Psychology Vocab

all the vocab from units 6-9 for the psychology final

Developmental Psychology

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

Zygote

the fertilized egg; it enters a two week period of rapid cell division and develops into an embryo

Embryo

the developing human organism from ~2 weeks after fertilization through the 2nd month

Fetus

the developing human organism from 9 weeks after conception to birth

Teratogens

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

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by a pregnant woman’s heavy drinking.

Habituation

a decrease in response to a stimulus after repeated stimulation, indicating learning at a basic level.

Maturation

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

Cognition

the mental processes involved in acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses.

Schema

a mental framework that organizes and interprets information, guiding how we understand the world around us.

Assimilation

the process of integrating new experiences into existing schemas.

Accomodation

the process of altering existing schemas or creating new ones in response to new information.

Sensorimotor Stage

the first stage of cognitive development, according to Piaget, occurring from birth to about two years old, where infants learn through sensory experiences and manipulating objects.

Object Permanance

the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they cannot be seen or heard, developing during the sensorimotor stage.

Preoperational Stage

the second stage of cognitive development, occurring from ages two to seven, characterized by the emergence of language and symbolic thinking but lacking logical reasoning.

Conservation

the understanding that quantity remains the same despite changes in shape or arrangement, typically developing during the concrete operational stage.

Egocentrism

the inability to differentiate between one's own perspective and that of others, common in the preoperational stage of cognitive development.

Theory of Mind

the ability to understand that others have thoughts, beliefs, and perspectives different from one's own, developing significantly during the early childhood years.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties with social interaction, communication, and restrictive or repetitive behaviors.

Concrete Operational Stage

a stage in Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, occurring roughly between ages 7 and 11, where children begin to think logically about concrete events and understand the concept of conservation.

Formal Operational Stage

a stage in Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development, typically beginning at age 12, where individuals develop the ability to think abstractly, logically, and systematically.

Stranger Anxiety

a developmental stage in infants, typically occurring between 6 and 12 months, where they display fear or distress when exposed to unfamiliar people.

Attachment

a deep emotional bond formed between an infant and their caregiver, crucial for the child's development.

Critical Period

a specific time frame during development when the presence or absence of certain experiences has a significant impact on the individual's development.

Imprinting

a rapid learning process usually occurring in early life, during which certain animals form attachments to caregivers or environmental features.

Temperament

a persons characteristic emotional reactivity and intensity

Basic Trust

a fundamental sense of safety and security developed through reliable caregiving during infancy.

Self-Concept

the individual's perception of themselves, encompassing beliefs about one’s nature, qualities, and behavior.

Gender

the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and expectations associated with being male or female.

Aggression

any behavior intended to hurt or destroy

Gender Role

a set of expected behaviors for males and females

Role

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

Gender Identity

our sense of being male/female

Social Leanring Theory

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

Gender Typing

the acquisition of a traditional masculie or feminine role

Transgender

an umbrella term describing people whose gender differs from the birth sex

Adolescence

the transition period from childhood to adulthoodm extending from puberty to independence

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; the part of our answer to "Who am I?" that comes from our group memberships.

Intimacy

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

Emerging Adulthood

for some people in modern culture, a period from the late teens to mid 20s, bridging the gap between adolescent dependence to adult independence.

X-Chromosome

the sex chromosome found in both men and women

Y-Chromosome

the sex chromosome found in men only

Puberty

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

Primary Sex Characteristics

the body structures that make reproduction possible

Secondary Sex Characteristics

non-reproductive sexual traits (hips, facial hair, ect)

Menarche

the first menstrual period

Menopause

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

Sexual Orientation

an enduring sexual attraction to either one’s own gender (homosexual), the opposite gender (heterosexual), or both (bisexual)

Cross-Sectional Study

A type of observational study that analyzes data from a population, or a representative subset, at a specific point in time, across many different ages and demographics

Longitudinal Study

A research method in which data is gathered for the same subjects repeatedly over a period of time. These studies can extend over years or even decades, tracking changes and developments in the participants.

Social Clock

the culturally prefered timing of events, such as marriage, parenthood, and retirement.

Personality

an individuals characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting

Free Association

a method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

Psychoanalysis

Freud’s theory of personality that attributes thoughts and actions to unconscious notices and conflicts; the techniques used in trating psychological disorders by seeking to expose and interpret unconscious tensions.

Unconscious

a reservoir of mostly unacceptable thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories

Id

the primitive and instinctual part of the mind that contains sexual and aggressive drives and hidden memories

Ego

In psychoanalytic theory, the ego is the primarily conscious part of the personality that mediates among the demands of the id, superego, and reality. The ego operates on the reality principle, satisfying the id's desires in ways that will realistically bring pleasure rather than pain.

