AP Psychology Unit 1 Vocabulary

Unit 1.1 Terms (1 - 13)

Nature-nurture issue

The longstanding controversy over the relative contributions that genes and experience make to the development of psychological traits and behaviors. Today's science views traits and behaviors as arising from the interaction of nature vs. nurture.

Natural selection

The principle that the inherited traits enabling an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

Evolutionary psychology

The study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection.

Behavior genetics

The study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior.

Mutation

A random error in gene replication that leads to a change.

Environment

Every non-genetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to experience of the people and things around us.

Heredity

The genetic transfer of characteristics from parent to offspring.

Genes

The biochemical units of heredity.

Genome

The complete instructions for making an organism.

Identical (monozygotic) twins

Individuals who developed from a single fertilized egg that split in two, creating two genetically identical organisms.

Fraternal (dizygotic) twins

Individuals who developed from separate fertilized eggs, They’re genetically no closer than ordinary siblings, but they shared a prenatal environment.

Interaction

The interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor depends on another factor.

Epigenetics

“Above” or “in addition to” genetics. The study of the molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic information.