PSYC 1101 Exam 4 Morris UGA

maturation

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

Jean Piaget

Swiss developmental psychologist who came up with the four stage theory of cognitive development

schema

mental frameworks that help us interpret information

assimilation

interpret things based on our existing schemas (ex: a child calling a deer a horse)

accommodation

adjust to new experiences/schemas

cognitive equilibrium

harmony between our thought processes and our environments

four-stage theory of cognitive development

-Jean Piaget

-sensorimotor> preoperational> concrete operational> formal operational

sensorimotor stage

-birth to 2 years old

-experience the world through senses

-lack object permanence

object permanence

knowing that things still exist when you can't see them

pre operational stage

-2 to 6 or 7 years old

-egocentrism and animism

-lack concept of reversibility

-theory of mind

egocentrism

inability to understand another's point of view

animism

belief that inanimate objects have feelings and emotions

centration

a child's tendency to fixate on just one aspect of a problem or object

theory of mind

ability to understand other people's feelings, thoughts, and perceptions and how to predict behavior

concrete operational stage

-6 or 7 to 12 years old

-begin thinking logically about concrete things they've experienced

-decentration

decentration

can see beyond one aspect of a problem

formal operational stage

-12 through adulthood

-more complex thinking and problem-solving

criticisms of Piaget's theory

too rigid and age based (egocentrism fades much earlier than Piaget thought)

Lev Vygotsky

emphasized how early development occurs through parental instruction and interaction with social environments

continuous development

development is a cumulative process that gradually improves on existing skills

discontinuous development

development takes place in unique stages and is sudden

Freud's five stages of development

oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital

Erik Erikson

emphasized the social nature of our development with his eight stages of development

trust vs. mistrust

-infancy (birth to 12 months old)

-babies with responsive caregivers develop a strong sense of trust while those with unresponsive caregivers do not

autonomy vs. shame and doubt

-toddler (1 to 3 years old)

-"me do it" stage

initiative vs. guilt

-preschool (3 to 6 years old)

-learn to plan and achieve goals while interacting with others

-those who are successful develop self-confidence while those who are unsuccessful may develop feelings of guilt

industry vs. inferiority

-elementary (6 to 12 years old)

-begin to compare themselves to peers to see how they measure up

identity vs. role confusion

-adolescence (12 to 18 years old)

-develop a sense of self and determine their identity

intimacy vs. isolation

-early adulthood (20s-40s)

-after developing a self, we are ready to share our life with others

-Erikson believed you must develop a strong sense of self before developing intimate relationships with others

generativity vs. stagnation

-middle adulthood (40s to mid 60s)

-finding your life's work and contributing to the development of others

-those who do not master this experience little connection with others and little interest in productivity and self-improvement

integrity vs. despair

-late adulthood (mid 60s to death)

-reflect on life and either feel a sense of satisfaction or failure

germinal stage

-weeks 1-2

-zygote and mitosis (cell division)

zygote

one-cell structure that is created when a sperm and egg merge

embryonic stage

-weeks 3-8

-when zygote attaches to uterine lining, it becomes an embryo

-heart begins to beat and organs form and begin to function

placenta

structure connected to the uterus that provides nourishment and oxygen to the embryo via the umbilical cord

fetal stage

-weeks 9-40

-embryo becomes a fetus

-by week 24, a premature baby can survive outside the womb

critical or sensitive period

specific period in a pregnancy during which each organ develops

teratogen

biological, chemical, or physical environmental agent that causes damage to the developing embryo or fetus (like drugs and alcohol)

fine motor skills

focus on the muscles in our fingers, toes, and eyes, and enable coordination of small actions (ex: writing with a pencil or using a spoon)

gross motor skills

focus on large muscle groups that control our arms and legs and involve larger movements (ex: running and jumping)

By what age is the brain about 90% of its adult size?

age 6

attachment

long-standing connection or bond with others

secure base

parental presence that gives a child a sense of safety as he/she explores their surroundings

secure attachment

a toddler prefers their parent over strangers (most common and healthiest)

avoidant attachment

-child is unresponsive to the parent, does not use the parent as a secure base, and does not care if the parent leaves

-result of insensitive or inattentive caregiver

resistant attachment

-children show clingy behavior, but reject the attachment figure's attempts to interact with them

-result of caregiver's inconsistent level of response to child

disorganized attachment

-characterized by freezing, running around in an erratic manner, or trying to run away when caregiver is present

-result of abuse

authoritative parenting

-parent gives reasonable demands and consistent limits, expresses warmth and affection, and listens to their child's point of view