Superego

the part of personality that, according to Freud, represents internalized ideals and provides standards for judgment (the conscience) and for future aspirations

Psychosexual Stages

In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, the psychosexual stages are the childhood stages of development (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital) during which, according to Freud, the id's pleasure-seeking energies focus on distinct erogenous zones.

Fixation

In Freudian psychoanalytic theory, fixation occurs when an individual's pleasure-seeking energies are persistently focused on an earlier psychosexual stage due to unresolved conflicts.

Defense Mechanisms

In psychoanalytic theory, defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies used to cope with anxiety and protect the ego from conflicts between the id, superego, and reality.

Repression

In psychoanalytic theory, repression is a defense mechanism where the ego unconsciously excludes distressing thoughts, feelings, or memories from awareness

Psychodynamic Theories

Psychodynamic theories are a set of psychological theories that emphasize the role of unconscious psychological processes (thoughts, feelings, and memories) in shaping human behavior. These theories originated with Sigmund Freud's theory of psychoanalysis and have been expanded upon by his followers and other theorists. They propose that our early childhood experiences and unresolved conflicts influence our personality and behavior.

Collective Unconscious

According to Carl Jung, a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species' history. It contains universal archetypes or common themes, such as the hero, mother, and shadow, which influence our perceptions, emotions, and behaviors.

Projective Test

a personality test, such as the Rorschach, that provides ambiguous stimuli designed to trigger projection of ones inner dynamics

Thematic Apperception Test

a projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through stories they make up about ambiguous scenes.

Inkblot Test

the most widely used projective test, a series of 10 inkblots, seeks to identify peoples inner feelings by analyzing their interpretations of the blts

False Consensus Effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and our behaviors

Terror Management Theory

a theory of death related anxiety; explores peoples emotional and behavioral responses to reminders of their impending death.

Humanistic Theories of personality

views personality with a focus on the potential for healthy personal growth

Self-Actualization

according to Maslow, one of the ultimate psychological needs that arises after basic needs are not met; the motivation to achieve ones potential

Unconditional Positive Regard

a therapeutic approach where the therapist accepts and values a client regardless of their thoughts, feelings, or actions

Trait

a characteristic pattern of behavior or a disposition to feel and act

Personality Inventory

a quenstionaire on which people respons to items designed to gauge a wide range of feelings and behaviors

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory

the most widely researched and clinically used of all personality tests

Social Cognitive Perspective of Personality

emphasizes the interaction between cognitive processes, behaviors, and the environment

Behavoral Approach to Personality

this approach focuses on the effect of learning on our personal development

Reciprocal Determinism

emphasizes the three-way interaction between an individual's behavior, cognitive processes (including personal factors like thoughts and beliefs), and the environment. It suggests that these three factors mutually influence each other in a continuous cycle

Positive Psychology

the scientific study of optimal human functioning; aims to discover and promote strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.

Self

assumed to be the center of personality, the organizer of our thoughts

Spotlight Effect

a cognitive bias in which individuals tend to overestimate how much others are paying attention to them, especially when they make a mistake or experience an embarrassing moment

Self-Esteem

an individual's overall feelings of self-worth or value

Self-Efficacy

an individual's belief in their ability to successfully complete a task or reach a specific goal

Narcissism

a personality trait characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others.

Individualism

a cultural or personal outlook that emphasizes the importance of the individual, their rights, and their independence from others

Collectivism

a cultural or social orientation where individuals prioritize group goals and the well-being of the collective over their own personal interests and needs

Emotion

a response of the whole organism, influencing physiological arousal, expressive behaviors and concious experience

James-Lange Theory

a theory that our experiences of emotion relate to ur awareness of our physiological responses to emotion arousing stimuli. In essence, our physical reactions prompt the emotion.

Cannon-Bard Theory

the theory that an emotion arousing stimulus simultaneously triggers physiological response and the subjective experience of emotion, separate from each other

Two-Factor Theory

the schachter-singer theory that to experience emotion, one must be physically aroused and cognitively label the arousal.

Facial Feedback Effect

the tendency of facial muscle states to trigger corrosponding emotions (ex: smiling makes you happy)

Health Psychology

a subfield of psychology that provides psychology’s contribution to behavioral medicine

Stress

the process by which we perviece and respond to certain challenging or demanding events/stimuli

General Adaptation Syndrome

Selye’s concept of the body’s adaptive response to stress in three phases: alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

Tend-and-Befriend Response

a behavioral and sociological response to stress, especially women, where individuals tend to provide support to others and befriend in order to seek support

Psychophysiological Illness

any stress related physical illness

Psychoneuroimmunology

the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine systems process together

Motivation

a need or desire that energizes and directs behavior

Instinct

a complex, unlearned behavior that is rigidly patterned throughout a species