Study Guide Psych Exam 3

Chapters 9, 10, and 11

Language Development in Infants:

Babies first hear and recognize sounds

They understand words before speaking them.

Learn through interaction, tone and joint attention.

Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon:

When you can’t recall a word but know you know it.

Interactional view of language:

Language develops from: Biology and Social interaction

Overextension:

Using one word too broadly.

Example: Calling all animals “dog”

Verbal Fluency:

Ability to quickly produce words

Brain damage (language areas):

Broca’s area → speech production problem (slow, broken speech)

Wernicke’s area → comprehension problem (fluent but makes no sense)

Phonics approach:

Teaching reading by connecting letters to sounds.

Virginia Berninger:

Children enter school with different vocabulary levels, which affects reading success.

Basic units of sound:

Phonemes (smallest sound units)

Language is based on:

Symbols (words) + rules (grammar)

Compensation (memory):

Using strategies to make up for memory problems. Example: Writing things down

Metaphor:

Comparing 2 things without “like” or “as” (“Time is a thief”).

Dialect:

A version of a language with its own accent, grammar, and words.

Morphonology:

Study of word parts (morphemes) and meaning.

Pragmatics:

Using language appropriately in social situations.

Joint Attention:

2 people focus on the same object/event (important for learning words).

Fast mapping:

Learning a word’s meaning after very little exposure.

Rules of pragmatics:

Take turns speaking

Stay on topic

Adjust speech to listener

Use appropriate tone

Aphasia:

Language disorder caused by brain damage.

Age Group Characteristics:

Adolescents: Emotional ups and downs. Peer Influence. Identity search.

Young Adults: Relationship, work and independence.

Older Adults: Emotional stability. Focus on meaningful relationships.

Fear in Infants:

Caused by: Stranger anxiety. Separation anxiety.

Types of Love (Robert Sternberg):

Intimacy (closeness)

Passion (physical attraction)

Commitment (decision to stay)

Emotional Competence:

Understanding emotions

Controlling emotions

Expressing emotions properly

Understanding others (empathy)

Socioemotional Selectivity Theory:

Older adults focus on meaningful relationships and emotions.

Emotion:

A state with: Feelings, Body reactions, and Behavior

Self-fulfilling prophecy:

Expectations cause behavior to match the label.

Social referencing:

Looking at others to decide how to react.

Harry Harlow:

Monkeys preferred soft (comfort) mothers over feeding ones → contact comfort matters most

John Watson:

Believed don’t give too much attention to crying, or it reinforces behavior.

Fathers interaction:

More playful, physical, stimulating

Hormone for bonding:

Oxytocin

Culture & emotions:

Culture affects: How emotions are expressed. Parenting styles

Most emotional highs & lows:

Adolescents

Why infants show fear:

Stranger anxiety. Separation anxiety. Awareness of unfamiliar situations.

Types of emotions:

Primary: happy, sad, fear, anger, surprise, disgust.

Self-conscious: guilt, shame, pride, embarrassment.

Self-awareness:

Recognizing yourself as separate (mirror test)

Mutuality & permeability:

Describe relationships/self boundaries

Mutuality= shared connection

Permeability= openness to others

Mills College Longitudinal Study:

Personality changes and stays stable over time in women.

Berkeley Longitudinal Study:

Early personality can predict later life patterns.

Different selves:

Self-concept= how you see yourself

Ideal self= who you want to be

Real self= who you are

Possible selves= future versions of you

Trait-situation interaction:

Behavior= personality + situation

Age investments:

Young adults → work, relationships

Middle age → family, career

Older adults→ health, meaning

MAMA Cycle:

Identity keeps changing: Moratorium → Achievement → repeat

Midlife Crisis:

Reevaluating life in middle age (not everyone has it) more in men.

Daniel Levinson:

Midlife transition= rethink life goals (~40s)

Self:

Your thoughts and beliefs about yourself

Big 5 Personality Traits (OCEAN):

Openness

Conscientiousness

Extraversion

Agreeableness

Neuroticism

Self concepts:

Self-regulation= control behavior/emotions

Self-awareness= recognize yourself

Self-esteem= how much you value yourself

Looking back on life:

Life review

Self-assertion & Separateness

Describe independent (individualistic) self

Midlife transition:

is for women?

OCEAN:

Think of a person exploring the ocean:

• O – Openness → “Open to new experiences” 🌊 (trying new things)

• C – Conscientiousness → “Careful and controlled” ⚓ (organized sailor)

• E – Extraversion → “Energetic and outgoing” 🎉 (party on the boat)

• A – Agreeableness → “Agreeable and kind” 🤝 (gets along with crew)

• N – Neuroticism → “Nervous and negative” 🌩 (panics in a storm)

👉 Quick phrase:
“Open, Careful, Energetic, Agreeable, Nervous”

⚡ Final exam tip

• Conscientiousness = responsibility

• Neuroticism = emotional instability

• Openness = creativity

• Extraversion = social energy

• Agreeableness = kindness