-children tend to have high self-esteem and social skills

authoritarian parenting

-places high value on conformity and obedience

-often strict, tightly monitor children, and express little warmth

-children can become anxious, withdrawn, and unhappy

permissive parenting

-kids run the show and anything goes

-make few demands and rarely use punishment

-very nurturing and are more like friends than parents

-children tend to lack self-discipline and have lower grades, but also have higher self-esteem, better social skills, and lower levels of depression

uninvolved parenting

-parents are indifferent, uninvolved, and sometimes neglectful

-children are at higher risk for substance abuse

temperament

innate traits that influence how one thinks, behaves, and reacts with the environment

adrenarche

maturing of the adrenal glands

gonadarche

maturing of the sex glands

primary sexual characteristics

organs specifically needed for reproduction

secondary sexual characteristics

physical signs of sexual maturation that do not directly involve sex organs (like boobs and facial hair)

menarche and spermarche

first menstrual period and first ejaculation

fluid intelligence

information processing abilities like logical reasoning, remembering lists, spatial ability, and reaction time

crystallized intelligence

abilities to draw upon experience and knowledge

Cicely Saunders

created the first modern hospice in England

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance)

intrinsic

-arising from internal factors

-personal satisfaction

extrinsic

-arising from external factors

-compensation, reward, punishment

drive theory of motivation

deviations from homeostasis create physiological needs that lead to the directing of behavior to meet the need and ultimately bring the system back to homeostasis

arousal theory

an extension of drive theory that aims to find the optimal level of arousal

Yerkes-Dodson Law

a simple task is performed best when arousal levels are relatively high and complex tasks are best performed when arousal levels are lower

self-efficacy

an individual's belief in his/her own capability to complete a task

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

physiological> security> social> esteem> self-actualization

Which parts of the brain are important for sexual behaviors and motivations?

hypothalamus and amygdala

Alfred Kinsey (1948)

large-scale survey research at Indiana University on sex that found that women are just as interested and experienced in sex as men, both genders masterbate, and homosexuality is fairly common

Kinsey scale

categorize an individual's sexual orientation

Masters and Johnson's Research (1966)

observed people having intercourse and masterbating and came up with the sexual response cycle (excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution)

excitement phase

arousal phase of sex cycle that is marked by erection of the penis or clitoris and lubrication and expansion of the vaginal canal

plateau

women experience further swelling of the vagina and increased blood flow to the labia minora and men experience a full erection and pre-ejaculatory fluid

resolution

relatively rapid return to an unaroused state after sex

refractory period

time immediately following an orgasm during which an individual is incapable of experiencing another orgasm

gender dysphoria

when individuals do not feel comfortable identifying with the gender associated with their biological sex

transgender

people whose sense of personal identity does not correspond with their birth sex

transsexual

transgender people who attempt to alter their bodies through surgery of hormonal therapy

cisgender

people who sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex

James-Lange theory of emotion

emotions arise from physiological arousal (ex: if you encounter a venomous snake, your SNS will initiate your fight or flight response which leads you to feel fearful)

Cannon-Bard theory of emotion

physiological arousal and emotional experience occur simultaneously yet independently

facial feedback hypothesis

suppression of facial expression of emotion lowers the intensity of emotions experienced

Schachter-Singer two-factor theory of emotion

physiological and cognitive responses simultaneously form experience of emotion

cognitive-mediational theory of emotion

emotions are determined by our appraisal of the stimulus

"high road" path of emotion

more complex thinking to decipher emotion

"low road" path of emotion

faster, more automatic response of emotion

situationism

our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings (believed by social psychologists)

dispositionism

our behavior is determined by internal factors (believed by personality psychologists)

fundamental attribution error

tendency to overemphasize internal factors as attributions for behavior and underestimates the power of the situation

actor-observer bias

attributing other people's behavior to internal factors while attributing our own behavior to situational forces

self-serving bias

tendency of an individual to take credit by making dispositional attributions for positive outcomes but situational attributions for negative outcomes (serves to protect self-esteem)

just-world hypothesis

belief that people get the outcomes they deserve

three components of attitude

affective (feelings), behavioral (the effect of the attitude on behavior), and cognitive (belief and knowledge)

Fastinger's theory of cognitive dissonance

psychological discomfort arising from conflicts in our behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs that runs counter to our positive self-perceptions

central route persuasion

logic driven and uses data and facts to convince people of an argument's worthiness

peripheral route persuasion

indirect route that uses peripheral cues to associate positivity with the message

foot-in-the-door technique

persuader gets a person to agree to bestow a small favor before requesting a larger favor

The Asch effect

the influence of the group majority on an individual's judgment

factors that make a person more likely to yield to group pressure

size of majority, presence of another dissenter, public or private nature of responses