Social Psych Vocab Exam#1

Asexual reproduction

Making offspring without needing a partner, using only one parent's cells.

Big data

Huge amounts of information collected and analyzed to find patterns.

Case history

A detailed record of someone's medical, social, or psychological background.

Castration

Removal of the testicles (in males) or ovaries (in females), usually for medical or cultural reasons.

Cognitive psychology

The study of how people think, learn, and remember things.

Cohabitation

Living together as a couple without being married.

Coitus

Another word for sexual intercourse.

Contraception

Methods used to prevent pregnancy (like birth control pills or condoms).

Control group

A group in an experiment that doesn't get the treatment, used to compare results.

Cultural anthropology

The study of how people in different cultures live, believe, and behave.

Double standard

Different rules for different people, often based on gender.

Ethnography

A detailed study of a culture or group, often based on living among them.

Eunuch

A man who has been castrated, often in historical times for certain jobs.

Evolutionary psychology

The study of how human behavior has evolved to solve problems from the past.

Feminism

The belief in equal rights and opportunities for women and men.

Gay liberation movement

A movement starting in the 1960s fighting for LGBTQ+ rights.

Gender

Social and cultural ideas about what it means to be male, female, or something else.

General Social Survey (GSS)

A survey that collects data on what people in the U.S. think and do about different topics.

Heterosexuality

Being sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex.

Homosexuality

Being sexually attracted to people of the same sex.

Intersectionality

How different social categories overlap and affect people's experiences.

National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS)

A big study from the 1990s about Americans' sexual behaviors and attitudes.

National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB)

A large study about sexual behaviors in the U.S. from 2010.

Neuroses

Mild mental health problems like anxiety or obsessive thoughts.

Partible paternity

A belief in some cultures that a child can have more than one father.

Perversion

Behavior seen as unusual or unacceptable in sexual matters.

Pluralistic ignorance

When most people in a group think they feel differently from everyone else, but actually, they feel the same.

Polygamy

Being married to more than one person at the same time.

Psychology

The study of how the mind works and how people behave.

Qualitative research

Research based on observations and interviews instead of numbers.

Script theory

The idea that people follow social 'scripts' or expected behaviors in different situations.

Sex

Biological differences between males and females.

Sexology

The scientific study of sex and sexual behavior.

Sexual orientation

Who someone is sexually attracted to (like men, women, both, or neither).

Sexual reproduction

Making offspring through the combination of sperm and egg from two parents.

Sexual Revolution

A social movement in the 1960s and '70s that changed ideas about sex and freedom.

Sexual selection

A type of evolution where traits help individuals attract mates.

Sexuality

Everything related to sexual feelings, attractions, and behaviors.

Genome

All the genetic information (DNA) in an organism.

Gametes

Reproductive cells (sperm in males, ova in females).

Ova

Female reproductive cells (eggs).

Sperm

Male reproductive cells.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that makes gametes with half the normal amount of DNA.

Zygote

The first cell formed when a sperm and egg join together.

Adaptive

A trait that helps an organism survive or reproduce better.

Parthenogenetically

Producing offspring without fertilization.

Mutations

Changes in DNA that can create new traits.

Investment

Time, energy, or resources spent to help offspring survive.

Sex determination

The process that decides whether an organism is male or female.

Autosomes

Chromosomes that aren't involved in deciding sex.

Sex chromosomes

Chromosomes that decide if someone is male or female (X and Y).

X chromosomes

A sex chromosome found in both males and females.

Y chromosomes

A sex chromosome found only in males.

Internal fertilization

When sperm fertilizes an egg inside the body.

Gestation

The time a baby develops inside the mother's body before birth.

Lactation

Producing milk to feed babies.

Semen

The fluid that carries sperm during ejaculation.

Pheromones

Chemicals released by animals that can affect the behavior of others.

Fluctuating asymmetry

Small differences between the two sides of the body that can show health or genetic quality.

Copulation

Another word for sexual intercourse.

Estrus

The time when female animals are fertile and ready to mate.

Proceptive behavior

Actions that show someone is interested in mating.

Monogamous

Having one mate at a time.

Pair-bond

A close, long-term relationship between two mates.

Polygamous

Having more than one mate at a time.

Polygyny

When one male has multiple female mates.

Sexually monogamous

Only mating with one partner at a time.

Socially monogamous

Living with one partner but not always being sexually exclusive.

Promiscuity

Having many sexual partners without forming lasting relationships.

Kin selection

Helping relatives survive and reproduce, even if it doesn't directly help you.

Genital end-bulbs

Tiny nerve endings in the genitals that sense touch and pressure.

Pudendal nerves

Nerves that carry signals between the genitals and the brain.

Pelvic nerves

Nerves that send messages between the brain and pelvic organs.

Adrenergic

Related to adrenaline and the nervous system.

Cholinergic

Related to acetylcholine, which helps calm the body.

Sinusoids

Small spaces in tissue that fill with blood during arousal.

Trabeculae

Thin walls of tissue that support sinusoids and help control blood flow.

Onuf’s nucleus

A group of nerve cells in the spinal cord that controls pelvic muscles.

Sexual dimorphisms

Physical or brain differences between males and females.

Locus coeruleus

A part of the brain that helps with attention and excitement.

Amygdala

The brain’s emotional center, especially for fear and pleasure.

Anterior cingulate cortex

A brain area involved in decision-making, emotions, and pain detection.

Hypothalamus

A small brain part that controls hormones and sexual behavior.

Prefrontal cortex

The part of the brain that helps with decision-making and planning.

Dopamine

A brain chemical that makes you feel happy and motivated.

Serotonin

A brain chemical that helps control mood and sleep.

Norepinephrine

A brain chemical that helps with alertness and excitement.

Oxytocin

The 'love hormone' that helps with bonding and trust.

Vasopressin

A hormone that helps with bonding and controlling water balance.

Endorphins

Natural chemicals that relieve pain and create feelings of pleasure.

Reward center

Parts of the brain that make you feel good when you do something enjoyable.

Pleasure center

Brain areas that produce feelings of happiness and satisfaction.