Phenotype, and Allele

Core genetic vocabulary terms in Chapter 3 describing chromosomal maps, genetic code, observable traits, and gene variants.

Single Gene-Pair Inheritance

An inheritance mechanism governed by dominant and recessive genes, typically solved using a Punnett Square.

Punnett Square

A diagrammatic tool used to predict the phenotypic outcomes of offspring based on parental genotypes.

Sex-Linked (X-Linked) Inheritance

Genetic transmission tied specifically to the X chromosome, associated with various recessive diseases and disorders.

Polygenic Inheritance

A mode of inheritance where a phenotypic characteristic is determined by the combined action of multiple genes.

Genetic Syndromes (Chapter 3)

Specific chromosomal conditions covered on the exam: Downs Syndrome, Turner syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, and Fragile X syndrome.

Behavioral Genetics Terminology

Statistical and conceptual terms in Chapter 3, including heritability, concordance rates, shared environmental influences, and nonshared environmental influences.

Three Gene-Environment Correlations

The three interactive relationships between genes and environments identified as passive, active, and evocative correlations.

Conception

The developmental sequence initiating pregnancy, beginning with menstrual cycle timing and culminating in fertilization.

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

An assisted reproductive procedure evaluated by what it entails, its success rates, and factors contributing to its success or failure.

Germinal Period

The initial stage of prenatal development characterized by early cell division and implantation prior to the embryonic stage.

Embryonic Period

The prenatal stage during which major bodily structures and organs are formed, including the neural tube.

Neural Tube

A foundational embryonic structure that develops into the central nervous system, central to prenatal brain development.

Epigenesis and Fetal Programming

Mechanisms describing how environmental conditions during prenatal development alter gene activity and long-term physiological outcomes.

Teratogens

Environmental substances or agents that cause developmental harm, whose effects depend heavily on the timing of prenatal exposure.

Maternal Postpartum Depression

A clinical depressive condition experienced by mothers following childbirth, examined in Chapter 4.

Endocrine System

A hormonal regulatory system characterized by the master gland and the production of male and female sex hormones.

Neuron Anatomy

The structural components comprising the basic functional unit of the nervous system.

Brain Lateralization and Neurogenesis

Neural processes in Chapter 5 referring to hemispheric specialization and the birth of new neurons, respectively.

Principles Underlying Growth

Three developmental principles outlined in Chapter 5 that govern the directional pattern of physical and motor growth.

Infant Motor Development Concepts

Key motor phenomena including inborn reflexes, rhythmic stereotypies, and the dynamic systems theory of infant motor development.

Osteoporosis vs. Osteoarthritis

Two distinct bone and joint disorders contrasted in Chapter 5 regarding their physiological causes and symptoms.

The Nun Study

A prominent research study discussed in Chapter 5 that yielded significant insights into aging, cognitive function, and brain health.