AP Psychology - Unit 6

developmental psychology

branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social change throughout the life span

zygote

fertilized egg; enters a period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

embryo

developing human organism from about 2 weeks after fertilization through the second month

fetus

developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

teratogens

agents, such as chemicals and viruses, that can reach the embryo or fetus during prenatal development and cause harm

fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking; can cause noticeable facial misproportions in severe cases

habituation

decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation; interest in visual stimuli wanes

maturation

biological growth processes that enable orderly changes in behavior, relatively uninfluenced by behavior

cognition

mental activities associated with thinking, knowing, remembering, and communicating

schema

concept or framework that organizes and interprets information

assimilation

interpreting our new experiences in terms or our existing schemas

accommodation

adapting our current understandings (schemas) to incorporate new information

sensorimotor stage

stage (birth-2yrs) during which infants know the world mostly in terms of their sensory impressions and motor activities

object permanence

awareness that things continue to exist even when not perceived

preoperational stage

stage (2-6/7yrs) during which a child learns to use language but does not yet comprehend the mental operations of concrete logic

conservation

the principle (believed to be a part of concrete operational reasoning) that properties, such as mass, volume, and number, remain the same despite changes in the forms of objects

egocentrism

preoperational child’s difficulty taking another’s point of view

theory of mind

people’s ideas about their own and other’s mental states (feelings, perceptions, and thoughts, and the behaviors these might predict)

concrete operational stage

stage of cognitive development (6/7-11 yrs) during which children gain the mental operations that enable them to think logically about concrete events

formal operational stage

stage of cognitive development (12+yrs) during which people begin to think logically about abstract concepts

autism

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind

stranger anxiety

the fear of strangers that infants often display beginning by about 8mo

attachment

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 shortly after birth when an organism’s exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces proper development

imprinting

the process by which certain animals form attachments during a critical period very early in life

temperament

a person’s characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

basic trust

sense that the world is predictable and trustworthy; formed during infancy by appropriate experiences with responsive caregivers (Erik Erikson)

self-concept

our understanding and evaluation of who we are

gender

biologically and socially influenced characteristics by which people define male, female, and other identities

aggression

physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone

X chromosome

sex chromosome found in both men and women

Y chromosome

sex chromosome found only in males

testosterone

most important male sex hormone; the additional amounts males have stimulates the growth of male sex organs in the fetus and the development of the male sex characteristics during puberty

role

set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

gender role

set of expected behaviors for males or females

gender identity

sense of being male, female, or another gender

gender typing

acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role

social learning theory

theory that we learn social behavior by observing and imitating and by being rewarded or punished

adolescence

transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence

puberty

period of sexual maturation, during which a person becomes capable of reproducing

primary sex characteristics

body structures (ovaries, testes, and external genitalia) that make sexual reproduction possible

secondary sex characteristics

non-reproductive characteristics (breasts, hips, voice, body hair)

menarche

the first menstrual period

identity

our sense of self; the adolescent’s task is to solidify a sense of self by testing and integrating various roles (Erikson)

social identity

“we” aspect of our self-concept; “who am I?” answer that comes from our group memberships

intimacy

ability to form close, loving relationships; primary developmental task in late adolescence and early adulthood

emerging adulthood

a period from the late teens to mid-twenties, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence and full independence (responsible adulthood)

menopause

time of natural cessation of menstruation; also refers to the biological changes a woman experiences as her ability to reproduce declines

cross-sectional study

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 time

crystallized intelligence

accumulated knowledge and verbal skills; increases with age

fluid intelligence

ability to reason quickly and abstractly; decreases during late adulthood

social clock

culturally preferred timing of social events