Exam 3 Intro to Psychlogy (Developmental Psychology / Sex / Personality / Social Psychology)

Human Development

The study of how individuals grow and change from infancy through adulthood, encompassing physical, cognitive, and socioemotional aspects.

Maturation

The biological process of reaching full growth and development, particularly in relation to becoming an adult.

Physical Development

Changes in the body such as growth in height and the development of motor skills.

Cognitive Development

Growth in thinking abilities, learning new skills, and problem-solving capacities.

Socioemotional Development

The process of learning to manage emotions, interact with others, and form relationships.

Biopsychosocial Perspective

Considers the influence of biological, psychological, and social factors on development and behavior.

Sensorimotor Stage

The first stage of Piaget’s cognitive development theory (from birth to about 2 years old), where learning occurs through sensory experiences and motor actions.

Object Permanence

Understanding that objects continue to exist even when not seen, heard, or touched.

Preoperational Stage

Piaget's second stage of cognitive development (ages 2 to 7), characterized by language use and symbolic thinking but lack of logical operations.

Egocentrism

Inability of preoperational children to see things from perspectives other than their own.

Conservation

Understanding that certain object properties remain the same despite changes in appearance.

Concrete Operations

Piaget’s third stage of cognitive development (ages 7 to 11), where children think logically about concrete events and grasp conservation.

Formal Operations

Piaget’s final stage of cognitive development (around age 12 onwards), marked by abstract thinking and logical problem-solving.

Vygotsky

Russian psychologist emphasizing social interaction and cultural context in cognitive development.

Scaffolding

Support provided to help learners achieve higher understanding or skills.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Range of tasks a learner can do with assistance but not independently.

Sexuality

Involves sexual orientation, preferences, desires, and behaviors reflecting how individuals experience and express sexual attraction.

Self-Report Data

Issues in survey research on human sexuality, including response biases like social desirability bias affecting data accuracy.

Observational Research

Challenges in studying human sexuality, including ethical concerns, privacy, consent, and capturing authentic behavior.

Sex Determination

Process establishing an individual's sex based on inherited sex chromosomes.

Sperm

Male reproductive cells combining with an egg during fertilization to form a zygote.

Egg

Female reproductive cells combining with sperm during fertilization to form a zygote.

23rd Chromosomes

Determine an individual's sex, XX for females and XY for males.

X and Y Chromosomes

Determine biological sex, XX for females and XY for males.

Zygote

Cell formed by the union of sperm and egg, marking the start of embryonic development.

XX

Female:Pair of sex chromosomes found in females, contributing to female traits.

XY

Male:Pair of sex chromosomes found in males, contributing to male traits.

Gonads

Primary reproductive organs producing gametes and hormones, testes in males and ovaries in females.

Testes

Male gonads producing sperm and male sex hormones like testosterone.

Ovariess

Female gonads producing eggs and female sex hormones like estrogens.

Androgens (Testosterone)

Male sex hormones crucial for male traits and reproductive tissues development.

Estrogens

Female sex hormones responsible for female traits and menstrual cycle regulation.

Testosterone’s Role in Genitalia Development

Crucial for male genitalia and secondary sexual characteristics development.

Mullerian Ducts

Precursors to female reproductive structures developing into uterus, fallopian tubes, and upper vagina.

Wolffian Ducts

Precursors to male reproductive structures developing into vas deferens, seminal vesicles, and ejaculatory ducts.

Primary Sexual Characteristics

Anatomical structures directly involved in reproduction, like penis, testes, vagina, and ovaries.

Secondary Sexual Characteristics

Physical traits emerging during puberty distinguishing sexes but not directly involved in reproduction.

Spermarche

Boy's first ejaculation marking sperm production onset and sexual maturity.

Menarche

Girl's first menstrual period marking menstruation onset and reproductive capability.

Social Cognition

Understanding and interpreting social information, including perceptions, thoughts, and responses to others.

Mental Rotation

Visualizing and manipulating objects mentally in space, crucial for spatial reasoning tasks.

Environmental Factors

External influences like culture, upbringing, and experiences that shape individual development and behavior.

Aggression

Behavior aimed at harming or intimidating others, encompassing physical, verbal, or relational actions.

Relational Aggression

Type of aggression harming others through damaging relationships or social status, like spreading rumors or exclusion.

