AP Psychology Unit 3-Vocab

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3.1

3.1

Developmental Psychology

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

Stability

traits and behaviors that are consistent over time (ex: temperament, characteristic mood, activity level)

Change

traits and behaviors that evolve as people grow (ex: cognitive abilities improves thru education and experience)

Nature

innate biological factors that influence development and personality

Nurture

external and environmental factors that influence development and personality

Continuous Stages of Development

development occurs in a gradual and cumulative process

Discontinuous Stages of Development

development occurs in distinct stages

Cross-Sectional Research

research that compares people of different ages at the same point in time

Longitudinal Research

research that follows and retests the same people over time to observe changes and developments.

3.2

Teratogens

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

Maternal Illnesses

diseases that can affect the health of the mother and fetus during pregnancy, potentially leading to complications (ie. rubella, HIV)

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

physical and cognitive abnormalities/impairments in children caused by a pregnant women’s heavy drinking

Genetic Mutations

changes in DNA sequences that can lead to various genetic disorders or traits

Rooting

A reflexive action in infants that causes them to turn their head and open their mouth in response to a touch on the cheek, facilitating breastfeeding

Visual Cliff

an experimental tool used to assess depth perception in infants by observing their willingness to cross a perceived drop-off

Critical Periods

specific windows of time during development when certain skills or abilities are most easily learned or acquired

Imprinting

a rapid learning process occurring during a specific time frame, where young animals form attachments to their caregivers or environment

Habituation

a psychological phenomenon where an organism reduces its response to a stimulus after repeated exposure, allowing it to focus on more relevant stimuli

Maturation

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

Adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthood, extended from puberty to independence

Puberty

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

Primary Sex Characteristics

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

Secondary Sex Characteristics

nonproductive sexual traits (female: breasts, hips; male: voice quality, body hair)

Menarche

the first menstrual period

Spermarche

the first ejaculation

Menopause

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

3.3

Sex

the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male and female

Gender

the socially characteristics by which people define boy, girl, man, and women

Sexual Orientation

an enduring attraction towards members of one’s own sex (homosexual orientation), the other sex ( heterosexual orientation), or both sexes (bisexual orientation)

Role

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

Gender Role

a set of expected behaviors, attitudes, and traits for males or for females

Gender Identity

our sense of being male, female, or some combination of the two

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

Androgyny

displaying both traditional masculine and feminine psychological characteristics

Social Script

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

3.4

Cognition

Jean Piaget

Schema

Assimilation

Accommodation

Sensorimotor Stage

Object Permanence

Preoperational Stage

Conservation

Reversibility

Egocentrism