Unit 3: Research methods, physical development, sex roles

normative development

the typical sequence of developmental changes for a group of people

cross-sectional method

seeks to compare groups of people of various ages on similar tasks

longitudinal method

following a small group of people over a long portion of their lives, assessing change at set intervals

physical development

starts at conception, the zygote goes through three distinct phases

teratogens

harmful environmental agents, can affect fetal development

FASD

fetuses exposed to alcohol develop ____, resulting in physical abnormalities and cognitive deficiencies

reflexes

children are born with this, thought to be part of our evolutionary heritage

rooting reflex

when you stroke the corner of the baby’s mouth and the baby turns in that direction

plasticity

changeability of the brain

menarche, spermarche

the beginning of the female/male reproductive capacities

menopause

change in estrogen production causing menstruation to cease

gender identity

the awareness that they are boys or girls, by age two or three

gender typing

acquisition of sex-related roles, occurs very early

androgyny

develops as a child begins to blur the lines between stereotypical male/female roles

Kinsey Scale

posited that sexuality is not binary, rather it exists along a continuum of attractions and prices