Gender Similarity Hypothesis

Proposal that males and females are more similar than different in psychological variables like cognitive abilities and personality traits.

Social Dominance

Hierarchical ranking of individuals in social groups, where some hold more power and influence.

Connectedness

Feeling close and having meaningful relationships with others, contributing to emotional well-being and social support.

Kin-Keeping

Maintaining family connections and traditions, including organizing gatherings and staying in touch with relatives.

Masters and Johnson's Sexual Response

Stages of human sexual response cycle - excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution, with a refractory period for men.

Sexual Orientation

Pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to others, including heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, and asexual orientations.

Female Sexual Flexibility

Women's fluidity in sexual orientation, influenced by genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors.

Biases Against Non-Heterosexuals

Social biases and discrimination faced by individuals who are not heterosexual.

Evolutionary Theory on Mate Preferences

Males seek youth and physical attractiveness, while females seek resources and stability in partners.

Sexual Scripts

Societal norms about sexual behavior, including paraphilias like fetishism and pedophilia.

Sexual Dysfunctions

Issues with sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and pain during sexual activities.

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

Bacterial STIs like syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, and viral STIs like herpes and HPV.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)

HIV attacks the immune system, leading to AIDS, a severe immune system weakening condition.

Personality

Unique and relatively stable patterns of behavior, thoughts, and emotions displayed by individuals.

Temperament

Basic, innate disposition emerging early in life, influencing natural reactions to stimuli.

Trait Theory

Describes individuals based on their unique characteristics like kindness or adventurousness.

Unconscious

Contains hidden thoughts, memories, and desires influencing behavior below conscious awareness.

Preconscious

Includes thoughts not in awareness but easily brought to consciousness.

Conscious

Contains thoughts and feelings currently aware of.

Id

Operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification.

Pleasure Principle

Drives the id to seek immediate gratification of desires.

Ego

Mediates between id's desires and reality's constraints.

Reality Principle

Guides the ego to delay gratification until appropriate.

Superego

Incorporates moral standards and serves as an internal judge.

Repression

Involves blocking unpleasant emotions from awareness.

Rationalization

Creating logical reasons for shameful behaviors.

Displacement

Shifting emotional impulses to a safer target.

Projection

Attributing unacceptable thoughts to others.

Reaction Formation

Behaving opposite to true feelings.

Denial

Refusing to accept reality.

Regression

Reverting to earlier behaviors under stress.

Sublimation

Channeling impulses into socially acceptable activities.

Identification

Adopting characteristics of others to cope.

Oral

First psychosexual stage focusing on mouth pleasure.

Anal

Stage focusing on control over bowel movements.

Phallic

Stage focusing on genital pleasure and Oedipus complex resolution.

Oedipus Complex

Boy's desire for mother and rivalry with father.

Castration Anxiety

Boy's fear of losing genital organs.

Penis Envy

Girl's jealousy over not having a penis.

Adler, Individual Psychology, Inferiority Complex

Focuses on overcoming inferiority.

Jung, Personal Unconscious, Collective Unconscious, Archetypes

Includes personal and collective unconscious with universal memories.

Horney, Rejected Penis Envy

Disagreed with Freud on women's inferiority.

Non-representative Sample

Freud's theories based on a small group.

Too Focused on Sexual Issues

Freud's theories emphasize sexual development.

Non-testable

Many Freudian concepts are hard to test.

After the Fact Explanations

Freud's theories explain behaviors after they occur.

Applicability Toward Women

Freud's theories criticized for bias against women.

Fixation

Getting stuck in a developmental stage.

Maslow, Characteristics of Self-Actualizers

Individuals realizing full potential.

Rogers, Self-Concept, Ideal Self, Actual Self

Focus on self-concept and unconditional positive regard.

Rotter, Locus of Control, Expectancies

Belief in controlling fate or external factors.

Bandura, Social-Cognitive Perspective, Self-Efficacy

Focus on self-efficacy and reciprocal determinism.

Trait Theories

Describe personality traits without explaining development.

Factor Analysis

Identifies clusters of related traits.

Eysenck’s Introversion-Extroversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism

Measures sociability, emotional stability, and aggressiveness.

The Big 5/Five Factor Model

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism:Describes personality based on five traits.