Unit 9 Vocab Quiz #1

Developmental Psychology

A branch of psychology that studies physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development throughout the lifespan.

Cross-Sectional Study

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

Longitudinal Study

Research that follows and retests the same people over time.

Teratogens

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

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

Physical and cognitive function deficits in children caused by their birth mother’s heavy drinking during pregnancy.

Habituation

Decreasing responsiveness with repeated stimulation.

Maturation

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

Critical Period

An optimal period early in the life of an organism when exposure to certain stimuli or experiences produces normal development.

Adolescence

The transition period from childhood to adulthood, extending from puberty to independence.

Puberty

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

Menopause

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

Sex

In psychology, the biologically influenced characteristics by which people define male, female, and intersex.

Gender

In psychology, the attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a given culture associates with a person’s biological sex.

Intersex

Possessing male and female biological sexual characteristics at birth.

Aggression

Any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.

Relational Aggression

An act of aggression (physical or verbal) intended to harm a person’s relationship or social standing.

X chromosome

The sex chromosome found in females and males.

Y chromosome

The sex chromosome typically found only in males.

Testosterone

The most important male sex hormone.

Estrogens

Sex hormones, such as estradiol, that contribute to female sex characteristics and are secreted in greater amounts by females than by males.

Primary Sex Characteristics

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