Studied by 83 people
Attachment
An emotional tie with another person; shown in young children by their seeking closeness to the caregiver and showing distress on separation.
Critical Period
An optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development.
Imprinting
The process by which certain animals form strong attachments during an early-life critical period.
Temperament
A person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity.
Basic Trust
A sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy.
Gender
The socially constructed roles and characteristics by which a culture defines male and female.
Aggression
Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.
Gender Role
A set of expected behaviors for males or for females.
Social Learning Theory
The theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating, and by being rewarded or punished.
Gender Typing
The acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role.
Identity
Our sense of self; according to Erikson, the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles.
Social Identity
The “we” aspect of our self-concept.
Puberty
The period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing.
Primary Sexual Characteristics
The body structures that make sexual reproduction possible.
Secondary Sexual Characteristics
Non-reproductive sexual traits, such as female breasts and hips, male voice quality, and body hair.
Menopause
The time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines.
Cross-Sectional Study
A study in which people of different ages are compared with one another.
Longitudinal Study
Research in which the same people are restudied and retested over a long period.
